Coordinator, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement
Ms. Gerda Verburg from the Netherlands is the Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. She was appointed to this position by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in August 2016. As part of her role, SUN Movement serves as a member of the SUN Movement Lead Group and an ex officio member of the SUN Movement Executive Committee.
Ms. Verburg has extensive experience in the fields of politics and international cooperation. Following her appointment as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands in 2007, she was elected in 2008 as Chair of the 17th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. From 2011, she served as Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN special agencies in Rome (Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Programme and International Fund for Agricultural Development). In 2013, she was elected as Chair of the UN Committee on World Food Security, and in 2014 she was appointed as Chair of the Agenda Council for Food and Nutrition of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
She started her professional career as Regional Secretary-General of the Rural Youth Organization. In 1982 she obtained a position in the Christian Trade Union movement (CNV). In 1990 she was the first woman to be elected on the Board of the Confederation of CNV.
Ms. Verburg has a degree in social economic relations.