Jan Egeland’s perspective is shaped by decades working at the front line of global crises, from leading UN humanitarian operations to negotiating access in active conflict zones. As former UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and now Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, he has operated in environments where political decisions, funding priorities and international coordination are tested in real time.

He has worked across conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and beyond, including efforts to secure humanitarian access in Syria, where negotiation and diplomacy were required alongside operational delivery. His experience brings a clear view of how global systems function under pressure, where coordination holds, where it breaks down and how outcomes are shaped when conditions are unstable.