Jan Pronk
Jan Pronk | |
|---|---|
Jan de Koning | |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 13 March 1973 – 11 May 1973 | |
| Parliamentary group | Socialist Group |
| Constituency | Netherlands |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 19 May 1998 – 3 August 1998 | |
| In office 17 May 1994 – 22 August 1994 | |
| In office 3 June 1986 – 7 November 1989 | |
| In office 16 January 1978 – 18 August 1980 | |
| In office 8 June 1977 – 8 September 1977 | |
| In office 11 May 1971 – 11 May 1973 | |
| Parliamentary group | Labour Party |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Johannes Pieter Pronk Jr. 16 March 1940 Scheveningen, Netherlands |
| Political party | Labour Party (1964–2013) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent Social Democrat (from 2013) |
| Spouse |
Tineke Zuurmond (m. 1966) |
| Children | Carin Pronk Rochus Pronk |
| Residence(s) | The Hague, Netherlands |
| Alma mater | Rotterdam School of Economics (BEc, M.Econ) |
| Occupation | Politician · Diplomat · Economist · Researcher · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist · Activist · Author · Professor |
| Website | (in English) janpronk.nl |
Johannes Pieter "Jan" Pronk Jr. (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjɑn ˈprɔnk]; born 16 March 1940) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Labour Party (PvdA) and activist.
Pronk studied
Pronk continued to be active in politics and in August 2002 was appointed as Special Envoy of the United Nations for the Earth Summit 2002 serving from 1 September 2002 until 31 December 2002, and also worked as a distinguished professor of International Development at the International Institute of Social Studies from January 2003 until July 2010. In June 2004 Pronk was nominated as the first Special Representative of the United Nations in Sudan serving 1 July 2004 until 10 December 2006.
Pronk retired from active politics at 66 and became active in the public sector as a non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Following his retirement Pronk continued to be active as an advocate and activist for Human rights, the Anti-war movement, Social justice and for more European integration. Pronk is known for his abilities as a skillful negotiator and effective debater and continues to comment on political affairs as of 2024. He holds the distinction of as the second longest-serving cabinet member since 1850 with 17 years, 114 days.
Early life
Jan Pronk was born in
Jan Pronk continued to study
In 1965 Pronk became research-assistant of professor Jan Tinbergen, the future Nobel Prize laureate, at the Centre for Development Planning and later he became associate professor at the Dutch Economic Institute.[1] In this period he also became an active member of the social-democratic PvdA, between 1966 and 1971 he was chairman of the Krimpen aan de Lek-branch of the party. He became active in the development cooperation-movement, serving as chairman of the "X-Y"-movement: an alternative Dutch development cooperation fund.[1]
Politics
Netherlands (1971–1977)
In
United Nations (1977–1986)
In
Return to the Netherlands (1986–2002)
Pronk was re-elected to Parliament in
In
Return to the United Nations (2002–2006)
 | This section of a poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Jan Pronk" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2007) |
Since 2002 Pronk has held several positions in the United Nations.
In 2002 he came Special UN envoy to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Tokyo. He moderated discussions on water, hygiene, the environment and biodiversity. In 2003 he chaired the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.
In 2003 he returned to the Institute of Social Studies as professor theory and practice of development cooperation. Pronk still holds several posts in Dutch
In June 2004 Pronk was appointed UN Special Representative for Sudan by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
On September 21, 2006, Pronk asked the warring parties in Darfur, including President Omar al-Bashir and the seven rebel movements, to observe a "month of tranquility" during Ramadan, which would begin September 23, 2006. His implicit call for a ceasefire in the western region of Sudan came after the Khartoum government withdrew its ultimatum for African Union peacekeepers to pull out. Other African states then agreed to extend their mandate until the end of 2006. By Pronk's request, they would finish the collision course, which would mean no fighting, no bombing, no changes of heart. Such a lull would help "create an atmosphere" for a new round of negotiations. The peace deal was "in a coma": not dead but dying. In addition the rejectionist factions should end the quarrel to start talking about everything related to the Darfur peace agreement to improve it.[5]
In mid-October 2006, the army of Sudan accused Pronk of "waging psychological warfare on the armed forces" and demanded his deportation after Pronk published thoughts on army military defeats in his weblog.[6] On 22 October, the Sudanese government gave Pronk three days' notice to leave the country.[7] He left Sudan the next day (October 23) when UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recalled him to New York for consultations.[8] On October 27 the UN Security Council and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announce that Pronk will serve out his last months as Special Representative of the Secretary-general in Sudan.[9]
Pronk's story roughly parallels that of Mukesh Kapila, a previous UN employee who was forced to leave Sudan after making critical comments about the Darfur conflict.
Labour Party (2007–2013)
Jan Pronk was a candidate for the election of the
On 28 May 2013, Jan Pronk publicly announced he is ending his membership of the Labour Party.[11]
Public perception
During his political life, Pronk was known as principled politician. Prime Minister Kok called him the "Minister for the national conscience".[12] Because he was minister for over 17 years, he came to be known as "minister by profession".
Other positions
Pronk is a member of the Governing Council of Interpeace, an international peacebuilding organization.[13] He is also a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which campaigns for democratic reform in the United Nations, and the creation of a more accountable international political system.[14]
Private life
Pronk is married to Tineke Zuurmond. They have two grown children, a daughter Carin and a son Rochus.[15] In 1984 Pronk gave up alcohol in one day and became an avid runner.[16]
Decorations
| Honours | ||||
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 11 April 1978 | |
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|
Grand Cordon of the Honorary Order of the Palm
|
Suriname | 25 April 1978 | |
|
Grand Cross of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins | Chile | 5 August 1993 | |
|
Officer of the Legion of Honour | France | 30 April 2001 | |
|
Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 10 December 2002 | |
Honorary doctorates
Jan Pronk has two
- San Marcos University, Peru
- Doctor honoris causa (2002), Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands
The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) awarded its Honorary Doctorate to Jan Pronk in 2002.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Drs. J.P. Pronk. Retrieved on August 20, 2007.
- ^ Bij het Overlijden van Mijn Vader. Retrieved on August 20, 2007.
- ^ Jan Pronk: Special Representative for the world's conscience Archived 2007-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on August 20, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f CV on janpronk.nl
- ^ Steele, Jonathan (2006-09-22). "UN envoy calls for peace in Darfur during Ramadan". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-10-22.
- ^ "Expel UN envoy, Sudan army says", BBC News, 20 October 2006
- ^ "UN envoy is told to leave Sudan", BBC News, 22 October 2006
- ^ "UN envoy leaves after Sudan row". BBC News. BBC. October 23, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ "Annan confirms Pronk will serve out his term as top envoy for Sudan". UN News Centre. UN. October 27, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
- ^ Pronk: PvdA moet weer 'echt linkse' partij zijn. Retrieved on August 20, 2007.
- ^ (in Dutch) Afscheid van de PvdA, Labour Party, 2013. Retrieved on 2013-05-28.
- ^ profile as guest speaker Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine on www.gcnl.nu
- ^ Interpeace "Governing Council" Archived 2015-04-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 7 February 2012
- ^ "Overview". Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
- ^ Welcome. Retrieved on August 22, 2007.
- ^ Lijstjes Liegen Niet Column van Pronk uit 2004
External links
- Official
- (in Dutch) Prof.Dr. J.P. (Jan) Pronk Parlement & Politiek
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