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In 2002, the Freedom from Want Award was presented to Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland. She received the award for her outstanding commitment to a better, healthier and more sustainable world. In her acceptance speech, the laureate called for better health awareness. She said, “Without health of body and mind, there is no fair chance to escape poverty. The opportunity to achieve sustainable development is then missing.”

Dr Brundtland warned of the emerging danger of HIV and AIDS, nicotine and drugs, pollution, neglect, climate change, loss of biodiversity and diseases spilling over from rich countries to poorer ones.

Speech Gro Harlem Brundtland

More about Brundtland

Norway's Gro Harlem was born in Norway in 1939. The Norwegian politician, diplomat and doctor led three governments in ten years as prime minister. Dr Harlem Brundtland was Norway's first female prime minister. At a young age, she was exposed to the work of the United Nations (UN). Her father worked as a doctor in Egypt on behalf of the UN. He would later become Norway's Minister of Defence. Harlem studied in Oslo and at Harvard, and joined the Labour Party. She married conservative politician Arne Brundtland. From 1970 to 1974, Dr Brundtland served as Minister for the Environment. She then became a member of parliament and prime minister. During this period, her involvement in international issues and movements grew. In 1983, for instance, Dr Brundtland chaired the World Commission on Environment and Development in preparation for the UN World Conference in Rio de Janeiro.

In 1997, Dr Brundtland ran for secretary-general of the UN. In her place, Kofi Annan was elected. From 1998 to 2003, Dr Brundtland was director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO). After this, she worked on sustainable development (the Brundtland Report) and climate change. Dr Brundtland became the special envoy to UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon and went to climate conferences. She participated in the Bilderburg Conferences, is an active member of the Council of World Women Leaders, the Club of Madrid and the society The Elders. In addition, Dr Brundtland works in business.

Positions and publications

Dr Brundtland held the following positions:

● Health Department (1968 - 1974)
● Minister of Environment (1974 - 1979)
● Prime Minister (1981, 1986 - 1989, 1990 - 1996)
● Director general WHO (1998 - 2003)

She received the Charlemagne Prize in 1994 and the Thomas Jefferson Award in 2008.