New keynote speaker

Due to circumstances Christa Meindersma unfortunately had to cancel. However we are glad to welcome Aldrik Gierveld as the new keynote speaker of RiMUN 2011.

Aldrik Gierveld (MSc and LLM) is currently the Deputy Director United Nations and International Financial Institutions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DFV). DFVcoordinates the Dutch contribution to the UN and its specialized agencies, funds and programs (Global Fund, UNAIDS, UNICEFetc.). DFV looks at both the political dimension (eg in relation to the UN Security Council, General Assembly and the Dutch role as a contracting party to international courts/tribunals) as at the Development cooperation perspective. With regard to international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank Group),  the department focuses on development issues. In close cooperation with the Ministry of Finance DFV provides  instructions for the Dutch executive directors in Washington.

Aldrik started his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990 when he began at the International Security Policy Department. Between 1993 and 1996 he served in Budapest as commercial secretary at the Netherlands Embassy. From 1996 to 2001 he worked at the European Integration Department. He headed the task force on the intergovernmental conference to revise the treaty on the European Union. Next he was posted at the Netherlands Embassy in Rome. In 2004 he was seconded to the Secretariat-General of the European Commission in Brussels for two years. He stayed in Brussels to serve as counselor and as Head of the Environment and Nature department at the Netherlands Permanent Representation to the EU. In 2010 he moved back to The Hague to take up his current position at the Ministry.