Sigrid Kaag
Sigrid Agnes Maria Kaag (Dutch: [ˈsiɣrɪt ˈɑxnɛs maːˈrijaː ˈkaːx]; born 2 November 1961) is a Dutch politician, humanitarian and diplomat. She was the leader of the Democrats 66 (D66) and served as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and as Minister of Finance.
Sigrid Kaag | |
|---|---|
Kaag in 2023 | |
| First Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |
| In office 10 January 2022 – 8 January 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Mark Rutte |
| Preceded by | Hugo de Jonge |
| Succeeded by | Rob Jetten |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 10 January 2022 – 8 January 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Mark Rutte |
| Preceded by | Wopke Hoekstra |
| Succeeded by | Rob Jetten (acting) |
| Leader of the Democrats 66 | |
| In office 4 September 2020 – 12 August 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Pechtold |
| Succeeded by | Rob Jetten |
| Leader of Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives | |
| In office 28 September 2021 – 10 January 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Jetten |
| Succeeded by | Jan Paternotte |
| In office 18 March 2021 – 25 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Jetten |
| Succeeded by | Rob Jetten |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 31 March 2021 – 10 January 2022 | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 25 May 2021 – 17 September 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Mark Rutte |
| Preceded by | Stef Blok |
| Succeeded by | Tom de Bruijn (acting) |
| In office 13 February 2018 – 7 March 2018 Acting | |
| Prime Minister | Mark Rutte |
| Preceded by | Halbe Zijlstra |
| Succeeded by | Stef Blok |
| Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation | |
| In office 26 October 2017 – 10 August 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Mark Rutte |
| Preceded by | Lilianne Ploumen |
| Succeeded by | Tom de Bruijn |
| United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza | |
| Assuming office 8 January 2024 | |
| Secretary-General | António Guterres |
| Succeeding | Position established |
| United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon | |
| In office 17 January 2015 – 26 October 2017 | |
| Secretary-General | Ban Ki-moon António Guterres |
| Preceded by | Derek Plumbly |
| Succeeded by | Pernille Dahler Kardel (acting) |
| United Nations Special Coordinator for Syria | |
| In office 16 October 2013 – 30 September 2014 | |
| Secretary-General | Ban Ki-moon |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sigrid Agnes Maria Kaag 2 November 1961 Rijswijk, Netherlands |
| Political party | Democrats 66 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Utrecht University American University in Cairo (BA) St Antony's College, Oxford (MPhil) University of Exeter (MA) |
| Occupation |
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A diplomat by occupation, Kaag started working for the United Nations in 1994. She was Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa for UNICEF in Amman from 2007 to May 2010, when she was appointed Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of External Relations of the UNDP in New York. From October 2013 to September 2014, she served as Under Secretary-General and Special Coordinator of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission in Syria to oversee the elimination of the country's chemical weapons program. From January 2015 to October 2017, Kaag was the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL).
Kaag entered Dutch politics in 2017 as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in the third Rutte cabinet on behalf of D66. She ascended to party leadership ahead of the 2021 general election and also served for some months as Minister of Foreign Affairs. When the fourth Rutte cabinet was formed in January 2022, Kaag became First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. She decided not to run for re-election in 2023 and was succeeded by Rob Jetten as party leader. Kaag resigned as minister in January 2024 to return to the United Nations as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.