Administrator of the

United Nations Development Programme

Helen Clark became the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme on 17 April 2009, and is the first woman to lead the organization. She is also the Chair of the United Nations Development Group, a committee consisting of the heads of all UN funds, programmes and departments working on development issues.

Prior to her appointment with UNDP, Helen Clark served for nine years as Prime Minister of New Zealand, serving three successive terms from 1999 – 2008. Throughout her tenure as Prime Minister, Helen Clark engaged widely in policy development and advocacy across the international, economic, social and cultural spheres.

Under her leadership, New Zealand achieved significant economic growth, low levels of unemployment, and high levels of investment in education and health, and in the well-being of families and older citizens. She and her government prioritized reconciliation and the settlement of historical grievances with New Zealand’s indigenous people and the development of an inclusive multicultural and multi-faith society.

Helen Clark advocated strongly for New Zealand’s comprehensive programme on sustainability and for tackling the problems of climate change. Her objectives have been to establish New Zealand as being among the world’s leading nations in dealing with these challenges. Helen Clark was also an active leader of her country’s foreign relations and policies, engaging in a wide range of international issues. As Prime Minister, Helen Clark was a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.

Helen Clark held ministerial responsibility during her nine years as Prime Minister for New Zealand’s intelligence agencies and for the portfolio of arts, culture and heritage. She has seen the promotion of this latter portfolio as important in expressing the unique identity of her nation in a positive way.

Helen Clark came to the role of Prime Minister after an extensive parliamentary and ministerial career. First elected to Parliament in 1981, Helen Clark was re-elected to her multicultural Auckland constituency for the tenth time in November 2008. Earlier in her career, she chaired Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

Between 1987 and 1990, she was a Minister responsible for first, the portfolios of Conservation and Housing, and then Health and Labour. She was Deputy Prime Minister between August 1989 and November 1990. From that date until December 1993 she served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and then as Leader of the Opposition until winning the election in November 1999.

Prior to entering the New Zealand Parliament, Helen Clark taught in the Political Studies Department of the University of Auckland. She graduated with a BA in 1971 and an MA with First Class Honours in 1974. She is married to Peter Davis, a Professor at Auckland University.

Women’s Empowerment

Women’s empowerment and gender equality are one of the Millennium Development Goals and central to all other development efforts. UNDP works to promote achievement of these goals in all parts of its work, and also administers UNIFEM.
We are now hiring expert practitioners for the following assignments:
International Consultant to train local NGOs on monitoring budget from a gender perspective	External	International Consultant	Apply by Apr-14-11	home based, ALBANIA	Apply Now
Consultants with Expertise in HIV, Law and Human rights	External	International Consultant	Apply by Apr-15-11	Home Based	Apply Now
UN WOMEN: Communications/ External Relations Officer	External	P-3	Apply by Apr-15-11	New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	Apply Now
International Consultant to conduct baseline study for the implementation of the Cross-regional Programme in the Ferghana valley countries	External	International Consultant	Apply by Apr-18-11	Home-based with travel to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan	Apply Now
International Consultant to conduct baseline study for the implementation the Cross-regional Program in Georgia	External	International Consultant	Apply by Apr-18-11	Home-based with travel to Georgia	Apply Now
UN Women: Statistics and Monitoring Specialist (Peace and Security)	External	International Consultant	Apply by Apr-19-11	New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	Apply Now
Call for experts: Regional pool of gender and climate change experts	External	Other	Apply by Apr-19-11	Asia-Pacific and Africa – (Home Based)	Apply Now
International Consultant on Gender Equality and Electoral Violence	External	International Consultant	Apply by Apr-22-11	Home based	Apply Now
Portfolio Manager (Economic Security and Rights)	External	SB-5	Apply by Apr-24-11	Bishkek, KYRGYZSTAN	Apply Now
Portfolio Manager	External	SB-5	Apply by Apr-24-11	Almaty, KAZAKHSTAN	Apply Now
Portfolio Manager	External	SB-5	Apply by Apr-24-11	Moscow, RUSSIAN FEDERATION	Apply Now
Portfolio Manager (Peace and Security)	External	SB-5	Apply by Apr-24-11	Bishkek, KYRGYZSTAN	Apply Now
Portfolio Manager (Economic Security and Rights)	External	SB-5	Apply by Apr-24-11	Dushanbe, TAJIKISTAN	Apply Now
UN Women: Country Programme Manager	External	P-5	Apply by Apr-25-11	Kinshasa, CONGO, DEM. REPUBLIC	Apply Now
UN Women: Transitional Justice Expert – Women’s Access to Justice in Uganda	External	International Consultant	Apply by Apr-25-11	Kampala, UGANDA	Apply Now

A Celebration of Women