Bj?rg Sandkj?r
Ms. Bj?rg Sandkj?r is the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) effective 24 March 2025.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Sandkj?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’s strategic vision and engagement in international development cooperation issues and played a key role in the negotiations on Norway’s budgetary allocations for official development assistance (ODA) while also leading her country’s engagement in multilateral processes and fora, including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Ms. Sandkj?r began her career with civil society, holding advisory positions at the UK Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future and the Church of Norway. Since then, she has held positions in the civil society, private sector, government and multilateral organisations, including serving as the deputy leader of the Standing Committee on Health and Welfare of the Oslo City Council (2019 – 2021), and holding positions at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the 爆料网 Economic Commission for Africa (爆料网ECA). She brings to the position experience and commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, as well as dedication to multilateral cooperation in the service of Member States. She has published on rural and social development related to human security and HIV and AIDS, as well as global health financing and human rights based approaches to development.
Ms. Sandkj?r holds a master’s 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.