Louise Holck appointed new executive director of the Institute

On 15 October 2020, Louise Holck, LLM and MPA, takes over as executive director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Louise Holck follows Jonas Christoffersen, who left the Institute in March after 11 years as executive director.
 
Louise Holck has been deputy executive director of the Institute’s national work since 2012, and since March 2020 she has been acting executive director.
 
“Louise Holck knows the organisation really well and has played an important role in the development of the Institute in recent years. Also, she is a very talented and well-liked director with a highly relevant management background. In her time as acting executive director Louise has shown that she is focused on further advancing the efforts and methods used by the Institute, and she has also launched several new projects. Therefore, it is a unanimous board that has pointed to Louise as the right person to head the Institute and lead the institution into the future," says Dorthe Elise Svinth, chairperson of the board of the Danish Institute for Human Rights. She adds:
 
“Louise has a solid professional knowledge of human rights. At the same time, through management positions in, among others, the Danish Refugee Council and DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture and as deputy executive director at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, she has shown that she is able to develop organisations that focus on the rights of individuals – not least society’s most vulnerable.”
 
Louise Holck looks forward to her new position as head of Denmark's national human rights institution.
 
"Human rights protect us all. Racism, sexism, surveillance, violence, homelessness and the protection of vulnerable children and people with disabilities. All these issues concern human rights. Human rights are our protection against abuse and mistreatment and they are a precondition for us to be able to live in a free, equal and just society,” says Louise Holck.
 
"Throughout my working life, I have focused on the rights of individuals. This is simply the area where law has made most sense to me. I am therefore very much looking forward to leading the Danish Institute for Human Rights and ensuring that we continue to make a difference for people and their rights both at home and abroad.”