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, 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. 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, as well as 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 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 Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands as a civil expert.
Mr. van Hierden holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics with specializations in development economics, marketing and business administration from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
