The Pandemic Fund

Tijana Balac Nilsen is the Senior Counselor for Global Health Security at Norway’s Section for Humanitarian Policy and Long-term Development Initiatives. She leads policy development on global health security and preparedness and represents Norway on the boards of CEPI and the Pandemic Fund. She also plays a key role in negotiations on the Pathogens Access and Benefit Sharing system within the WHO’s Pandemic Agreement process.

With 19 years of experience in diplomacy, negotiations, and international development, Tijana has held leadership roles across bilateral, regional, and multilateral platforms. From 2021 to 2025, she served as Minister Counselor for Global Health at the Norwegian Mission to the UN in Geneva, where she led Norway’s global health team and negotiations on the pandemic agreement, and supported high-level political engagement with international organizations.

Her previous postings include Deputy Chief of Mission in Rabat, Senior Advisor for the Sahel and West Africa, and First Secretary roles in Copenhagen and Prague. 

Niall is Team Leader for Global Health Security at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Responsible for the range of current GHS & PPPR policy areas; including the negotiations on the Pandemic Accord. 

Niall has spent eight years working with the global health initiatives, including leading on WHO reform and the UK’s core voluntary contribution to WHO. He has been Deputy Head and then Head of FCDO’s Health Institutions and Health Security Department, which leads on the UK’s funding and engagement with the GHIs. 

Previous roles have included: advisor to the UK’s Chief Medical Officer during the H1N1 pandemic; roles in public health R&D; UK domestic policy lead on mental health; and a secondment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.