New Secretary General in the Norwegian Helsinki Committee

Geir Hønneland has been appointed Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. He starts in his new position on 4 January 2021.

“First and foremost, I am very happy to have been appointed Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. This is an impressive group of professionals in the sphere of democracy and human rights, with the ability to convey a clear message founded in solid knowledge”, says Hønneland.

Geir Hønneland’s background is from political science and as a research professor focused on Russia at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), where he was part of the management group for 15 years and eventually became the foundation’s Director. Since 2018, Hønneland has been Head of the Board of the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association (NFFO). As a researcher, he has written a number of books on Russian politics and identity. He speaks fluent Russian. At the moment, he is connected to the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).

“I look forward to making use of my experience from research and organizational management, as well as my professional background from the post-Soviet space. And I look forward to working on human rights and democracy, which are topics I truly care about. But first of all, I look forward to getting to know the staff members”, says Hønneland.

I look forward to making use of my experience from research and organizational management, as well as my professional background from the post-Soviet space


Geir Hønneland

Head of the Board of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Ragnhild Astrup Tschudi is very pleased with Hønneland’s appointment.

“We have really found the right person at the right point in the history of the Committee, says Astrup Tschudi. – We have grown into a large organization in need of Hønneland’s managerial experience and professional knowledge. We have been lucky to find the right combination”, she concludes.

Hønneland starts in his new position as Secretary General on 4 January 2021.