View source for Dagfinn Høybråten

{{Short description|Norwegian politician (born 1957)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dagfinn Høybråten
| image = Dagfinn Hoybraten, blivande president for Nordiska radet 2007.jpg
| office        = Leader of the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]]
| term_start    = 23 January 2004
| term_end      = 30 April 2011
| predecessor   = [[Valgerd Svarstad Haugland]]
| successor     = [[Knut Arild Hareide]]
| office2 = [[Minister of Health and Care Services (Norway)|Minister of Health and Social Affairs]]
| primeminister2= [[Kjell Magne Bondevik]]
| term_start2 = 17 October 1997
| term_end2 = 17 March 2000
| predecessor2 = [[Gudmund Hernes]]
| successor2 = [[Tore Tønne]]
| office3 = [[Minister of Health and Care Services (Norway)|Minister of Health and Care Services]]
| primeminister3= Kjell Magne Bondevik 
| term_start3 = 19 October 2001
| term_end3 = 18 June 2004
| predecessor3 = [[Tore Tønne]]
| successor3 = [[Ansgar Gabrielsen]]
| office4 = [[Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion (Norway)|Minister of Labour and Social Affairs]]
| primeminister4= Kjell Magne Bondevik 
| term_start4 = 18 June 2004
| term_end4 = 17 October 2005
| predecessor4 = [[Ingjerd Schou]]
| successor4 = [[Bjarne Håkon Hanssen]]
| office5       = President of the [[Nordic Council]]
| term_start5  = 1 January 2007
| term_end5    = 31 December 2007
| predecessor5 = [[Ole Stavad]]
| successor5   = [[Erkki Tuomioja]]
| office6             = [[Nordic Council of Ministers|Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers]]
| term_start6          = 1 March 2013
| term_end6            = 17 March 2019
| predecessor6         = [[Halldór Ásgrímsson]]
| successor6           = [[Paula Lehtomäki]]
| office7= [[Storting|Fifth Vice President of the Storting]]
| term_start7= 1 October 2011
| term_end7= 3 March 2013 
| president7= [[Dag Terje Andersen]]
| predecessor7= [[Line Henriette Holten Hjemdal|Line Holten Hjemdal]]
| successor7= Line Holten Hjemdal
| office8= [[Storting|Member of the Norwegian Parliament]]
| term_start8= 17 October 2005
| term_end8= 4 March 2013
| constituency8= [[Rogaland]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|12|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Oslo]], Norway
| party = [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]]
| spouse =
| children = 4
| alma_mater = [[University of Oslo]]
| occupation = Politician
| profession = [[Political science|Political scientist]]
}}
'''Dagfinn Høybråten''' (born 2 December 1957) is a Norwegian politician. He was the leader of the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]] 2004–2011. He was also Parliamentary leader from 2005 when he was elected as Member of Parliament representing [[Rogaland]].  He was Vice President of the [[Parliament of Norway|Norwegian Parliament]] from 2011 to 2013. He was President of the [[Nordic Council]] in 2007. Høybråten was granted leave from his duty as Member of Parliament from March 2013 to take up the position as Secretary General of the [[Nordic Council of Ministers]]. He was elected board member of the [[GAVI Alliance]] in 2006 and chair of the board from 2011 to 2015.

In 2018 it was announced that Mr Høybråten will lead the "Truth and Reconciliation committee" regarding the [[Norwegianization|discrimination of the indigenous Sami people]] in Norway up and until 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/slike-familier-er-det-mange-av-_-na-skal-historiene-deres-fortelles-1.14531520|title = Slike familier er det mange av – nå skal historiene deres fortelles|date = 6 May 2019}}</ref>

He was the chairman of the [[Young Christian Democrats (Norway)|Young Christian Democrats (KrFU)]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://krfu.no/krfu-in-english/ |title=KrFU in English — KrFU |website=krfu.no |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216153433/http://krfu.no/krfu-in-english/ |archive-date=16 February 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> in 1979–1982. Høybråten has been part of the political leadership of every Government the Christian Democratic Party has been part of since the early 1980s, first as a Political Adviser to Minister of Church and Education [[Kjell Magne Bondevik]] 1983–1986, later as [[State Secretary]] in the Ministry of Finance 1989–1990, Minister of Health 1997–2000 and 2001–2004 as well as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs 2004–2005.

Høybråten has also served as the Director General of Norway Social Security Administration 1997–2004, an executive director of the Norwegian Association of Local Government from 1990 to 1993 and a chief executive of the municipality of Oppegård 1994–1996. Høybråten holds a degree in political science from the [[University of Oslo]].

==Early and personal life==
Høybråten was born to churchwarden and politician [[Per Høybråten]] (1932–1990) and laboratory worker Åse Margrethe Hallen (born 1929). While he was born and grew up in [[Oslo]], he lived for three years in [[Sandnes]] due to his father working there as a control veterinary. His father was politically active in the Christian Democratic Party, and was a [[State Secretary]] and deputy member of the [[Parliament of Norway]] from Oslo 1973–1977. Høybråten is married to his wife Jorun, and has four children.

==Political career==
Høybråten became active in politics at an early age, and became deputy chairman of the Young Christian Democrats in 1978-1979 and chairman in 1979–1982.<ref name=snl>{{cite web|url=http://snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Dagfinn_H%C3%B8ybr%C3%A5ten/utdypning|title=Dagfinn Høybråten|work=[[Norsk biografisk leksikon]]|first=Lise Meret|last=Olaussen|date=25 February 2020}}</ref> He got his first experience from Parliament as a personal assistant to Parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Party, [[Lars Korvald]]. When the Christian Democrats joined [[Kåre Willoch]]'s government in 1983 Høybråten became a Political Adviser for Minister [[Kjell Magne Bondevik]] in the Ministry of Church and Education until 1986. I [[Jan P. Syse]]'s government 1989-1990 he was State secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

He led the [[Minister of Health and Care Services (Norway)|Ministry of Health and Care Services]] from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2001 to 2004. Following a 2004 Government reshuffle, Høybråten was transferred to lead the [[Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion (Norway)|Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs]]. In 2004, he also assumed the leadership of the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://krf.no/|title=Forside|website=Kristelig Folkeparti}}</ref>

As Minister of Health, Høybråten was noted for his campaign against [[tobacco smoking]] in public indoor places. It resulted in the adoption by Parliament of a bill banning smoking in restaurants, bars, and cafés that came into force on 1 June 2004. Several European countries followed the Norwegian experiences closely, and planned for similar legislation. Between 2004 and 2011 about 100 countries across the globe adopted a similar legislation.<ref>WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2011</ref> Høybråtens efforts have been credited for reducing the smoking rates and improving public health in Norway.<ref>[http://arkiv.nettavisen.no/Nyhet/313790/R%C3%B8ykfri-politikk+en+suksess.html Røykfri-politikk en suksess] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201141727/http://arkiv.nettavisen.no/Nyhet/313790/R%C3%B8ykfri-politikk+en+suksess.html |date=1 December 2008 }} Nettavisen, 1 July 2008 {{in lang|no}}</ref> Initially, the bill sparked some controversy, however it became popular after it passed. Høybråten received LHL's<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lhl.no/|title=LHL – et bedre liv|website=LHL}}</ref> honorary award in 2006 for his work in this field.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lhl.no/for-tillitsvalgte/artikler/hvem-bor-fa-lhls-arespris/ |title=Hvem bør få LHLS ærespris? &#124; LHL.no |access-date=14 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326235732/http://lhl.no/for-tillitsvalgte/artikler/hvem-bor-fa-lhls-arespris/ |archive-date=26 March 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Høybråten was critical of employers advertising positions for non-smokers, since his he felt the issue ought to be fighting tobacco and its adverse health effects, rather than discriminating against people who smoke.<ref>[http://www.dinside.no/314000/eu-ikke-lov-aa-diskriminere-roykere EU: Ikke lov å diskriminere røykere] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219175344/http://www.dinside.no/314000/eu-ikke-lov-aa-diskriminere-roykere |date=19 February 2012 }} dinside.no, 15 August 2006 {{in lang|no}}</ref>

When former leader [[Valgerd Svarstad Haugland]] and the rest of the Party leadership withdrew in 2004 after a poor result in the local elections in 2003, Høybråten was elected new party leader at an extraordinary Party Congress. He became Member of [[Parliament of Norway]] from [[Rogaland]] in 2005, and he then also became parliamentary leader for the Christian Democratic Parliamentary group. After a year in the Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs Committee he was from 2006 Member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs until he left Parliament. He was also President of the [[Nordic Council]] 2007–2008.

On 2 October 2010 Høybråten announced that he would not run for reelection as party leader at the 2011 party conference.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Avskjedsbrev fra Dagfinn Høybråten |url= http://www.idag.no/aktuelt-oppslag.php3?ID=18228 |work= [[Norge Idag]] |date= 3 October 2010 |access-date= 3 October 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110726195558/http://www.idag.no/aktuelt-oppslag.php3?ID=18228 |archive-date= 26 July 2011 }}</ref> He also announced that he would not run for a third term as member of Parliament in the [[2013 Norwegian parliamentary election|2013 general election]].<ref>{{Cite news |title= Dagfinn Høybråten trekker seg |url= http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/norge/1.7318698 |work= [[NRK Nyheter]] |date= 2 October 2010 |access-date= 9 November 2010}}</ref> [[Knut Arild Hareide]] succeeded him from 30 April 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politisk.tv2.no/nyheter/na-er-knut-arild-sjefen-i-krf/ |title=Nå er Knut Arild sjefen i KrF |date=30 April 2011 |publisher=TV2 |language=no |access-date=2 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502104310/http://politisk.tv2.no/nyheter/na-er-knut-arild-sjefen-i-krf/ |archive-date=2 May 2011 }}</ref> Høybråten was announced as the new secretary general of the [[Nordic Council of Ministers]] in September 2012 effective from 1 March 2013. He was granted a leave for the remainder of his term in parliament.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/nyheter/lokalt/Hoybraten-gar-til-Nordisk-ministerrad-3034978.html#.UixNo8a9ySo|title=Høybråten går til Nordisk ministerråd|last=Risholm|first=Toril|date=21 September 2012|publisher=Stavanger Aftenblad|language=no|access-date=8 September 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113547/http://www.aftenbladet.no/nyheter/lokalt/Hoybraten-gar-til-Nordisk-ministerrad-3034978.html#.UixNo8a9ySo|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2016 he started to serve as board member at the Board of International Advisors at the Fudan Development Institute in Shanghai.

In March 2019 his tenure as secretary general at the Nordic Council of Ministers ended.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nordiclabourjournal.org/nyheter/news-2019/article.2019-03-15.3947867350|title = Outgoing Secretary General: Keep the Nordic focus — Nordic Labour Journal}}</ref> On 1 April the same year he became secretary general of the Norwegian Church Aid.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkensnodhjelp.no/om-oss/aktuelt/dagfinn-hoybraten-pa-plass-i-kirkens-nodhjelp/|title=Dagfinn Høybråten på plass i Kirkens Nødhjelp|date=4 January 2019}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Gavi - the Vaccine Alliance==
Høybråten was elected board member of [[GAVI|Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gavi.org/|title=Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance|website=www.gavi.org}}</ref> in 2006. In the period 2011-2015 he served as chair of the Gavi Alliance Board. He succeeded [[Mary Robinson]], [[Graça Machel]] and [[Nelson Mandela]] in this position, and he is the longest-serving chair of the organisation. Gavi was set up in 2000 as a global Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing access to immunisation in the world's poorest countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gavi.org/about/|title = Our Alliance}}</ref>

In 2015, new figures documented that Gavi has helped vaccinate half a billion children and saved 7 million lives since the organisation was funded.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gavi.org/Library/News/Press-releases/2015/Half-a-billion-children-vaccinated-and-seven-million-lives-saved-thanks-to-Gavi-partners/|title = Half a billion children vaccinated and seven million lives saved thanks to Gavi partners}}</ref>  During Høybråten's term as chair, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance had two replenishment conferences to finance the global vaccination work. Both in London 2011 and in Berlin 2015 the donors exceeded the ask, and managed to raise respectively 4.3 and US$7.539 billion.

==Awards and decorations==
{{BLP unsourced section|date=June 2016}}
In 1999 Høybråten was appointed as honorary president of Yiang Central Hospital in the Hunan province of [[China]]. The hospital was founded in 1906 by Høybråtens great grandfather, Jørgen Edvin Nielsen. Høybråten was awarded the [[Grand Cross of St. Olav]] in 2004. In 2005 Høybråten was awarded an honorary degree from [[Luther College (Iowa)|Luther College]] in [[Iowa]].

==References==
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{{succession box | before=[[Gudmund Hernes]]| title=[[Minister of Health and Care Services (Norway)|Norwegian Minister of Health and Social Affairs]] | years=1997–2000 |after=[[Tore Tønne]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Tore Tønne]]| title=[[Minister of Health and Care Services (Norway)|Norwegian Minister of Health]] | years=2001–2004 |after=[[Ansgar Gabrielsen]]}}
{{succession box | before=''position created''| title=[[Minister of Labour and Social Affairs (Norway)|Norwegian Minister of Labour and Social Affairs]] | years=2004–2005 |after=[[Bjarne Håkon Hanssen]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box | before=[[Idar Magne Holme]]| title=Chairman of the [[Youth of the Christian People's Party]] | years=1979–1982 | after=[[Reidar Andestad]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Valgerd Svarstad Haugland]]| title=Leader of the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]] | years=2004–2011|after=[[Knut Arild Hareide]]}}
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{{succession box |title=Director of the [[National Insurance Service|National Insurance Administration]] |before=[[Eva Birkeland]] |after=[[Arild Sundberg]] |years=1997–2004<br />(''Arild Sundberg was acting from<br />1997–2000 and 2001–2004'') }}
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{{Stortinget 2005-2009}}
{{Minister of Health and Care Services (Norway)}}
{{BondevikII}}
{{Stortinget 2009-2013}}
{{Christian Democratic Party (Norway)}}
{{Presidents of the Nordic Council}}
{{Vice-Presidents of the Storting}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoybraten, Dagfinn}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Nesodden]]
[[Category:Christian Democratic Party (Norway) politicians]]
[[Category:Norwegian Lutherans]]
[[Category:Ministers of health and care services of Norway]]
[[Category:Directors of government agencies of Norway]]
[[Category:Nordic countries]]
[[Category:Members of the Storting 2005–2009]]
[[Category:Members of the Storting 2009–2013]]