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Backgrounder: Mogens Lykketoft, president of 70th session of UN General Assembly

Xinhua, September 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark kicked off his presidency Tuesday at the commencement of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

On June 15, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly elected Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark to serve as the president of its 70th session, which runs from September 2015 to September 2016. At the time of his election, Lykketoft was the Speaker (President) of the Danish Parliament, a position he has held since 2011.

Graduated from the University of Copenhagen with a Master's degree in economics, Lykketoft is an economist by training and a veteran parliamentarian and government minister. As chairman of the Social Democratic Party from 2002 to 2005, he was also the opposition leader in Parliament.

A Cabinet Minister for a total of 11 years - beginning in 1981, when he was Minister for Taxation - Lykketoft served most recently as Foreign Minister, from 2000 to 2001. Earlier, as Finance Minister from 1993 to 2000, he spearheaded economic reforms that led to a rise in employment rates and a strengthened economy. During the same period, Denmark, which has traditionally been an active supporter of international development efforts, dramatically exceeded its development assistance targets.

Lykketoft's career in Parliament began in 1981 and has spanned a dozen consecutive general elections - including the latest, in June 2015. He has currently taken leave from Parliament while serving as the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

While Vice-President of the Parliament from 2009 to 2011, Lykketoft also served on its Public Accounts Committee, from 2006 to 2011, and was the foreign policy spokesman of his party from 2005 to 2011.

Born in Copenhagen on Jan. 9 1946, Lykketoft will turn 70 during the Assembly's seventieth session, a fact he highlighted during his acceptance speech to the world body upon his election. Enditem