In late March, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wrote to the President of the General Assembly requesting that the body confirm Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, as Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for a term of four years. With a career in politics that spans nearly 30 years, Clark has most recently served as Prime Minister of her native New Zealand, governing from 1999 to 2008. As the eighth Administrator and the first woman to lead UNDP, Clark was chosen after an extensive selection process.

UNDP has released a statement on the confirmation of Clark, in which it is noted that “Miss Clark has the needed leadership and international recognition that would allow her as the new Administrator to build on her predecessors’ legacy.” UNDP further adds:

“She would bring a strategic perspective coupled with fresh thinking and impetus for change.”

As Prime Minister, Clark has “led her country’s policy debate on a wide range of economic, social, environmental and cultural issues, including sustainability and climate change, and the development of an inclusive multicultural and multi faith society,” as the UNDP describes. A strong supporter of development efforts and a leader on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in her region, Clark recently expressed her enthusiasm in her new role during a luncheon co-sponsored by Vital Voices on ‘Women in Power’, hosted by the Women’s Foreign Policy Group.

Secretary-General nominates Helen Clark as new UNDP Administrator-UNDP Newsroom