Previously, Stålsett served as general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (1984-1994) and a member of the World Council of Churches’ Executive Committee. Since 2006 he has served as Special Envoy of Norway to East Timor. Bishop Stålsett also co-chaired the XVI International AIDS Conference and is a member of UNAID’s International Advisory Group for AIDS2031. In addition, Stålsett was a member of the Council of 100 of the World Economic Forum and has spent 17 years as a member of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. From 1972 to 1973 he was state secretary in the Ministry of Church Affairs, Culture and Education. He also served as a Norwegian parliamentarian from 1977 to 1981.