Secretary-General appoints Jaap van Hierden of The Netherlands United Nations Resident Coordinator in Micronesia

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Jaap van Hierden of The Netherlands as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Micronesia, with the host Government’s approval. He will have additional responsibility for programme matters in Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Palau. 

Mr. van Hierden has devoted nearly 30 years of his career to public service, bringing experience in sustainable development, humanitarian affairs, information systems management, and peacebuilding to the position. At the United Nations, he worked with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), holding leadership positions at the country, regional and global level, including Country Director and Representative for Cambodia then for the Philippines, and Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. He also served as Associate Project Management Officer with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangkok and as a Field Implementation Officer for the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in Sierra Leone. 

Following his assignments with the United Nations, Mr. van Hierden most recently served in Afghanistan as Country Director of Cordaid, an international non-governmental organization. He also worked with the Dutch foreign ministry as a civil expert. 

Mr. van Hierden holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics with specialisations in development economics, marketing, and business administration from Wageningen University in The Netherlands.