Natalia Gherman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Natalia Gherman
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Gherman in 2012
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| Special Representative of the Secretary General for Central Asia | |
| In office 15 September 2017 – 2 December 2022 |
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| Secretary-General | António Guterres |
| Preceded by | Petko Draganov |
| Succeeded by | Kaha Imnadze |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova | |
| In office 30 May 2013 – 20 January 2016 Serving with
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| President | Nicolae Timofti |
| Prime Minister | Iurie Leancă Chiril Gaburici Valeriu Streleț Gheorghe Brega (acting) |
| Preceded by | Iurie Leancă |
| Succeeded by | Andrei Galbur |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration | |
| In office 30 May 2013 – 20 January 2016 |
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| President | Nicolae Timofti |
| Prime Minister | Iurie Leancă Chiril Gaburici Valeriu Streleț Gheorghe Brega (acting) |
| Preceded by | Iurie Leancă |
| Succeeded by | Andrei Galbur |
| Acting Prime Minister of Moldova | |
| In office 22 June 2015 – 30 July 2015 |
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| President | Nicolae Timofti |
| Preceded by | Chiril Gaburici |
| Succeeded by | Valeriu Streleț |
| Member of the Moldovan Parliament | |
| In office 9 December 2014 – 20 February 2015 |
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| Succeeded by | Maria Ciobanu |
| Parliamentary group | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration | |
| In office 29 June 2009 – 30 May 2013 |
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| President | Vladimir Voronin Mihai Ghimpu (acting) Vladimir Filat (acting) Marian Lupu (acting) Nicolae Timofti |
| Prime Minister | Zinaida Greceanîi Vitalie Pîrlog (acting) Vladimir Filat |
| Minister | Andrei Stratan Iurie Leancă |
| Moldovan ambassador to Sweden, Finland and Norway | |
| In office 17 February 2006 – 30 April 2009 |
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| President | Vladimir Voronin |
| Prime Minister | Vasile Tarlev Zinaida Greceanîi |
| Preceded by | Igor Corman |
| Succeeded by | Emil Druc |
| Personal details | |
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Natalia Snegur
20 March 1969 Chișinău, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union (now Moldova) |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova |
| Other political affiliations |
Alliance for European Integration (2009–2013) Pro-European Coalition (2013–2015) Political Alliance for a European Moldova (2015) Alliance for European Integration III (2015–present) |
| Spouse | Artur Gherman |
| Children | Mircea Gherman |
| Parents | Mircea Snegur Georgeta Snegur |
| Alma mater | Moldova State University King's College London |
Natalia Gherman (née Snegur; born on March 20, 1969) is a well-known politician from Moldova. Since 2023, she has been the executive director of the United Nations' Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. This means she helps lead efforts to prevent terrorism around the world.
Before this, Gherman served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova. She held these important roles from May 2013 to January 2016. She also worked as a special representative for the United Nations Secretary-General in Central Asia from 2017 to 2023. This role involved promoting peace and preventing conflicts in that region.
Natalia Gherman was born in Chișinău in 1969. Her father, Mircea Snegur, was the first president of Moldova. She studied at the Moldova State University and later completed advanced studies at King's College London in the United Kingdom. She began her career in diplomacy, working in various countries. She served as an ambassador to Austria and a representative to the OSCE. Later, she became the ambassador to Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
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Early Life and Education
Natalia Gherman was born in 1969 in Chișinău. At that time, Chișinău was part of the Soviet Union. Today, it is the capital of independent Moldova. Her parents are Mircea Snegur and Georgeta Snegur. Her father, Mircea Snegur, was the first President of Moldova from 1991 to 1997.
For her first university degree, she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the Moldova State University. In 1999, she continued her studies and received a Master of Arts (MA) degree. This advanced degree was in war studies from King's College London.
Diplomatic Career
Natalia Gherman started her career in diplomacy in 1991. She worked in the Department of International Organizations for Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1994 to 1997, she was a counselor and deputy representative to UN Agencies in Vienna. She also worked with the OSCE.
Between 1997 and 2001, she was deputy head of a department focusing on European security. From 2001 to 2002, she served as a minister-counselor at the Moldovan Embassy in Brussels. She was also the deputy head of Moldova's mission to NATO.
In 2002, she became Moldova's ambassador to Austria. She also served as a permanent representative to the OSCE and UN Agencies in Vienna. In this role, she helped find solutions for conflicts in the OSCE area. She also worked to resolve the Transnistria conflict in Moldova.
In 2006, she moved to Stockholm. There, she became the Moldovan Ambassador to Sweden, Norway, and Finland. For her work in improving relations between Sweden and Moldova, she received an award. She was given the Order of the Polar Star from Sweden. She left this role in 2009 when she became a deputy minister.
In September 2017, she was appointed as a special representative for the UN. She became the head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia. This center is located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Political Career
On June 29, 2009, Natalia Gherman was appointed as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. She worked under the minister at that time, Andrei Stratan. In November 2009, she became the main negotiator for talks with the European Union. These talks were about the Moldova–European Union Association Agreement.
She also helped in talks that made it easier for Moldovans to travel to the EU without a visa. As Deputy Prime Minister, Iurie Roșca supported her work.
On May 30, 2013, she was appointed as the full Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. At the same time, she also became the Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova. She was also in charge of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. In this role, she took part in global discussions on migration and development.
In 2014, The Guardian newspaper named her one of "Seven women to watch in global politics." They noted her potential to become a future prime minister or president. Also in 2014, she received Moldova's highest national honor. This award is called the Order of the Republic.
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In the 2014 Moldovan parliamentary election in November 2014, Gherman was elected as a member of parliament (MP). She joined the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and European Integration. After Chiril Gaburici resigned as Prime Minister of Moldova on June 22, 2015, Gherman took over as acting prime minister.
She served in this temporary role until July 30, 2015. Then, Valeriu Streleț became prime minister, and she returned to her previous roles. On January 20, 2016, Andrei Galbur took over her roles as minister of foreign affairs and European integration and deputy prime minister.
United Nations Secretary-General Selection
On February 18, 2016, Natalia Gherman was officially nominated. Moldova put her forward as a candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations. This was part of the 2016 selection process to find a successor for Ban Ki-moon. The nomination was made public by the president of the United Nations General Assembly on February 19. Some believed that the ongoing issues between Moldova and Russia might prevent her from being chosen.
Gherman participated in a public discussion at the United Nations General Assembly on April 13, 2016. She stated that the "United Nations has never been so necessary." She spoke for over two hours, which was seen as a big step for transparency. As part of her campaign, she spoke at various events and gave interviews. These included talks at the International Peace Institute and London School of Economics. She also had support from a group called the Campaign to Elect a Woman UN Secretary-General.
During her campaign, Gherman also discussed the importance of reviewing reports on peacekeeping missions. She emphasized that peacekeepers who commit serious wrongdoings should be held accountable. Their actions can harm the UN's image. She also stressed the need to support victims of such actions. Gherman stated that these actions are "unacceptable" because they "undermine the trust of the people being helped." She believes that countries must ensure their troops are well-trained and responsible.
Awards
Natalia Gherman has received several important awards for her work:
- Order of the Republic (2014) – This is Moldova's highest national honor.
- Commander 1st Class of the Order of the Polar Star (2010, Sweden) – An award from Sweden for her diplomatic efforts.
- Jubilee Medal "25 Years of Neutrality of Turkmenistan" (2020, Turkmenistan)
See also
In Spanish: Natalia Gherman para niños
