Revolving Doors and NATO's Former Secretary General

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Former employer: 

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

Former function: 

Secretary General

New function: 

Consultant

New employer: 

Rasmussen Global

Policy area: 

Security

Date of Revolving Door: 

October, 2014

 

Institutional reaction: 

NATO has told CEO (Corporate Europe Observatory) via email that

“It is common for former NATO officials, including former Secretaries General, to move on to outside activities after their time with the organization. There is a code of conduct for all staff at NATO including Secretaries General during their office term. However, there are no specific rules which apply to post-employment at this moment.”

The code of conduct is not a public document but a summary (link is external) of it is available online.

Other info: 

Anders Fogh Rasmussen (link is external) served as Secretary General of NATO for five years until 30 September 2014. According to NATO's website (link is external), the Secretary General is

“the Alliance’s top international civil servant. This person is responsible for steering the process of consultation and decision-making within the Alliance and ensuring that decisions are implemented. The Secretary General is also NATO’s chief spokesperson and heads the Organisation’s International Staff, which provides advice, guidance and administrative support to the national delegations at NATO HQs.”

Rasmussen was previously the Danish prime minister from 2001 to 2009.
On 1 October 2014, the day after he left NATO, Rasmussen announced that he had set up Rasmussen Global (link is external), a new consultancy to

“offer strategic advice to governments, global organizations and major corporations. Rasmussen Global will collaborate with a broad range of partners in Europe and the US, drawing on Mr. Rasmussen’s extensive network of leading policy experts, former officials, business executives and consulting firms around the globe.”

Speaking at the time, Rasmussen said:

“I look forward to continuing my focus on issues such as international security, transatlantic relations, the European Union and globalization. Rasmussen Global will help global decision makers advance innovation, trade and security in the face of new and multifaceted challenges.”

"I haven't started any concrete activity until today because I didn't want the slightest conflict of interest. I have built a huge amount of experience during all these years and I think it is also in the public interest that I use that experience for the public good”.

While NATO does not have any specific revolving door rules, there are some elements of its staff code of conduct (link is external) which could be relevant in this case. These are that NATO staff will:

• Not use our NATO position or proprietary information to unfairly secure future employment and will not use privileged information to unfair advantage after our NATO employment.
• Avoid situations that might result in real, perceived, or potential conflicts between our personal interests and those of the Alliance.
• Not use non-public information obtained through our official position for private gain, either for ourselves or others.
• Avoid actions that could be perceived as an abuse of the privileges and immunities conferred on the Organization and its staff.”

Comment from CEO: 

“This is a really shocking example of an ex-official going through the revolving door and offering his reputation, contacts and insider know-how for private gain. To launch such a consultancy the day after leaving office, a consultancy aimed at advising major corporations among other clients, on exactly the issues that Rasmussen has dealt with while at NATO is blatant cashing-in. Rasmussen must have been setting-up this consultancy whilst still Secretary General; NATO should look very closely at this case introduce some revolving door rules urgently to prevent such a situation arising again.”

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