Trygve Halvdan Lie (July 16, 1896 - December 30, 1968) was a Norwegian politician. From 1946 to 1952 he was the first proper Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Lie was born in Oslo, Norway on July 16, 1896. Lie's father, Martin, left the family to work as a carpenter in the United States and his mother, Hulda, ran a boarding house. Lie joined the National Labor party in 1911 and was named as the party's national secretary soon after receiving his law degree from Oslo University in 1919. He married Hjordis Joergensen in 1921; the couple had three daughters, Sissel, Guri, and Mette.
Lie was elected to the Storting (Norway's Parliament) and was named as Minister of Justice when a Labor Party Government was formed by Johan Nygaardsvold in 1935. Lie would later be named Minister of Trade and Industries and Minister of Supply and Shipping.
Lie gave permission for Leon Trotsky to settle in Norway after he was exiled from the Soviet Union. He would later order Trotsky to leave Norway when Trotsky violated his promise to refrain from political activity.
In 1940, when Norway was invaded by Germany, Lie ordered all Norwegian ships to sail to Allied ports. Lie was named as Foreign Minister of the Norwegian government-in-exile.
Lie led the Norwegian delegation to the United Nations conference in San Francisco in 1946 and was a leader in drafting the provisions of the United Nations Security Council. He was the leader of the Norwegian delegation to the United Nations general assembly in 1946. On February 1, 1946, he was elected as the first Secretary General of the United Nations. He was elected to a second term in 1950. He resigned from the office in 1952. Ironically, his resignation had been sought by both the Soviets and by the anti-communist right in the United States.
As Secretary General, Lie supported the foundation of Israel and Indonesia. He worked for the withdrawal of Soviet forces in Iran and a ceasefire to fighting in Kashmir. He helped gather support for the defense of South Korea after it was invaded in 1950 and later worked to end the Soviet boycott of UN meetings. He was opposed to Spain's entry into the United Nations because of his opposition to the Franco government. He also sought to have the People's Republic of China recognized by the United Nations after the Nationalist government was exiled to Taiwan.
Lie remained active in Norwegian politics after his resignation from the UN. He was the Governor of Oslo and Akershus, Chairman of the Board of Energy, Minster of the Interior, and Minster of Trade. Lie died on December 30, 1968.
External link
- Official biography on UN website http://www.un.org/Overview/SG/sg1bio.html
Last updated: 02-07-2005 07:22:26
Last updated: 05-03-2005 17:50:55
