The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs heads up a ministry that plays a leading role in current affairs and is the focus of ongoing interest from society and the political arena. The Secretary-General is the most senior civil servant at the ministry and helps work towards global stability and ensuring the security of the Netherlands. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is there to assist Dutch nationals who are living, working or travelling abroad and who need help or advice. It also works to create opportunities and open doors for Dutch businesses outside the Netherlands. The ministry receives significant political attention, deals with a broad range of topics and is a complex internationally-oriented organisation. This often requires difficult choices to be made.

From June 2018 Christiaan Rebergen was Treasurer-General at the Ministry of Finance. Prior to that he was Director-General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also held the position of Deputy Director-General for International Cooperation and was the Ambassador for the Millennium Development Goals and Public-Private Partnerships. He studied economics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
‘I’m looking forward to working once again at the foreign ministry, where I spent 16 very happy years,’ says Christiaan. ‘This time in a new role, and in very different times. We live in a turbulent world that is less stable and less safe, and I believe it’s even more important than ever to seek out connections.’