Queen Maxima gets a new function at UN
Queen Maxima has a new function in the United Nations. In New York, the Dutch Queen was appointed as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, ending her previous UN position as Special Advocate for Inclusive Financing for Development, which she held for 15 years.
“In a world of economic uncertainty, conflict, and climate change, financial services are crucial for helping people take control of their lives and futures,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said about Maxima’s appointment. “As Special Advocate for Financial Health, Her Majesty Queen Maxima will build on her important work to ensure that financial systems can support the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of people around the world.”
Maxima’s new UN portfolio extends her previous position, where she and her partners increased basic access to financial services worldwide. Currently, almost 80 percent of adults worldwide have at least a bank account. Maxima called that “a solid foundation,” but that does not necessarily mean that people develop better or that these services contribute to their financial health.
“We now want to achieve that people can use financial products and services that help them get a grip on their daily income and expenditure, that they can invest responsibly in a business or save for long-term goals, can protect themselves against financial setbacks such as job loss or the consequences of climate change, and have confidence in their financial future,” Maxima said. “These four elements together form financial health.”
The Queen added that there is still plenty to do. “The work is never done, and as long as I continue to get energy from this work, I will continue to do it,” she said.
