First GRÓ Governing Board Concludes Six-Year term
The term of the first GRÓ Governing Board came to an end on the 14th of February following six years in office. The board was appointed for a six-year term shortly after the establishment of GRÓ on 1st of January 2020.
On this occasion, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, met with Mr. Jón Karl Ólafsson, Chairman of the GRÓ Governing Board, to thank him for his leadership during the formative years of GRÓ. Mr. Ólafsson became involved in the project in 2018-2019, when preparations were under way to establish GRÓ and bringing the four training programmes together under a single institutional framework.
Mr. Ólafsson played a pivotal role in shaping the new institutional arrangement for the GRÓ Programmes. He was instrumental in the establishment of the GRÓ Centre and in securing its placement under the auspices of UNESCO. He also contributed significantly to the development of new agreements with host institutions, promoting greater synergy among the programmes and improving cost-efficiency.
Over the past six years, the GRÓ Governing Board has overseen a substantial transformation. Under its stewardship, GRÓ has developed into a stronger and more stable institution than when the Board first assumed its mandate.
In addition to Mr. Jón Karl Ólafsson, the Board included four members. Mr. Ragnar Þorgeirsson, appointed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (now the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education); Dr. Lidia Brito, Assistant- Director General of UNESCO was appointed by the Director General of UNESCO; Sæunn Stefánsdóttir, on behalf of Iceland‘s National Committee to UNESCO; and Ms. Guðrún Margrét Guðmundsdóttir, representing the Development Cooperation Committee. All members are thanked for their important and dedicated contributions to GRÓ and its four training programmes.
