Åke Jonsson

Albert Åke Axel Jonsson (7 August 1919 – 10 July 2007), was a Swedish diplomat. Jonsson had a distinguished diplomatic career, beginning as an attaché in Oslo in 1940 and serving in numerous postings, including Rome, New York City, Washington, D.C., Sydney, and Mexico City, where he became counselor of the embassy in 1959. He later held ambassadorial roles in Montevideo (1964–1969) and Beirut (1969–1974), with concurrent accreditations in several Middle Eastern capitals, and was Sweden's first ambassador to Sanaa in 1971. After retiring from diplomacy in 1974, he became Director of International Relations for the WWF in Switzerland, facilitating global collaboration on conservation. He also held various advisory and board roles, including with Albany International, Martel Catala et Cie, and WWF International, where he became an honorary member in 1987.

Early life Jonsson was born on 7 August 1919 in Domkyrkoförsamlingen in Gothenburg, Sweden, the son of Consul General (1888–1950) and his wife Sigyn Janson (1894–1934). Jonsson had three sisters, and the family lived in Särö, Halland County. He completed studentexamen at Lundsbergs boarding school in 1938 and earned a Master of Political Science degree from Uppsala University in 1942. Jonsson concluded his diplomatic career in 1974 when, at his own request, he was assigned the status of ambassador at disposal.

Other work From 1974 to 1977, Jonsson served as Director of International Relations for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Morges, Switzerland. From 1978 to 1979, he acted as a diplomatic advisor to the WWF and, from 1980 onward, at the World Conservation Centre in Gland, Switzerland. In 1987, he was made an honorary member of WWF International and, from 1991, served on the board of Fondation Baltzar W.A. von Platen.

The Jonsson couple resided in Saint-Sulpice, Switzerland.

Awards and decorations