Noeleen Heyzer
Noeleen Heyzer (born 26 April 1948) is a Singaporean social scientist, diplomat, and United Nations official who has been serving as the United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar since 2021. She was appointed by Secretary-General António Guterres in mid-December 2021.
Noeleen Heyzer | |
|---|---|
Heyzer speaking at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War | |
| United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar | |
| Assumed office 25 October 2021 | |
| Secretary-General | António Guterres |
| Preceded by | Christine Schraner Burgener |
| Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations | |
| In office 2007–2015 | |
| Secretary-General | Ban Ki-moon |
| Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific | |
| In office January 2007 – January 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Kim Hak-Su |
| Succeeded by | Shamshad Akhtar |
| Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for East Timor | |
| In office 2013–2015 | |
| Secretary-General | Ban Ki-moon |
| Executive Director of the Development Fund for Women | |
| In office October 1994 – August 2007 | |
| Secretary-General | Kofi Annan Ban Ki-moon |
| Preceded by | Sharon Capeling-Alakija |
| Succeeded by | Inés Alberdi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 April 1948 |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Spouse | Fan Yew Teng (died 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Singapore (BA, MS) University of Cambridge (PhD) |
| Website | Official website |
During 2007 to 2015, Heyzer was an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). She was the first woman to hold the latter position since ESCAP's founding in 1947. She was also the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Timor-Leste (East Timor) during 2013 to 2015, working to support peace-building, state-building, and sustainable development. Heyzer was the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) from 1994 to 2007. In 2005, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her struggle to improve the lives of women, while always promoting peace and justice.