CV - Hans-Otto Sano

Family name: Sano
First name: Hans-Otto
Date of birth: 1952
Nationality: Danish
Civil Status: Married
Education: Ph.D. Economic History 1990, University of Copenhagen/University of Lund. MA History 1979, university diploma: Organisation Sociology, Mercury Business of Economics, 2000.
Key Qualifications
Expert in human rights and development. Former Acting Director at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, former Head of the Research Department and former Deputy Director 2002-07.

Responsible for a number of assignments: Coordinator of a Nordic book project on Good Governance and Human Rights. Author and consultant on work on human rights indicators published by the Danish Center for Human Rights. Consultant for the World Bank on human rights indicators. Member of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expert group on human rights indicators.

Involved in European research and NGO work on human rights impact assessment. Bridging research and practical support for development and human rights projects. Coordinating and managing EU evaluation work on the European Initiative of Democracy and Human Rights between 2003 and 2006.

Experience from evaluations in Albania and Uganda from police and human rights training projects. Evaluation of NGO projects in Southern India, Nigeria and Nepal. Extensive knowledge of civil society work in southern Africa. Advisor to a number of Danish NGOs on rights-based strategies in developing countries.

Engaged through various working groups and written publications in poverty and development assistance discussions.

Ten years of research experience on agricultural, environmental, and agricultural policy research mainly in Southern and Eastern Africa, but also in West Africa. Project chief and monitoring and evaluation expert in a rural water project in Niger.

Teaching experience from four years of university teaching and from several short term teaching experiences on development, human rights, and social science methodology.

Main Research Interests
Human rights and development, good governance, measuring and evaluating human rights.

Research Topics:

  • Global Governance and Human Rights
  • Rights-Based Approaches to Development
  • Human Rights Indicators

Professional Experience
2009 -Senior researcher, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Denmark
2008 - 2009Acting Director, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Denmark
2007 - 2008Senior researcher, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Denmark
2002 - 2007Deputy Director, Head of the Research Department, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Denmark
1997 -2002Senior analyst, the Danish Centre for Human Rights, Denmark
1994 - 1997Associate professor, Institute of Development Studies, University of Roskilde, Denmark
1992 - 1994Researcher, Centre for Development Research, Denmark
1990 - 1991 Chef du projet et du suivi et evaluation, Projet Danois, Niger
1986 - 1990Ph.D. student and reseacher, the Centre for Development Research   
1984 - 1986Ph.D. student, University of Lund, Institute of Economic History, Sweden
1980 - 1984Research fellow, Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden
1979 - 1980MA in History, University of Copenhagen, Tutor, University of Roskilde

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