Ad Melkert | |
---|---|
Member of the Social and Economic Council | |
Assumed office 1 April 2019 | |
Chair | Mariëtte Hamer |
Member of the Council of State | |
Assumed office 20 January 2016 | |
Vice President | Piet Hein Donner (2016–2018) Thom de Graaf (from 2018) |
Special Representative for the United Nations in Iraq | |
In office 7 July 2009 – 1 October 2011 | |
Secretary-General | Ban Ki-moon |
Preceded by | Staffan de Mistura |
Succeeded by | Martin Kobler |
Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme | |
In office 1 March 2006 – 7 July 2009 | |
Administrator | Kemal Derviş (2006–2006) Helen Clark (2009) |
Preceded by | Zéphirin Diabré |
Succeeded by | Rebeca Grynspan |
Leader of the Labour Party | |
In office 15 December 2001 – 16 May 2002 | |
Preceded by | Wim Kok |
Succeeded by | Wouter Bos |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives | |
In office 13 July 1998 – 16 May 2002 | |
Preceded by | Jacques Wallage |
Succeeded by | Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven |
Parliamentary group | Labour Party |
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment | |
In office 22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998 | |
Prime Minister | Wim Kok |
Preceded by | Bert de Vries |
Succeeded by | Klaas de Vries |
Member of the House of Representatives | |
In office 19 May 1998 – 17 October 2002 | |
In office 3 June 1986 – 22 Augustus 1994 | |
Parliamentary group | Labour Party |
Personal details | |
Born | Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus Melkert 12 February 1956 Gouda, Netherlands |
Political party | Labour Party (from 1982) |
Other political affiliations | Political Party of Radicals (1974–1981) |
Children | 2 daughters |
Residence(s) | The Hague, Netherlands |
Alma mater | University of Amsterdam (B.Soc.Sc, MSSc) |
Occupation | |
Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert (Dutch: [ɑt ˈmɛlkərt] ; born 12 February 1956) is a Dutch politician and diplomat of the Labour Party (PvdA) who has served as a Member of the Council of State since 20 January 2016.
Melkert studied Political science at the University of Amsterdam obtaining a Master of Social Science degree. Melkert worked as a political activist for the youth branch of the European Community in Brussels from July 1981 until March 1984 and as a nonprofit director for the charity Oxfam Novib from March 1984 until June 1986. After the election of 1986 Melkert was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Development Cooperation and the Environment. After the election of 1994 Melkert was appointed as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Kok I taking office on 22 August 1994. After the election of 1998 Melkert returned to the House of Representatives on 19 May 1998 and declined to serve in the new cabinet and was selected as Parliamentary leader on 13 July 1998. Shortly before an upcoming election Party Leader Wim Kok announced his retirement and Melkert announced his candidacy to succeed him as Leader and was selected as his successor on 15 December 2001.
For the election of 2002 Melkert served as Lijsttrekker (top candidate) but suffered a large defeat and stepped down as Leader and Parliamentary leader on 16 May 2002 but continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a backbencher. In October 2002 Melkert was nominated as an executive director of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund serving until March 2006 when he was nominated as an Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) serving until July 2009 when he was appointed as the Special Representative for the United Nations in Iraq serving until his resignation in October 2011.
Melkert continued to be active in politics and in December 2015 was nominated as a Member of the Council of State on 20 January 2016. Melkert also became active in the private and public sectors as a corporate and non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government, and works as a trade association executive serving as Chairman of the Dutch Hospitals association since December 2018 and became a Member of the Social and Economic Council for the Industry and Employers confederation (VNO-NCW) in April 2019.