Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert appointed head of United Nations safety and security

Saturday 16 May 2026 - 12:45

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert as the new Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, placing her at the head of the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS).

She succeeds Canadian official Gilles Michaud, whose leadership was widely acknowledged for guiding the department through an increasingly complex global security environment. The appointment comes at a time when international security challenges are expanding, requiring stronger coordination and experienced diplomatic leadership across conflict zones.

Hennis-Plasschaert brings more than three decades of experience in diplomacy, governance, and international security. Most recently, since 2024, she served as the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, a role in which she operated during a period marked by political instability, economic crisis, and heightened regional tensions.

During her tenure in Lebanon, she played a key role in supporting dialogue between national stakeholders and international partners. Her efforts focused on maintaining communication channels and encouraging political stability in a country facing multiple overlapping crises. Observers have credited her with a pragmatic and balanced approach that helped sustain UN engagement during a sensitive period.

Before her mission in Lebanon, she led the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) from 2018 to 2024, where she worked on institutional rebuilding and political dialogue in a highly volatile security context.

Her earlier career spans significant political and institutional roles in Europe. She served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2010, then as a member of the Dutch House of Representatives from 2010 to 2012. She later became the Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, a position she held for five years.

She also worked with the European Commission in Belgium and Latvia, as well as in municipal administration in Amsterdam and the private sector.

The United Nations highlighted that her extensive background in diplomacy and crisis management makes her well suited to lead global security efforts and protect UN personnel in increasingly dangerous environments worldwide.