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Elisabeth Rehn

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Märta Elisabeth Rehn VR 1 (née Carlberg; born 6 April 1935) is a Finnish former politician and diplomat. She served as the Minister of Defence of Finland during 1990 to 1995 and as an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations during 1998 to 1999.[8] She was also a member of the Finnish Parliament and parliamentary leader of the Swedish People's Party of Finland, and a member of the European Parliament.

Minister
Elisabeth Rehn
VR 1
Rehn at The House of Culture in Stockholm in 2015
Special Representative and Coordinator of the Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina[1]
In office
16 January 1998 – 15 July 1999
Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan
Preceded byKai Eide[2]
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia[1]
In office
27 September 1995 – 15 January 1998
Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan
Preceded byTadeusz Mazowiecki[3]
Succeeded byJiří Dienstbier[4]
Member of the European Parliament[5]
In office
1 January 1995 – 10 November 1996
Preceded byPosition established
Minister of Defence of Finland[6]
In office
13 June 1990 – 1 January 1995
Prime MinisterHarri Holkeri
Esko Aho
Preceded byOle Norrback
Succeeded byJan-Erik Enestam
Member of the parliament of Finland for Uusimaa[7]
In office
24 March 1979 – 23 March 1995
1987–1990Parliamentary leader of the Swedish People's Party
Personal details
Born
Märta Elisabeth Carlberg

(1935-04-06) 6 April 1935 (age 89)
Helsinki, Finland
Political partySwedish People's Party
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1955; died 2004)​
Children4, including Veronica Rehn-Kivi
Occupation
  • Politician
  • diplomat

Early life and education

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Rehn was born on 6 April 1935 in Helsinki, Finland. She spent her childhood in Mäntsälä, where her father worked as a community medical doctor. Rehn went to a local school in Mäntsälä before entering a boarding school in Kauniainen.

Rehn received a Master of Science degree in economics from Hanken School of Economics in 1957 and has honorary doctorates in political science from both Hanken School of Economics and Åbo Akademi University and an honorary doctorate in military science from the National Defence University.[9][10]

In the early 1960s, she was recognized as the first person in Finland to import and market plastic Tupperware containers.

Career

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Rehn was first elected as a member of parliament for Uusimaa in 1979. She was the parliamentary leader of the Swedish People's Party of Finland from 1987 to 1990.[11]

She was appointed as Minister of Defence to the Holkeri Cabinet, succeededing Ole Norrback, in 1990. Upon her assumption of office on 13 June 1990, she became the first female defence minister of a European nation and the sixth in the world.[12] When Esko Aho succeeded Harri Holkeri as Prime Minister of Finland in 1991, Rehn was retained as defence minister and, in addition, was appointed Minister of Equality Affairs in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.[6] During her tenure in office, a law was passed permitting women to perform voluntary national military service.

Her popularity in office led to the Swedish People's Party candidacy in the 1994 Finnish presidential election. She earned enough votes in early elections to make it to the final round, in which she faced diplomat Martti Ahtisaari of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. She received 46.1% of the final vote.[13]

Rehn was appointed a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Finland during the 1995–1996 period of the Fourth European Parliament, a position established as part of the 1995 enlargement of the European Union. Her term began on 1 January 1995 and she remained in office until 10 November 1996.[11]

On 27 September 1995, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, appointed Rehn as Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Republic of Croatia, FRY, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Republic of Macedonia – collectively, the states comprising the former Yugoslavia. After several years as Special Rapporteur, she was appointed an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, with the specific assignment of Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Coordinator of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, an office she held during 16 January 1998 to 15 July 1999. While on assignement, she was one of the earliest observers to visit the mass graves of the Srebrenica massacre.

Other activities

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Elisabeth Rehn and Lamija Tanović were the key founding members and patrons of the United World College in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Rehn was a member of the Global Leadership Foundation (GLF) until November 2017. GLF is an organization which works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. It does so by making available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today's national leaders. It is a non-profit organization composed of former heads of government, senior governmental and international organization officials who work closely with heads of government on governance-related issues of concern to them.

Memberships and NGO positions

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  • European Leadership Network
  • Femmes Africa Solidarité, Advisory Board member, 2005–
  • Finnish Red Cross, Vice-chair, 1984–1988
  • Global Leadership Foundation, 0–2017
  • Intellibridge, Advisory Council member
  • International Court of Justice, Trust Fund for Victims, Board of Directors member
  • Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Court of Conciliation and Arbitration of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe member, 1994–
  • Regional Women's Lobby South Eastern Europe, Advisory Board member
  • UNICEF, Finnish Committee member, 1982–1994
    • Chair of the Standing Group of the National Committees of UNICEF, 1988–1993
  • UNIFEM
    • Independent expert on women's role in peace-building, 2001–2003
    • Global study on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325, High Level Advisory Group member, 2015
  • UNIFEM Finland, Vice-chair of the Board, 2003–2005
  • WWF Finland, Chair of Board of Trustees, 2000–2006
  • Zonta International, International Honorary Member

Sources:[1][10][14][15][16]

Works

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  • Rehn, Elisabeth; Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen (2002). "Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in Peace-building" (PDF). Progress of the World's Women 2002. 1. United Nations Development Fund for Women. ISBN 9780912917665.
  • Rehn, Elisabeth; Aimé, Jean Claude (2005). "UNDP in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Programme Review 2005". United Nations Development Programme.
  • Kang, Kyung-wha; Rehn, Elisabeth; Mukwege, Denis (3 March 2011). "Report of the Panel on Remedies and Reparations for Victims of Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the High Commissioner for Human Rights". United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.[17]

Personal life

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Rehn was married to Ove Rehn from 1955 until his death in 2004, and they have four children: Joakim, Charlotta, Johan, and Veronica Rehn-Kivi, a member of parliament.

Rehn is a two-time cancer survivor. She recovered from colon cancer in the 1990s and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.[18]

Honours and awards

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Honours

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National honours

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Foreign honours

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Rehn, Elisabeth (Finland) – Statement of qualifications" (PDF). International Criminal Court. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ^ "SFOR Transcript of Press Briefing, 27 Nov. 1997 (Coalition Press Information Centre, Tito Barracks)". NATO. 27 November 1997. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  3. ^ "New Balkans rights investigator named". United Press International. 29 September 1995. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  4. ^ "New Special Rapporteur on Situation of Human Rights in the Former Yugoslavia Appointed". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 13 March 1998. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  5. ^ "4th parliamentary term MEPs: Elisabeth REHN. Finland". European Parliament. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Rehn, Märta Elisabeth". Valtioneuvosto (in Finnish). Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Kansanedustajat > Elisabeth Rehn". Parliament of Finland (in Finnish). Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Women in High Places Defense Minister: Finland's 44-Year-Old Anneli Taina Oversees Huge Modernization Drive". The Baltimore Sun. 15 April 1996. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  9. ^ Westerholm, Hanna (21 September 2021). "Gyllene studietider på Hanken | hanken". Hanken School of Economics (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  10. ^ a b Weckström, Leif (4 December 2017). "Elisabeth Rehn: Nu är det dags att sluta fira kriget". Hufvudstadsbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Female Defense Ministers". Guide2WomenLeaders. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  12. ^ Henley, Jon (19 May 2017). "Europe's Defence Minister Roles Become Female Stronghold". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  13. ^ Boustany, Nora (7 November 1995). "The Woman In No Man's Land". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Elisabeth Rehn, Network participant". European Leadership Network. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Women, War, Peace: The Independent Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in Peace-Building (Progress of the World's Women 2002, Vol. 1) – Experts' Biographical Sketches" (PDF). United Nations Development Fund for Women. 2002. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Global study on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 – High-level Advisory Group, About". United Nations Development Fund for Women. 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  17. ^ "UN report outlines stark situation of victims of sexual violence in DR Congo". Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Press release). 3 March 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  18. ^ Jäntti, Elina (5 July 2007). "Rehn: "Syöpä ei ole maailmanloppu"". Iltalehti. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Halosella säästölinja mitalijaossa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 6 December 2002. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Teenetemärgid". Postimees (in Estonian). 3 February 2003. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Sibelius-mitali". Lions Club Jean Sibelius / Järvenpää (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
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