UNITED NATIONS: Former Norwegian diplomat and politician Terje Rod Larsen, an architect of the Oslo peace accords, has resigned as president and CEO of the International Peace Institute and apologised for his "failed judgment" in securing donations from foundations related to financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.
The think tank's board of directors, chaired by former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, said in a statement that Rød Larsen also apologized for securing his own personal loan from Epstein in 2013 "neither of which the board was aware of."
The former UN undersecretary-general and top Mideast envoy has said the USD 130,000 personal loan was repaid in full from his own funds.
The board said in the Oct. 29 statement that "Epstein's crimes were hideous. The notion that IPI would be in any way engaged with such an odious character is repugnant to the institution's core values."
It said Epstein's foundations donated more than USD 30 million to dozens of charitable and teaching institutions before his death in the summer of 2019 and many kept some or all of the money.
But the IPI board announced that it would donate a sum equivalent to any donations to programs that support victims of human trafficking and sexual assault.
The board said its financial officers confirmed that IPI never made a payment to Epstein.
It said a global accounting firm will be commissioned "to conduct an immediate audit of IPI's finances to make sure that all Epstein foundation donations have been identified." The Norwegian business newspaper DN first reported the close ties between Rød Larsen, IPI and Epstein.