Sandra Petersen is a seasoned human rights practitioner with over two decades of dedicated experience in peacebuilding, development, and human rights. She brings extensive experience in securing financial and political support for human rights organizations globally, as well as in international political advocacy, organizational development, and governance.

Throughout her professional journey and volunteer work, she has engaged with a diverse array of human rights actors, grassroots movements, and defenders operating in conflict and high-risk environments, particularly in leadership roles since 2007. She served as the Secretary General of the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee and the Executive Director of the Norwegian Human Rights Fund, and now serves as the Chairperson for Protection International, a Belgian-based human rights organisation that supports human rights defenders (HRDs) through comprehensive protection programs that enable HRDs to build capacities for managing their protection effectively.

Currently, Sandra is pursuing doctoral research at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), an interdisciplinary institute affiliated with the University of Oslo. Her research project, provisionally titled “Diplomats, Diplomacy, and the Protection of Human Rights Defenders – The Case of Norway,” examines how Norway employs human rights diplomacy to protect human rights defenders—an issue that has long been a priority of Norwegian foreign policy. This interdisciplinary investigation utilises a multimethod approach to explore both the historical context and the lived experiences and perceptions surrounding the role of human rights within international policy and its potential to effectuate protective outcomes. Her research is funded by the Norwegian Research Council and aims to contribute constructively to future policy development. In addition, she continues to serve as a special advisor for the Norwegian Human Rights Fund.

During her tenure as a Distinguished Fellow at Georgetown Law and with the support of the Fulbright Scholarship, Sandra intends to conclude her research and finalise her empirical chapters. She also seeks to engage with both academics and practitioners in the field to forge meaningful connections that will enhance her research interests, particularly in human rights defence, women, peace and security, and contribute to new scholarship in the field of human rights.

Sandra holds a Candidata Magisterii degree in the History of Religion and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oslo, as well as a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy that included a concentration in International Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.