Ms. Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands - Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Ms. Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023). In this role, she will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and verify humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza. She will also establish a United Nations mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza through States which are not party to the conflict. In executing these functions, she will be supported by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Ms. Kaag is expected to begin her assignment on 8 January 2024.
Ms. Kaag brings a wealth of experience in political, humanitarian and development affairs, as well as in diplomacy. Most recently, she served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and first female Minister of Finance in the Dutch government since January 2022. Prior to this, she was Dutch Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation from October 2017 until May 2021, and Minister for Foreign Affairs until September 2021. Sigrid Kaag was elected party leader of the social liberal party D66 in September 2020 and she stepped down from that position in August 2023. She led her party to victory in the elections of March 2021.
Ms. Kaag has held a wide range of senior positions in the United Nations system. From 2015 to 2017, she was the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and from 2013 to 2015, she was Special Coordinator of the Joint Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations Mission in Syria. She served as Assistant Secretary‑General with the United Nations Development Programme from 2010 to 2013 and as Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Jordan from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that, Ms. Kaag served in several senior positions with UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Ms. Kaag holds a Master’s of Art in Middle East Studies from the University of Exeter, a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from Oxford University and a Bachelor of Arts in Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo. She speaks Dutch, German, French, English, Spanish and Arabic.
"United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today announced the appointment of Ms Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza," the UN said in a statement.
Sigrid Kaag's appointment comes as the people of Gaza face a dire humanitarian emergency, with aid slowed to a trickle by Israel's continued bombardment of the densely populated coastal strip.
She will start work on January 8, the UN said in a statement.
Last week's UN Security Council resolution called for the "safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale" -- but did not call for an immediate end to fighting. The Security Council adopted the resolution on Gaza on Friday after days of delays and diplomatic wrangling.
A draft version of the resolution had said that the aid mechanism to accelerate the delivery of relief would be "exclusively" under UN control.
But the final version, passed after Washington abstained, now states it would be managed in consultation with "all relevant parties" -- meaning Israel would retain operational oversight of aid deliveries.
Kaag has been the Netherlands' deputy prime minister and finance minister since January 2022. She has previously held a number of senior UN jobs including its special coordinator for Lebanon and the Joint Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations Mission in Syria.
She will start work on January 8, the UN said in a statement.
Last week's UN Security Council resolution called for the "safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale" -- but did not call for an immediate end to fighting. The Security Council adopted the resolution on Gaza on Friday after days of delays and diplomatic wrangling.
A draft version of the resolution had said that the aid mechanism to accelerate the delivery of relief would be "exclusively" under UN control.
But the final version, passed after Washington abstained, now states it would be managed in consultation with "all relevant parties" -- meaning Israel would retain operational oversight of aid deliveries.
Kaag has been the Netherlands' deputy prime minister and finance minister since January 2022. She has previously held a number of senior UN jobs including its special coordinator for Lebanon and the Joint Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations Mission in Syria.
Best wishes to our XUNICEF colleague @SigridKaag in her challenging role as Senior UN Humanitarian & Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza. Given the total devastation of Gaza and the cruel & uncompromising position of the belligerents (Israel & Hamas) & their external patrons (USA & Iran), this is almost a "mission impossible"!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope Sigrid will be able to muster the support of all those with influence on the belligerents; generous funding by major donors (including OECD countries, the Gulf Arab states & others), and a Big Dose of Divine Blessings!
here! here!
DeleteIsrael should pay for the rebuilding of Gaza as Russia should pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine. In case the Israeli government has problems with this its financial assets held abroad should be confiscated and used for this purpose with the same justifications as is used vis-a-vis Russia.
DeleteI start my comment with a solemn prayer to the one divinity venerated by Moslems, Christians and Jews for the safety and success of our XUNICEF colleague in her mission.
ReplyDeleteThere are four factors that will affect her work;
i. on the personal side, her husband is a Palestinian who was Minister in the PLO. One wonders how the occupying authority will deal with this fact;
ii. on the operational side, it is said she will work with UNOPS. Given the recent big time scandals that surrounded this agency, how will this affect the operation?
iii. on the political side, she is to work and coordinate with" parties other than" the two belligerent ones. Yet there is growing escalation and military activity in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the Red Sea. How will these impinge on her tasks?
iv. on the locational side, the UN statement talks only of her work in "Gaza", but it is not clear which Gaza. Many do not
know that there is another province called Gaza in southern Mozambique (1.5 million population and 75, 700 sq. km.). It is hoped that Ms. Haag will concentrate on the Gaza in occupied Palestine, or as one Israeli friend described it;
Genocide , Arena, (for) Zionist, Armies.
Amen!
Reuter news agency quoted her as saying few month back that ‘she would leave government because of the increasingly "toxic" environment for politicians in the Netherlands’.
ReplyDeleteWell, her new work environment isn’t going to be any less ‘toxic’!! It could be extremely frustrating, to say the least!!
Other worry emanates from what the unicef EXDIR, despite having all the right credentials, was subjected to few weeks back, for doing one and not the other!
Because of the new coordinator’s socially recognized association, she runs the risk of being seen as prejudiced and may end up being a runaway diplomat!!
We can only hope hope that it doesn’t happen that way!!!