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SAFE: Tor Wennesland is the diplomat The UN Secretary General trusts him as the new special coordinator for the Middle East. – A few decades in the Middle East have not made me particularly naive when it comes to framework conditions. It will be a tough job, Wennesland says. Here at home, in the kitchen of St. Hanshaugen in Oslo. Photo: Harald Berg Sævereid / VG
The UN Secretary General has appointed Tor Wennesland as his Special Coordinator for the Middle East.
The Norwegian diplomat has previously been involved in senior positions at the UN. Now you have one of the most generous and difficult.
– The fact that António Guterres offers me this job is above all a recognition of the extensive work for peace that Norway has done and continues to do in the Middle East, it is Tor Wennesland’s first reaction after the announcement of the UN headquarters in NY.
– And what should a priestly trained Southerner do to create peace in the Holy Land? Entering Jerusalem on a donkey?
Wennesland, also known for his brutal humor, doesn’t hesitate for a moment:
– I’m an aspiring realist. And besides, it is probably better to replace the donkey with an armored vehicle, he concludes.
TAKEOVER: Ine Eriksen Søreide must “gift” her adviser for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, who is now chosen by UN Secretary General António Guterres (right) to a “Urias post” in Jerusalem. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
But without dwelling too much on the background and his candid theology of education, he does not deny the prevailing perception in the environment that he is a creative man and that he wants to get things done. He has had a long and restless career in diplomacy since entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an applicant in 1983.
The realist he seeks realizes that he will face greater challenges in the coming years than he had previously faced.
– I have to look for opportunities. Ask me what I can do in a situation where a lot has changed in the last four years. Both in relation to the United States and Israel, and the consequences it has had for the United States’ relations with the Palestinians. Create a new dynamic, Wennesland says.
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CONVERSATIONS: Tor Wennesland has been in talks and negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for many years. Now Wennesland will be the top UN diplomat in the Middle East. Photo: Office of the Palestinian President
He sees his role as a UN envoy to make possible the fulfillment of the UN mandate that is anchored in the Security Council.
– This mandate is a comprehensive set of agreements and resolutions that formed the basis of the UN’s work in the peace process. Basically, it is a lasting peace solution to a conflict that has been going on for decades and decades. And the parties must agree on it, says the new UN special coordinator for the Middle East.
Wennesland must be wanted by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. And during January 2021, the Norwegian diplomat will take on the “impossible job” of working for a peace solution in the Middle East.
Tor Wennesland is a well-known figure in diplomatic circles in the Middle East region. With an informal style, a great network of contacts and a deep and detailed knowledge of the Middle East, the 68-year-old Kristiansand has moved from one responsible job to another.
– Tor is always looking for opportunities that can create solutions, and then he has such an infectious laugh, the now-late PLO general secretary Saeb Erekat told VG last summer.
Rebuild trust
Now, UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed the Norwegian diplomat as his trusted representative in Jerusalem, with the responsibility of rebuilding trust and trying to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
– And now Norway will re-create peace in the Middle East? Are you not afraid to face such a question, with the irony that many will put?
– It can probably happen. But above all, this is an acknowledgment of Norway’s role in the Middle East over time. And while this is one of the most exciting jobs you can have as a Middle Eastern diplomat, it is also one of the most difficult.
– There is no reason to get your hopes up about finding a quick fix, and it will take time to get to the point where you can find room for action and opportunity.
– To achieve this, I completely depend on getting along with the parties, with the key players in the region and with the members of the UN Security Council, Wennesland says.
He is very happy to have the support he receives from the World Organization and Secretary General Guterres.
– The fully professional UN secretariat in Jerusalem and New York will support me. My job is to carry out the UN mandate that describes the position. Get the parties to talk to each other. That’s the first step, says Tor Wennesland.
– And what does it take to get there?
– Then you must know a lot, you must know many and preferably they should pick up the phone when you call. So you also need to know people outside the region reasonably well and then you should be able to turn around quickly, says the diplomat who is known for doing just that.
