United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of the Netherlands as his new Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS). She will succeed Gilles Michaud of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his outmost gratitude for his leadership and tireless service to the Organization amidst the challenges posed by the increasing complexity of crises.
Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert brings to the position more than 30 years of experience in diplomacy, mediation, and international security. She has served since 2024 as the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), working with national, regional and international actors to advance stability in the face of compounding domestic and regional crises, as well as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) (2018-2024).
Having been a member of the European Parliament (2004-2010) and later the House of Representatives of the Netherlands (2010-2012), Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert was appointed Minister of Defence of the Netherlands in 2012 – a position she went on to hold for five years. Earlier in her career, Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert worked for the European Commission, serving in postings in Belgium and Latvia, as well as for the City of Amsterdam and the private sector. A native Dutch speaker, she is fluent in English and proficient in both French and German.
