Karel Jan Gustaaf Van Oosterom of Netherlands Chair of First Committee

Karel Jan Gustaaf van Oosterom, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations, was elected Chair of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) on 15 June.  (See Press Release GA/11654.)

Prior to his appointment as Permanent Representative in 2013, Mr. van Oosterom’s most recent posting was as the Director-General for Political Affairs in the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a post he held since 2011.  Prior to that, between 2006 and 2011, he was Foreign Policy and Defence Advisor to the Prime Minister.

A career diplomat for almost 20 years, he held several positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as Deputy Head of Mission at the Dutch Embassy in Beijing, from 2002 to 2006.  During a six-year stint in the Ministry’s European Affairs Department, he served most recently as the Department’s Deputy Director from 2000 to 2002, as well as Head and Deputy Head of the Western European Division from 1998 to 2000 and from 1996 to 1998 respectively.

Among his other posts, Mr. van Oosterom was based in Damascus, from 1992 to 1996, at the Netherlands Embassy as First Secretary.  He served in the Atlantic and Security Policy Department in The Hague from 1988 to 1992.  His first role after his diplomatic training course was a two-year stint as Third Secretary of the Netherlands Embassy in Ottawa, Canada.

Before beginning his diplomatic career, he worked as Project secretary for the Netherlands Management Association in 1984 and served from 1982 to 1984 as a platoon commander in the Royal Netherlands Army.

Born in Utrecht in January 1958, Mr. van Oosterom holds a degree in contemporary history from Utrecht University.  He is married with one son.

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*     This supersedes Press Release BIO/4504 of 5 August 2013.