Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme

Helen Clark became the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme on 17April 2009, and is the first woman to lead the organization. She is also the Chair of the UnitedNations Development Group, a committee consisting of the heads of all UN funds, programmesand departments working on development issues.Prior to her appointment with UNDP, Helen Clark served for nine years as Prime Minister ofNew Zealand, serving three successive terms from 1999 - 2008. Throughout her tenure asPrime Minister, Helen Clark engaged widely in policy development and advocacy across theinternational, economic, social and cultural spheres.Under her leadership, New Zealand achieved significant economic growth, low levels ofunemployment, and high levels of investment in education and health, and in the well-being offamilies and older citizens. She and her government prioritized reconciliation and thesettlement of historical grievances with New Zealand’s indigenous people and the developmentof an inclusive multicultural and multi-faith society.Helen Clark advocated strongly for New Zealand’s comprehensive programme on sustainabilityand for tackling the problems of climate change. Her objectives have been to establish NewZealand as being among the world’s leading nations in dealing with these challenges. HelenClark was also an active leader of her country’s foreign relations and policies, engaging in awide range of international issues. As Prime Minister, Helen Clark was a member of the Councilof Women World Leaders, an international network of current and former women presidents

and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally forcollective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.Helen Clark held ministerial responsibility during her nine years as Prime Minister for NewZealand’s intelligence agencies and for the portfolio of arts, culture and heritage. She has seenthe promotion of this latter portfolio as important in expressing the unique identity of hernation in a positive way.Helen Clark came to the role of Prime Minister after an extensive parliamentary and ministerialcareer. First elected to Parliament in 1981, Helen Clark was re-elected to her multiculturalAuckland constituency for the tenth time in November 2008. Earlier in her career, she chairedParliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.Between 1987 and 1990, she was a Minister responsible for first, the portfolios of Conservationand Housing, and then Health and Labour. She was Deputy Prime Minister between August1989 and November 1990. From that date until December 1993 she served as Deputy Leaderof the Opposition, and then as Leader of the Opposition until winning the election in November1999.Prior to entering the New Zealand Parliament, Helen Clark taught in the Political StudiesDepartment of the University of Auckland. She graduated with a BA in 1971 and an MA withFirst Class Honours in 1974. She is married to Peter Davis, a Professor at Auckland University.

Post of the UNDP AdministratorThe UNDP Administrator is appointed by the Secretary-General and confirmed by the GeneralAssembly for a term of four years. Paul G. Hoffman was appointed as the first Administrator ofUNDP in 1966 and served until retirement in 1972. David Owen, who led UNDP’s predecessororganization, the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (EPTA), was appointed as Mr.Hoffman’s Co-Administrator. Rudolph A. Peterson was appointed Administrator in 1972followed by Bradford Morse in 1976; William H. Draper lll, 1986; James Gustave Speth, 1993to 30 June 1999;Mark Malloch Brown,1999-2005; andKemal Derviş,2005-2009.