Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Albert Gerard (Bert) Koenders

 

of the Netherlands as Special Representative for Mali

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Albert Gerard (Bert) Koenders of the Netherlands as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

Mr. Koenders has served as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) since October 2011.

He brings with him more than 25 years of experience in national politics, international affairs and development.  As Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation (2007-2010), Mr. Koenders was involved in integrated peace support initiatives in Afghanistan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan.  He also served as a member of the Netherlands House of Representatives (1997-2007).

Mr. Koenders founded the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank/International Monetary Fund and was President of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly.  He also served with the European Commission and the United Nations in Mozambique, and was Foreign Policy Adviser to several Dutch Members of Parliament.

A graduate of the Free University of Amsterdam, Mr. Koenders holds a master’s degree in international economics and African studies from Johns Hopkins University and was Visiting Professor for Conflict Management at Johns Hopkins University in Bologna (2000-2002).

Mr. Koenders was born in the Netherlands in 1958.

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*     This supersedes Press Release SG/A/1303 of 2 August 2011.

For information media • not an official record