Sverker Åström
Encyclopedia
Carl Sverker Åström is a former Swedish diplomat
.
, the son of the lawyer John Åström and his wife Brita (née
Kugelberg). His father died from illness shortly before the Kreuger Crash in 1932, and his mother was left with four children and the father's fortune lost.
Åström studied at Uppsala University
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
in 1935 and a Candidate of Law
in 1939. Åström was a member of the National Student Association in Uppsala, an organization affiliated with the pro-Nazi
National League of Sweden
, from 1932 to 1937.
at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
in Stockholm
. From 1940 to 1943 he served at the Swedish mission to the Soviet Union
, first in Moscow
and then in Kuybyshev
. In 1946 he became secretary of legation at the Swedish embassy in Washington, D.C.
He returned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1948 and became its head of division in 1949. From 1953 to 1956 he served as councillor at the Swedish embassy in London
, and from 1956 to 1963 he was head of the political division and a foreign affairs councillor at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
In 1964, Åström succeeded Agda Rössel
as Sweden's Permanent Representative
to the United Nations
. He stayed on this post until 1970, when he became Sweden's chief negotiator on the EEC treaty in Brussels
. Thereafter he served as Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
from 1972 to 1977, and as Swedish ambassador to France
from 1978 until his retirement in 1982.
Although Åström was a close friend of Olof Palme
, the former Prime Minister of the Social Democratic Party
, Åström was never member of, or attached to, a political party.
In 2003, at the age of 88, Åström came out
as a homosexual. In an interview he has explained that his role as a diplomat made it impossible to declare himself as homosexual in public, but that his superiors and others where informed to eliminate the possibility of him being blackmailed by foreign agents.
In 2004 he received the "Homo of the Year"-award from the Swedish gay oriented magazine QX
. In 2006 he was one of the co-hosts of the Swedish TV-series Böglobbyn ("The Gay Lobby") on Sveriges Television
. However he decided to leave the series after just two episodes had been broadcast.
In 2011, Åström was awarded the congress price from the Green Party
recognizing his contributions for the global environment through the UN Environment Conference in Stockholm 1972.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
.
Youth and education
Sverker Åström was born in UppsalaUppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, the son of the lawyer John Åström and his wife Brita (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Kugelberg). His father died from illness shortly before the Kreuger Crash in 1932, and his mother was left with four children and the father's fortune lost.
Åström studied at Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1935 and a Candidate of Law
Candidate of Law
Candidate of Law is the degree awarded to jurists who have passed the law exam in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland after studying law for about 5–6 years....
in 1939. Åström was a member of the National Student Association in Uppsala, an organization affiliated with the pro-Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
National League of Sweden
National League of Sweden
The National Youth League of Sweden was the first youth organisation of the General Electoral Union of Sweden. It was dislodged from its mother party in 1934 due to its pro-Nazi stance. It was then reconstructed as a separate political party, the National League of Sweden...
, from 1932 to 1937.
Diplomatic career
Following his studies Åström was employed as an attachéAttaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is responsible for Swedish foreign policy.Current ministers:*Carl Bildt Head of Office and Minister for Foreign Affairs.*Ewa Björling as Minister for Foreign Trade...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. From 1940 to 1943 he served at the Swedish mission to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, first in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and then in Kuybyshev
Samara, Russia
Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...
. In 1946 he became secretary of legation at the Swedish embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He returned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1948 and became its head of division in 1949. From 1953 to 1956 he served as councillor at the Swedish embassy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and from 1956 to 1963 he was head of the political division and a foreign affairs councillor at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
In 1964, Åström succeeded Agda Rössel
Agda Rössel
Agda Viola Rössel, née Jäderström was a Swedish politician . She was Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations in 1958-1964 and was as such the first of her gender to have been permanently placed in a superior position within the United nations organisation.-Sources:...
as Sweden's Permanent Representative
Permanent Representative
A Permanent Representative is the head of a diplomatic mission to one of various international organisations. The best known of the organisations to which states send Permanent Representatives is the United Nations; of these, the most high-profile ones are those assigned to headquarters in New...
to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. He stayed on this post until 1970, when he became Sweden's chief negotiator on the EEC treaty in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. Thereafter he served as Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The State Secretary for Foreign Affairs is the highest position below the rank of cabinet minister at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. , Frank Belfrage is State Secretary....
from 1972 to 1977, and as Swedish ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 1978 until his retirement in 1982.
Although Åström was a close friend of Olof Palme
Olof Palme
Sven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician. A long-time protegé of Prime Minister Tage Erlander, Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 to his assassination, and was a two-term Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet...
, the former Prime Minister 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...
, Åström was never member of, or attached to, a political party.
Later life
Åström's autobiography, Ögonblick : från ett halvsekel i UD-tjänst ("Moments: From Half a Century in the Duty of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs"), was published in 1992.In 2003, at the age of 88, Åström came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as a homosexual. In an interview he has explained that his role as a diplomat made it impossible to declare himself as homosexual in public, but that his superiors and others where informed to eliminate the possibility of him being blackmailed by foreign agents.
In 2004 he received the "Homo of the Year"-award from the Swedish gay oriented magazine QX
QX (Swedish magazine)
QX started in 1995 with the aim to create communication platforms for the LGBT-community in Sweden and Scandinavia. It has a circulation about 32,000 copies a month and is the largest magazine of its kind in the region....
. In 2006 he was one of the co-hosts of the Swedish TV-series Böglobbyn ("The Gay Lobby") on Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
. However he decided to leave the series after just two episodes had been broadcast.
In 2011, Åström was awarded the congress price from the Green Party
Green Party (Sweden)
-External links:**...
recognizing his contributions for the global environment through the UN Environment Conference in Stockholm 1972.