Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Union announced on Monday the appointment of Dutchwoman Kajsa Ollongren as its Special Representative for Human Rights. A European statement distributed in Brussels said that Ms. Ollongren is a former Dutch politician with extensive national experience in a wide range of positions, including Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister. She most recently served as Minister of Defense from January 2022 to July 2024.
The new EU Special Representative will continue the work of her predecessors to contribute to the implementation of EU human rights policy and its positions on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law and supporting international criminal justice. Furthermore, she will help establish a stronger European voice through dialogues on human rights with third-country governments, international and regional organizations, as well as with civil society and other relevant actors. The Special Representative will work closely with the European External Action Service and EU institutions to ensure the effectiveness and clarity of the EU's human rights policy in external action. EU Special Representatives work to promote EU policies and interests in specific regions and countries, as well as on issues of particular interest or concern to the EU. They play an active role in efforts to consolidate reforms, stability, and the rule of law. The first EU Special Representatives were appointed in 1996. Currently, eleven EU Special Representatives support the work of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.
The federal institutions said that Kajsa Ollongren is a Dutch politician who served as Minister of Defense of the Netherlands (2022-2024) and Minister of the Interior and Relations with the Kingdom (2017-2022) in two successive governments, and as Deputy Prime Minister (2017-2022). She belongs to the Dutch Democratic Party.
She previously served as a local councilor and deputy mayor of Amsterdam. After joining the Dutch Civil Service in 1992, she served as Deputy Secretary General (2007-2011) and Secretary General (2011-2014) in the Prime Minister's Office. Ollongren, who holds dual Dutch and Swedish citizenship, studied history at the University of Amsterdam and public administration at the École Nationale d'Administration in Paris. She is a reserve soldier in the Dutch Air Force, a fellow at Chatham House, and a board member of non-profit organizations in the fields of international relations, security, and defense.