Appointment of Hennis-Plasschaert as Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security

Hennis-Plasschaert will succeed Gilles Michaud (Canada) in this position, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his deep gratitude for his leadership and tireless service to the Organization “amid the challenges posed by the increasing complexity of crises.”

Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of diplomacy, mediation and international security, where:

🔹She has held a position since 2024 Special coordinator United Nations in Lebanon, and worked with national, regional and international actors to enhance stability in the face of worsening local and regional crises.

She served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) between 2018 and 2024.

Hennis-Plasschaert was a member of the European Parliament (2004-2010) and later in the Dutch House of Representatives (2010-2012). She was appointed Minister of Defense of the Netherlands in 2012, a position she held for five years.

Earlier in her career, she worked for the European Commission, holding positions in Belgium and Latvia, as well as for the municipality of Amsterdam and in the private sector.

Hennis-Plasschaert speaks her native Dutch language, is fluent in English, and is proficient in French and German.