Ms. Sigrid A. M. Kaag

Assistant Administrator and Director

Partnerships Bureau, UNDP

New York

Ms. Kaag joined the Partnerships Bureau as Assistant Administrator and Director on 1 August 2010.The Bureau builds and strengthens relationships with a number of key constituencies and developmentpartners, in particular, the Bureau has a corporate role in developing relationships with the ExecutiveBoard, programme and donor countries, the United Nations system, the International FinancialInstitutions (IFIs), the European Commission and related institutions, as well as civil society, the privatesector, foundations and academia.Ms. Kaag was Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa for UNICEF from December 2007 toAugust 2010. In this capacity, she provided strategic leadership and policy guidance to 15 UNICEFoffices in the region covering 19 countries as well as the Palestinian Territory (oPt) with over 1000 staff.UNICEF provides emergency and humanitarian assistance and is a key partner in development for theregion.Prior, Ms. Kaag served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the UNICEF Executive Director, from April2006 until December 2007. In this capacity she provided strategic policy, advocacy and leadershipsupport. Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, she held the position of Deputy Director (Regional and Inter-Agency Affairs), Programme Division providing leadership on UN coherence, post-crisis transition, andregional affairs within the UN system.Ms. Kaag was senior UN adviser to the United Nations/World Bank Joint Assessment Mission forSudan in the office of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Khartoum duringthe period 2004-2005, when she moved to New York to join UNICEF.Ms. Kaag was Deputy Director of Programmes, Chief Donor Relations, at the International Organizationfor Migration (IOM) from 1998-2004 in Geneva. During this time, she provided leadership onprogramme development for migration management in both humanitarian and development situations,and served as a senior representative to the organization for external relations and Inter-Agency affairs.Prior to this assignment, Ms. Kaag served with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency forPalestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Middle East at its Headquarters location from 1994 – 1997,responsible for programme management and external affairs respectively.Ms. Kaag was a diplomat in the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN Political Affairs Divisionfollowed by an assignment as advisor on bilateral development cooperation from 1990 – 1993. Sheworked as an analyst for the Shell International Petroleum Company Headquarters in London, UnitedKingdom from 1988 until 1990.Ms. Kaag, a national of the Netherlands, obtained her first degree in Middle East Studies at theAmerican University in Cairo (AUC) in 1985, followed by a Masters in Philosophy in InternationalRelations from St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, in 1987. She received a second Masters degreein Politics and Economics of the Middle East from University of Exeter in 1988. She is proficient inseveral languages, including Dutch, English, Arabic, French, German and Spanish.