Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Sigrid Kaag of Netherlands Director

of Partnerships Bureau, United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced today the appointment of Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Administrator and Director of the Partnerships Bureau of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  Ms. Kaag will replace Bruce Jenks, who has retired from service after a long and distinguished career with UNDP.

Since 2007, Ms. Kaag has served as the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Amman, Jordan.  Prior to this, she served as the Chief of Staff of the Executive Director and as Deputy Director of Programmes of UNICEF in New York.

She also served as Senior United Nations Adviser in the Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Khartoum, Sudan.  She was the Chief of Donor Relations with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) during 1998-2004 and Senior Programme Manager with the External Relations Office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Jerusalem, covering the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Jordan and the Syria.

Before joining the United Nations system in 1994, she served her country in its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as Deputy Head of Sector in its United Nations Political Affairs Department in The Hague.  Before joining the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms Kaag worked for Shell International Petroleum Company in London.

Born in 1961, Ms. Kaag holds a Master of Philosophy in international relations of the Middle East from Exeter University, and a master’s degree in international relations from St. Antony’s College at Oxford University.  She is fluent in Dutch, English, French and German, and proficient in Arabic.

Ms. Kaag is married with four children.

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For information media • not an official record