Halvdan Skard

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Halvdan Skard (born 1 December 1939) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.

He graduated with the degree of Candidatus philologiæ. He became involved in local politics in 1968, first in Stavanger and later in Bærum. From 1976 to 1981, during the Labour government of Odvar Nordli, Skard was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Church Affairs and Education.

From 1983 to 1992 he was the director of the Arts Council Norway. He became the leader of employers' organization KS in 1992. In 1996 he became involved in the Council of Europe, first in 1988 as a member of its Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, in 1996 a member of its Bureau, from 2002 to 2006 as president of its Chamber of Local Authorities, and since 2006 as President of the Congress.

Halvdan Skard is the son of Åse Gruda Skard and Sigmund Skard, and through Åse the grandson of Halvdan Koht and Karen Grude Koht. He has two sisters Torild Skard and Målfrid Grude Flekkøy.