Ex-Dutch Defense Minister Hennis-Plasschaert Named UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the United Nations special envoy for Lebanon since 2024, is stepping down to become undersecretary-general for safety and security, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced.
She will work directly under Guterres in the new position, NRC reports. Hennis-Plasschaert succeeds Canadian Gilles Michaud. The UN has not named a replacement for her as special envoy to Lebanon, its highest representative in the country.
Before joining the UN, Hennis-Plasschaert served as a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2010 and in the Tweede Kamer from 2010 to 2012. A member of the VVD party, she was considered a close confidante of then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte, now NATO secretary-general.
She served as Dutch defense minister in the Rutte II cabinet until October 2017, when she resigned. Her departure followed a critical report by the Dutch Safety Board about the deaths of two Dutch soldiers the previous year during a UN mission in Mali. Hennis-Plasschaert took responsibility for errors made in safety checks on practice ammunition during the mission.
In a post on X, Hennis-Plasschaert described her departure as bringing “mixed emotions.” She called it a pity to leave Lebanon, writing that it is “a country that has known many dark days, but nevertheless remains one of the most beautiful, resilient, and fascinating countries in the world.” She plans to stay in the country for the coming weeks to continue talks with the Lebanese government and other partners.
