Governor of Svalbard
According to the Spitsbergen Treaty, the Svalbard archipelago is ruled by a governor (Norwegian: Sysselmannen), who is the representative of the Norwegian government, and at the same time the head of the police department in Svalbard.
The governor has administrative and judicial powers, he or she cares for the protection of the environment and public order, as well as performing other duties, such as: regulation of tourism, performing marriages and organization of rescue operations.
From 1925, the function of the governor has been fulfilled by 21 persons. Current governor, Kjerstin Askholt, has been in office since 2015.
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