Beirut, Lebanon

Saturday, 17 January 2015

The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) advises of the assumption of duties of Special Coordinator for Lebanon by Ms Sigrid Kaag. She succeeds Mr Derek Plumbly, who exercised this critical leadership function for three years.

The United Nations Secretary-General underscored his appreciation and gratitude to Mr Plumbly in his announcement of 1 December 2014. Ms Kaag brings to this senior UN position a wealth of experience in political, humanitarian and development affairs alongside her diplomatic service, including in the Middle East.
 

BIOGRAPHY

Ms. Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands is currently the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon.

Ms. Kaag previously served as the Special Coordinator of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Mission to eliminate the chemical weapons programme of the Syrian Arab Republic, from October 2013 to December 2014.

She previously 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 held several senior positions with UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Before joining the United Nations system in 1994, she served her country in its Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ms. Kaag also worked for Shell International Petroleum Company in London.

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

Born in 1961, she is married with four children.