Noeleen Heyzer

Social scientist

 

Dr Noeleen Heyzer is a diplomatic pioneer and a proponent of gender equality

Social scientist Dr Noeleen Heyzer, former under-secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), was the highest-ranking Singaporean in the UN system during her tenure, which spanned 2007 to 2015. She was also the first woman to serve as the executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific since its founding in 1947 from August 2007 to January 2014; and the longest-serving executive director of the UN Development Fund for Women. She was also the UN secretary-general’s special adviser for Timor-Leste, a member of the UNSG’s High Level Advisory Board on Mediation and the UNSG’s special envoy on Myanmar in 2021, a position she stepped down from in June 2023.

Heyzer brought about significant changes in development practice and reforms during her time in office. Her work on Women and Development included establishing legal frameworks for women’s domestic work and safer migration in Asia. It played a pivotal role in the Security Council’s adoption and implementation of the landmark Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security; establishing the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women; working with the private sector to establish The Women’s Empowerment Principles in the changing world of work.

Heyzer, of mixed Eurasian and Chinese heritage, has also been involved in a plethora of initiatives centred on sustainable development and social equity in the Asia-Pacific region. She worked with political leaders and top decision-makers to address a range of issues including infrastructure, poverty, the empowerment of women and youth, climate change, disaster preparedness, sustainable agriculture and energy security. She also held unprecedented talks with Myanmar’s leaders paving the way for a new development partnership, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Heyzer has also served on various boards and advisory committees, including the United Nations Development Programme’s Eminent Persons Group on Trade and Sustainable Development. She also contributed to the Asian Development Bank’s Eminent Persons Group, the board of trustees of the National University of Singapore and the governing board of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Impacted Industries


Awards


2004

Dag Hammarskjöld Medal (Sweden)

2011

Eminent Alumni Award (inaugural winner)—National University of Singapore; Order of the Polar Star (Mongolia)

2017

Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Award—National University of Singapore

2018

Lifetime Achievement Award—World Chinese Economic Forum

Did You Know?


The top contributing member states to the UN’s budget are the US, Japan, China and Germany.

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