The Special Representative Margot Wallström has been an advocate of the rights and needs of women since the beginning of her political career as a Member of the Swedish Parliament from 1979 to 1985. In 1988 she was appointed Deputy Minister of Civil Affairs, responsible for consumer, women and youth matters and later she assumed the positions of Minister of Culture and Minister of Social Affairs.
In 1998, she left Swedish politics to become Executive Vice-President of Worldview Global Media, a non-governmental organization based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 1999 she was appointed Environment Commissioner in the European Commission, and in 2004 she was appointed first Vice-President responsible for Inter-Institutional Relations and Communication. During her service to the Commission Ms. Wallström drew attention to the injustice and violence faced by women during armed conflict and promoted the need to implement United Nations Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820 on these issues.
Ms. Wallström was a co-founder of the European Union’s inter-institutional group of women and a key supporter of the 50-50 Campaign for Democracy by the European Women’s Lobby, which promotes a more gender-balanced European Union. She serves as Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Initiative, where she actively promotes the appointment of women to positions of responsibility.
Ms. Wallström has received several honorary doctorates and awards, including the Göteborg Award on Sustainable Development (2008) and the Dag Hammarskjöld Prize (2011).
Born in 1954, Ms. Wallström is married and has two children.