Børge Brende

Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–2017)

Børge Brende was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2013 and 2017. During Brende's tenure, many major changes occurred in the world that he had to take a position on. Among them, the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, frozen diplomatic and political bilateral relations with China (China–Norway relations) following a setback in 2010, the Syrian civil war, the election of Donald Trump and Brexit.

In October 2014, Brende – in his capacity as Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) – co-hosted the Cairo Conference on Palestine, an international donor conference on reconstructing the Gaza Strip, which garnered $5.4 billion in pledges.^[11]

In 2015, Brende negotiated an interim agreement between Norway and the other coastal states in the Arctic – Canada, Denmark (on behalf of its territory of Greenland), Russia and the United States – on prohibiting commercial fishing in the increasingly ice-free international waters of the Arctic.^[12]

In January 2016, Brende was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the High-level Advisory Group for Every Woman Every Child.^[13]

As Foreign Minister of Norway, Brende normalised the relationship with China, after relations had been set back in 2010 following Chinese controversy over the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize being handed to imprisoned Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo (1955–2017).^[14]

Børge Brende's legacy as Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–2017) is divided, marked by both recognition for diplomatic efforts in selected crises and criticism for lack of results in major foreign policy matters.

Renowned Norwegian political scientist and foreign policy researcher Iver B. Neumann characterised Brende as a very weak Foreign Minister, calling him the weakest since Jan Petersen (2001–2005). He stated that there are two ways a Norwegian Foreign Minister can do a good job, either by making a breakthrough in a major issue or by building an organisation that can conduct a more effective foreign policy. Brende, he believed, had not succeeded in either of these. He argued that there was no indication, either formal or anecdotal, that Brende, as Foreign Minister, attempted to expand Norway's foreign policy space available for action.^[15]

Researchers Halvard Leira and Nina Græger argued that Børge Brende appeared as a narrower, more reactive “minister of diplomacy” who has focused on specific political and personal relationships. They point out that Brende appeared both obscure and inaccessible, stating he was "not only absent from Norway, but was also largely absent from foreign policy".^[16][17]

Controversies

In February 2026, Swiss authorities were investigating whether the World Economic Forum had broken the law by paying around 19 million NOK to CEO Børge Brende in salary. This was 3 million NOK more than he reportedly earned the previous year.^[23] The reason why salaries can be problematic is that WEF as a non-profit organisation is tax-exempt, and that excessive remuneration to board members or managers of non-profit foundations could potentially be considered illicit enrichment, according to the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).^[23]

Brende was mentioned in the Epstein Files, with communications taking place in his time as head of the World Economic Forum.^[24] Brende claimed that he in 2019, when Jeffrey Epstein was arrested, had informed the World Economic Forum about his contact with him. Following the revelations from the Epstein Files, World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab rejected Brende's claims that he had informed WEF, and stated he considered legal action. He added that he at no time was informed verbally or in writing of facts or concerns related to Brende's relationships with Epstein.^[25][26]

The Epstein Files revealed that after the World Economic Forum met with the United Nations on January 13, 2019 to sign an agreement, represented by Børge Brende as World Economic Forum CEO, World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed (UN), Brende visited Jeffrey Epstein the same day. Schwab's press spokesman told the Norwegian press that Klaus Schwab would never have tolerated such contact.^[27] Brende also garnered controversy by suggesting the World Economic Forum could replace the United Nations in his communications with Jeffrey Epstein.^[28][29]

In February 2026, the World Economic Forum started an independent investigation of Børge Brende as president and CEO. The goal of this investigation was to clarify his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.^[30] On February 26, 2026 Brende stepped down as the CEO of World Economic Forum after the forum started the investigation into Brende's ties with Epstein.^[31]

International organizations

• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2016–2017)^[48]
• Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2013–2017)^[49]
• World Bank, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2013–2017)^[50]

Corporate boards

• Statoil, Member of the Board (2012–2013)
• Mesta, Chairman of the Board (2009–2011)

Non-profit organizations

• Bilderberg Group, Member of the Steering Committee^[51]
• Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), Member of the Strategic Committee^[52]
• P4G – Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2019)^[53]
• World Economic Forum (WEF), Member of the Europe Policy Group (since 2017)^[54]
• Norwegian Defence University College, Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Board (2010–2011)