Governor of Svalbard
Sysselmesteren på Svalbard
Logo of the Governor of Svalbard
Incumbent
Lars Fause
since 24 June 2021 (2021-06-24)
AppointerMinistry of Justice
Term lengthThree years, renewable once[1]
Inaugural holderJohannes Gerckens Bassøe
Formation17 July 1925 (1925-07-17)
Websitewww.sysselmesteren.no
Offices and residence of Sysselmesteren

The governor of Svalbard (Norwegian: Sysselmesteren på Svalbard) represents the Norwegian government in exercising its sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago (Spitsbergen).[2]

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, divorce.[3] An important part of the position is to maintain 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 Norwegian Storting and runs at about NOK 60 million, of which the largest part is used for transportation.

List of governors of Svalbard (sysselmenn)

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[5] 2021 Incumbent

References

  1. ↑ "New Governor Appointed for Svalbard". polarjournal.com. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "About Governor the Svalbard". sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "The Governor's Tasks". sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Governor of Svalbard Informational Booklet" (PDF). sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "The Current Governor". sysselmesteren.no. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
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