Isabelle Durant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isabelle Durant
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Isabelle Durant in 2019
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| Senator | |
| In office 2003 – June 2011 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1954 |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Political party | Ecolo The Greens–European Free Alliance |
| Spouse | Jean-Claude Willame |
| Residence | Geneva |
| Website | www.isabelledurant.be |
Isabelle Annie J. Durant was born on September 4, 1954. She is a Belgian politician from the Ecolo party. She held important roles at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). From 2017 to 2021, she was the Deputy Secretary-General. She then served as the acting Secretary-General from 2021 to 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Isabelle Durant first trained to be a nurse. After that, she became a teacher for people working in healthcare. She also worked with schools in areas where many working-class families lived. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree in social and economic politics. She studied at the Université catholique de Louvain.
Isabelle Durant's Political Journey
Isabelle Durant has had a long and active career in politics. She has held several key positions in the Belgian government and at the European level.
Leading the Ecolo Party
From 1994 to 1999, Isabelle Durant was a Federal Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ecolo party. This role meant she helped lead the party and speak for it. She worked alongside other important members like Jacky Morael.
Serving as Deputy Prime Minister (1999–2003)
Between 1999 and 2003, Isabelle Durant was a very important person in the Belgian government. She served as the Deputy Prime Minister. This is like a second-in-command to the Prime Minister. She was also the Minister of Mobility and Transport. This meant she was in charge of things like roads, trains, and airports.
She was part of Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's first government. In 2003, she and another party member, Olivier Deleuze, left the government. This happened just a week before national elections. They disagreed about rules for night flights from Brussels Airport.
Working in the Belgian Senate (2003–2011)
After leaving the government, Isabelle Durant became a member of the Belgian Senate. She served there from 2003 to 2011. The Senate is one of the two parts of Belgium's parliament.
As a Senator, she worked on committees dealing with foreign affairs and social issues. She also traveled to many countries to observe elections. These countries included the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, and Tunisia.
From 2004, she again served as a Federal Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ecolo party.
Becoming a Member of the European Parliament (2009–2014)
In 2009, Isabelle Durant was elected as a Member of the European Parliament. This means she represented Belgium in the European Union's law-making body.
From 2009 to 2014, she was a Vice President of the European Parliament. This was a very important leadership role. She worked under President Martin Schulz.
She was also part of the Committee on Budgets, which deals with how the European Union spends its money. She worked on groups that focused on relations with Iran. In 2012, she helped create new rules about what gifts Members of the European Parliament could accept.
In 2010, Isabelle Durant supported the Spinelli Group. This group wanted to make the European Union more united, like a single country. Other well-known supporters included Jacques Delors.
In 2013, Isabelle Durant led a group of European Parliament members on a visit to Tehran, Iran. They met with important leaders and human rights lawyers there.
Her Role at UNCTAD (2017–2022)
In June 2017, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, chose Isabelle Durant for a big job. She became the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). UNCTAD is an organization that helps countries with trade and development.
She took over from Joakim Reiter. Then, in February 2021, she became the acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD. She held this top position until 2022.
Awards and Recognition
In 2014, Isabelle Durant received a special honor. She was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold. This is a high award in Belgium.
