SEMUT's mandate is based on the resolutions taken by the University’s Executive Board, Tromsø University 3. April 2003.

For the University’s Director there are three superior dispositions which give the reasons for the Centre’s activities:

• Environment and Development Studies are not a direct explicit priority in the goals neither the future plans towards 2005 agreed in Tromsø University.
• When the Centre was established in 2002, it was organized directly under the University’s Executive Board assuming that SEMUT should manage further within the existing resource limitations.
• The Centre should not carry out activities (research and exam correction education) in its own direction

1. Goal

SEMUT shall contribute to strength research, education and dissemination of results with focus on environment and development at the University of Tromsø and with research and development institutions in other parts of the country.

2. Secondary Goal

SEMUT shall:

• Contribute to strengthening of research that links environment and development
  
• Contribute to strengthening of comparative and global perspectives in environment and development research
  
• Contribute to co-ordination of competence and information on environment and development studies within the international activities at the university

3. Executive Board

• The Executive Board for the Centre for Environment and Development Studies has 9 members:
  • At least one representative from each faculty
  • Two student representatives
  • One NORUT representative
• Representatives from the research community shall as much as possible conduct research within the SEMUT’s mandate area
• The University’s Executive Board nominates SEMUT’s Executive Board representatives for a period of 3 years, after suggestions from the faculties and NORUT. SEMUT’s Executive Board constitutes its self.
• The Leader and the Deputy shall represent the different professional fields and the leader functions should alternate between professions when possible.

The Executive Board has the responsibility to:

• Create SEMUT’s management guidelines.
• Prioritise between different research proposals together with the research community developing applications
• Elaborate a long-term plan, budget and working program for the coming years.
• Maintain the University’s Executive Board well informed on their concerns
• Elaborate annual reports

4. Organization

The Centre for Environment and Development Studies is organized directly under the University’s Executive Board

SEMUT’s daily activities are lead by the SEMUT’s Administrative Leader, who also is the Executive Board’s Secretary.