Urban Ahlin
Encyclopedia
Urban Christian Ahlin is a Swedish
Social Democratic Party
politician
. He has been a member
of the Swedish parliament
since 1994, representing the Västra Götaland County East constituency. He is also a member of the party board of the Social Democratic Party and is the party's spokesperson on foreign policy
issues.
, Skaraborg County
, Sweden
. From 1981 to 1982, and again from 1984 to 1985, he was chairman of the local branch of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
in Mariestad. Between 1985 and 1990 he was chairman of the Social Democratic Youth League in Skaraborg County
. Between 1991 and 1998 he was chairman of the Social Democratic Party
in Mariestad, Skaraborg County, and between 1999 and 2002 he was the deputy secretary general of the Social Democratic Partyparty secretary
. Since 2005 he is chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Skaraborg County.
Between 1985 and 1990 Ahlin studied at the specialist teacher
-training course at Karlstad University
. He then worked as a teacher at an upper level elementary school in Mariestad
, teaching mathematics and general science, until being elected to the Swedish parliament
in 1994.
Between 2002 and 2006 Ahlin was chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
in the Swedish parliament. Since 2006, after the Social Democrats lost power in the election 2006, he is deputy chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Urban Ahlin is the Foreign Policy spokesperson for the Sociald Democrats in the Swedish Parliamnet. In Parliament he has a number of different positions. He is a member of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the War Delegation
, and a deputy member of Committee on European Union Affairs.
He has been the chair of the Socialist group in the OSCE PA, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
. He is at the moment the deputy chair of the swedish delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Urban Ahlin was also the person behind the scene in the work to release the hostage at the headquarters of the Socialdemocratic Party in Stockholm. The staff had been taken hostage by a group of young members of PKK as a protst after the arrest of their leader Öcalan. Urban Ahlin was the channel talking directly to the youngsters making them to give up after Ahlin gave an promise to attend the court hearings in Turkey. Which he later did together with the former swedish minister Carl Lidbom.
ECFR. He is also a member of the swedish group of Trilateral Commission
. He has been a director of the influential American "think and do tank" EastWest Institute
. Urban Ahlin participate regularly at programs and seminars organised by The Aspen Institute, German Marshall Fund
GMF
and Council on Foreign Relations
in Washington DC. Urban Ahlin is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferations Studies, CSN at the Monterey Institute of International Studies
in Monterey, CA.
from President Adamkus in 2005 for his work to extend the international relationship.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Social Democratic Party
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He has been a member
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
of the Swedish parliament
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
since 1994, representing the Västra Götaland County East constituency. He is also a member of the party board of the Social Democratic Party and is the party's spokesperson on foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
issues.
Education and career
Ahlin was born in MariestadMariestad
Mariestad is a locality and the seat of Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,448 inhabitants in 2005. It was until 1997 the capital of the former Skaraborg County and an episcopal see in the Church of Sweden between 1583 and 1646....
, Skaraborg County
Skaraborg County
Skaraborg County, or Skaraborgs län, was a county of Sweden until December 31, 1998 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. From 1981 to 1982, and again from 1984 to 1985, he was chairman of the local branch of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League is a branch of the Swedish social democratic party Socialdemokraterna and the Swedish Trade Union Confederation...
in Mariestad. Between 1985 and 1990 he was chairman of the Social Democratic Youth League in Skaraborg County
Skaraborg County
Skaraborg County, or Skaraborgs län, was a county of Sweden until December 31, 1998 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County....
. Between 1991 and 1998 he was chairman of the Social Democratic Party
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
in Mariestad, Skaraborg County, and between 1999 and 2002 he was the deputy secretary general of the Social Democratic Partyparty secretary
Party secretary
In politics, a party secretary is a senior official within a political party with responsibility for the organizational and daily political work. In most parties, the party secretary is second in rank to the party leader ....
. Since 2005 he is chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Skaraborg County.
Between 1985 and 1990 Ahlin studied at the specialist teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
-training course at Karlstad University
Karlstad University
Karlstad University is a state university in Karlstad, Sweden. The university, being a former university college was granted university status in 1999 by the Government of Sweden. Originally it was a branch of the University of Gothenburg...
. He then worked as a teacher at an upper level elementary school in Mariestad
Mariestad
Mariestad is a locality and the seat of Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,448 inhabitants in 2005. It was until 1997 the capital of the former Skaraborg County and an episcopal see in the Church of Sweden between 1583 and 1646....
, teaching mathematics and general science, until being elected to the Swedish parliament
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
in 1994.
Between 2002 and 2006 Ahlin was chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Foreign Affairs (Parliament of Sweden)
The Committee on Foreign Affairs is a committee in the Parliament of Sweden. The committee prepares matters concerning Sweden's relations and agreements with other states and international organisations, as well as its development assistance to other countries...
in the Swedish parliament. Since 2006, after the Social Democrats lost power in the election 2006, he is deputy chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Urban Ahlin is the Foreign Policy spokesperson for the Sociald Democrats in the Swedish Parliamnet. In Parliament he has a number of different positions. He is a member of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs, a member of the War Delegation
War Delegation
The War Delegation or KD is a political body with the purpose to replace the Riksdag when Sweden is at war or exposed to serious threats. KD consists of the Speaker of the Riksdag and fifty priorly elected members of parliament....
, and a deputy member of Committee on European Union Affairs.
He has been the chair of the Socialist group in the OSCE PA, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
. He is at the moment the deputy chair of the swedish delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Founded in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly serves as the consultative interparliamentary organisation for the North Atlantic Alliance. Its current President is Karl A...
Successful mediator
Urban Ahlin has been engaged in many mediations and negotiations. In 2007 he managed after extensive meetings and talks to get two Swedish constructionworker out from the Iranian prison, Evin, in Tehran. He was the backchannel between Belarus and United States in negotiating the release of the imprisoned presidential candidate in Belarus, Alexander Kozulin. Kozulin was eventually released.Urban Ahlin was also the person behind the scene in the work to release the hostage at the headquarters of the Socialdemocratic Party in Stockholm. The staff had been taken hostage by a group of young members of PKK as a protst after the arrest of their leader Öcalan. Urban Ahlin was the channel talking directly to the youngsters making them to give up after Ahlin gave an promise to attend the court hearings in Turkey. Which he later did together with the former swedish minister Carl Lidbom.
Other organisation
Urban Ahlin is and has been a member of many different non-profit organisations. He is a founding member of the European Council on Foreign RelationsEuropean Council on Foreign Relations
The ' is the first pan-European think tank. Launched in October 2007, its objective is to conduct research and promote informed debate across Europe on the development of coherent and effective European values based foreign policy....
ECFR. He is also a member of the swedish group of Trilateral Commission
Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
. He has been a director of the influential American "think and do tank" EastWest Institute
EastWest Institute
The EastWest Institute , originally known as the Institute for East West Security Studies, is an international not-for-profit, non-partisan "think and do" tank focusing on international conflict resolution through a variety of means, including track 2 diplomacy and track 1.5 diplomacy , hosting...
. Urban Ahlin participate regularly at programs and seminars organised by The Aspen Institute, German Marshall Fund
German Marshall Fund
The German Marshall Fund of the United States is a nonpartisan American public policy and grantmaking institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and understanding between North America and Europe....
GMF
and Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
in Washington DC. Urban Ahlin is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferations Studies, CSN at the Monterey Institute of International Studies
Monterey Institute of International Studies
The Monterey Institute of International Studies is a graduate school of Middlebury College, located in Monterey, California, United States...
in Monterey, CA.
State orders
Urban Ahlin received the state Order for Merits to LithuaniaOrder for Merits to Lithuania
The Order for Merits to Lithuania is an award, presented by the President of Lithuania, which may be conferred on the citizens of Lithuania and foreign nationals for distinguished services promoting name of Lithuania, expanding a develop international relationships, for distinguished merits in...
from President Adamkus in 2005 for his work to extend the international relationship.
External links
- Official website
- Urban Ahlin at the Swedish parliamentParliament of SwedenThe Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
's website