Ms. Bj酶rg Sandkj忙r is the Officer in Charge of the Population Division in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) from 1 July 2026. She has served as Assistant Secretary General for Policy Coordination in DESA since March 2025.
Ms. Sandkj忙r has held positions in the civil society, the private sector, government and multilateral organisations, including being elected to the Oslo City Council (2019 鈥� 2021), and holding positions at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the 蘑菇视频 Economic Commission for Africa (蘑菇视频ECA, which she joined as an Associate Demographer in 2003. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Sandkj忙r served as Deputy Minister for International Development at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2021. In that role, she has been responsible for the development of Norway鈥檚 strategic vision and engagement in international development cooperation issues, including engagement in issues related to population dynamics and reproductive health, and she lead her country鈥檚 delegation the Commission for Population and Development in 2023 and 2024.
She brings to the position experience from, and commitment to, providing data and evidence for policy making, inclusive sustainable development, as well as dedication to multilateral cooperation in the service of Member States. She has published on aspects of HIV and AIDS related to sustainable development and human security, as well as global health financing and human rights based approaches to development.
Ms Sandkj忙r holds a master鈥檚 degree in Demography from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Oslo. She is fluent in Norwegian and English.
