IN MEMORIAM: Jørgen Mærsk Pedersen

Jørgen Mærsk Pedersen, the former Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels passed away over the summer.

While paying due respect to our former colleague through this article, it is also an expression of deep gratitude for his contributions to the mandate and work of FAO and to making the Liaison Office in Brussels what it is today.

When Jørgen Mærsk Pedersen was appointed Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels he was already looking back at a rich career dedicated to public service at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He had an active role in creating the UN House in Copenhagen and played a major part in convincing the Danish government of the need of a UN presence in their capital.

After his position at the Danish Development Assistance Agency, Pedersen was sent to Brussels, Geneva and Rome, where he served as the Danish Permanent Representative to FAO, WFP and IFAD and chaired the EU group during the Danish Presidency in 2002.

In Rome, he was the Permanent Representative to FAO, WFP and IFAD and chaired the EU group during the Danish Presidency of the European Union’s Council in 2002.

In June 2003, he was appointed Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the European Union and the Kingdom of Belgium.

As Director of the FAO Liaison office in Brussels, Jørgen built an impressive network of contacts and partners and took it as a personal challenge to negotiate for extra European funds for FAO.
 
He resigned from FAO in June 2011 to return to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and become the Danish representative to the Council of the European Union Working Party on Development Cooperation and International Partnerships (CODEV), from 2011 until 2019 where his expertise contributed to the crafting of EU Development Policy.

"Jørgen’s deep knowledge of development, coupled with his friendliness towards new colleagues in the group as well as his almost innate capability to find solutions to even the most difficult of negotiation situations made him a central player in the EU development policy" – Jenny Lennung Malmqvist, Swedish Representative to the Council of the EU CODEV Working Group 2013-2018

"Jørgen was experienced, generous and wise. He never became cynical but remained interested and open. He was a great colleague who was trusted by all, including all Presidencies" – Dorothee Starck, Chair of the Council of the EU NDICI Working Party during the German Council Presidency of 2020

" Jørgen was a remarkable colleague who regardless of what the relationship was - direct or indirect – he always made people feel appreciated and relevant. He was a rare example of decency and empathetic humanity” – Camilla Brückner, Director of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme Office in Brussels.
 
His family added that “During his life, [Jørgen] became particularly adept in bridging different groups and interests. He knew exactly how the diplomacy world worked, how to get topics on the agenda, make things function, follow the rules, make decisions go faster, while getting everyone on board with the right compromises and arguments. He was an excellent listener and created an impressive network of contacts within the multilateral development world. He had a profound and genuine interest in every human being, across ages, background, nationality or status. He loved to discuss and explain politics, diplomacy, international topics, and development issues to anyone who asked. He really liked to discuss these matters with young people, like students or interns, while listening carefully to their interpretations, concerns, and questions. His entire life, he read 10-15 newspapers or sites a day and was up to date on a large range of topics. His work was also his hobby, but nevertheless he was a true family man at home”.