The governor of Svalbard (Norwegian: Sysselmesteren på Svalbard) represents the Norwegian government in exercising its sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago (Spitsbergen).[2]
| Governor of Svalbard | |
|---|---|
| Sysselmesteren på Svalbard | |
 Logo of the Governor of Svalbard | |
 | |
| Appointer | Ministry of Justice |
| Term length | Three years, renewable once[1] |
| Inaugural holder | Johannes Gerckens Bassøe |
| Formation | 17 July 1925 |
| Website | www |
The position reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice, but it maintains all Norwegian interests in the area, including environmental protection, law enforcement, representation, mediation, and civil matters, such as marriage and divorce.[3] An important part of the position is maintaining good working relations with the Russian community in Barentsburg.
To this end, the governor's organization consists of:[4]
- a staff section with Russian interpreters and advisors on legal matters, tourism, etc.
- a section for law enforcement
- a section for environmental protection
- an administrative section, including archiving, financial management and IT support
The governor's office also has at its disposition several helicopters, snowmobiles, speedboats, and other equipment needed to meet its responsibilities. The office's annual budget is determined by the Storting and runs at about NOK 60 million, of which the largest part is used for transportation.
The position was previously called Sysselmann in Norwegian until 1 July 2021, when it was changed to Sysselmester. This was part of a wider decision by the Solberg government to replace gender-specific governmental titles in Norway with gender-neutral terms.[5][6]
List of governors of Svalbard
edit| Name | Term began | Term ended |
|---|---|---|
| Johannes Gerckens Bassøe | 1925 | 1933 |
| Helge Ingstad (acting) | 1933 | 1935 |
| Wolmar Tycho Marlow | 1935 | 1941 |
| Vacant | 1941 | 1945 |
| Håkon Balstad | 1945 | 1956 |
| Odd Birketvedt | 1956 | 1960 |
| Finn Backer Midtbøe | 1960 | 1963 |
| Tollef Landsverk | 1963 | 1967 |
| Stephen Stephensen | 1967 | 1970 |
| Fredrik Beichmann | 1970 | 1974 |
| Leif Eldring | 1974 | 1978 |
| Jan Grøndahl | 1978 | 1982 |
| Carl Alexander Wendt | 1982 | 1985 |
| Leif Eldring | 1985 | 1991 |
| Odd Blomdal | 1991 | 1995 |
| Ann-Kristin Olsen | 1995 | 1998 |
| Morten Ruud | 1998 | 2001 |
| Odd Olsen Ingerø | 2001 | 2005 |
| Sven Ole Fagernæs (acting) | 2005 | 2005 |
| Per Sefland | 2005 | 2009 |
| Odd Olsen Ingerø | 2009 | 2015 |
| Kjerstin Askholt | 2015 | 2021 |
| Lars Fause[7] | 2021 | Incumbent |
References
edit- ^ "New Governor Appointed for Svalbard". polarjournal.com. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "About Governor the Svalbard". sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "The Governor's Tasks". sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "The Governor of Svalbard Informational Booklet" (PDF). sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "Innstilling fra utenriks- og forsvarskomiteen om Endringer i Svalbardloven m.m. (endret navn på Sysselmannen)". Stortinget (in Norwegian). 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "Sexless 'State' Government: Language Council recommends Sysselmannen ('governor') be renamed Svalbard Syssel ('country subdivision') to meet gender-neutral requirement". Ice People. 2020-11-13. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "The Current Governor". sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
External links
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