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Jan Pronk | |
|---|---|
 Pronk in 2010 | |
| Special Representative of the United Nations in Sudan | |
| In office 1 July 2004 – 10 December 2006 | |
| Secretary-General | Kofi Annan |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Jan Eliasson |
| Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment | |
| In office 3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Wim Kok |
| Preceded by | Margreeth de Boer |
| Succeeded by | Henk Kamp |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 6 February 1991 – 3 March 1991 Ad interim | |
| Prime Minister | Ruud Lubbers |
| Preceded by | Relus ter Beek |
| Succeeded by | Relus ter Beek |
| Minister for Development Cooperation | |
| In office 7 November 1989 – 3 August 1998 | |
| Prime Minister | Ruud Lubbers (1989–1994) Wim Kok (1994–1998) |
| Preceded by | Piet Bukman |
| Succeeded by | Eveline Herfkens |
| In office 11 May 1973 – 19 December 1977 | |
| Prime Minister | Joop den Uyl |
| Preceded by | Kees Boertien |
| Succeeded by | 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 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Johannes Pieter Pronk Jr. (1940-03-16)16 March 1940 (age 85) Scheveningen, Netherlands |
| Political party | Labour Party(1964–2013) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Carin Pronk Rochus Pronk |
| Residence(s) | The Hague, Netherlands |
| Alma mater | Rotterdam School of Economics (BEc,M.Econ) |
| Occupation | |
| Website | www |
Johannes Pieter "Jan"Pronk Jr. (Dutch pronunciation:[jɑmˈprɔŋk]; born 16 March 1940) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of theLabour Party (PvdA) and activist.
Pronk studiedEconomics at theRotterdam School of Economics obtaining aMaster of Economics degree and worked as a researcher at his alma mater and theEconomics Institute from July 1960 until May 1971 and was also active as a political activist in theNew Left movement. In the1971 general election Pronk was elected to theHouse of Representatives on 11 May 1971 and served as afrontbencher andspokesperson for development cooperation. Pronk was also selected as aMember of the European Parliament on 13 March 1973 anddual served in both positions. After the1972 general election Pronk was appointed asMinister for Development Cooperation in theDen Uyl cabinet taking office on 11 May 1973. The cabinet fell on 22 March 1977 just before the end of its term. After the1977 general election Pronk returned to the House of Representatives serving from 8 June 1977 until his resignation on 8 September 1977 before returning on 16 January 1978 as a frontbencher and spokesperson for development cooperation and agriculture and fisheries. In July 1980 Pronk was nominated as Assistant Secretary-General of theUnited Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) taking office on 18 August 1980. After the1986 general election Pronk returned to the House of Representatives on 3 June 1986 serving again as a frontbencher. After the1989 general election Pronk was again appointed as Minister for Development Cooperation in theLubbers III cabinet taking office on 7 November 1989. After1994 general election Pronk continued his office in theKok I cabinet. After1998 general election Pronk was appointed asMinister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in theKok II cabinet taking office on 3 August 1998. In October 2001 Pronk announced that he would not stand for the2002 general election and declined to serve in new cabinet position.
Pronk continued to be active in politics and in August 2002 was appointed asSpecial Envoy of the United Nations for theEarth Summit 2002 serving from 1 September 2002 until 31 December 2002, and also worked as a distinguished professor of International Development at theInternational Institute of Social Studies from January 2003 until July 2010. In June 2004 Pronk was nominated as the firstSpecial Representative of theUnited 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 severalstate commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Following his retirement Pronk continued to be active as an advocate and activist forhuman rights, theanti-war movement,social justice and for moreEuropean integration. Pronk is known for his abilities as a skilful negotiator and effective debater and continues to comment on political affairs as of 2025. He holds the distinction of as the second longest-serving cabinet member since 1850 with 17 years, 114 days.
Jan Pronk was born inScheveningen in theNetherlands on 16 March 1940.[1] He is the son of Johannes Pieter Pronk Sr. (1909–2005) and Elisabeth Hendrika van Geel, who were both school teachers at theProtestant elementary schoolKoningin Emmaschool in Scheveningen.[2] Jan Pronk attended theKoningin Emmaschool for three years. He attended the Protestant secondary schoolZandvliet Lyceum inThe Hague, where he graduated thegymnasium in 1958 with a curriculum that focused onexact sciences.[1]
Jan Pronk continued to studyeconomics at theNetherlands School of Economics (currently Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Economics) inRotterdam, graduating in 1964.[1] As a student, he worked as a guide on theHenri Dunant, the DutchRed Cross's holiday ship for thedisabled.[3] He was a member of the Christian-Historical Youth Organisation, the youth organisation of the conservative ProtestantChristian Historical Union party and president of the Protestantfraternity S.S.R.[1]
In 1965 Pronk became research assistant of professorJan Tinbergen, the futureNobel 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 democraticLabour Party (PvdA), between 1966 and 1971 he was chairman of theKrimpen 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]
In1971 Pronk was elected to theHouse of Representatives for the Labour Party.[1] He wasshadow minister for development cooperation in the left-wing shadow cabinet of PvdA,D'66 andPPR.[1] He served secretary of the Mansholt committee, a committee of these three parties on the implications of theLimits to Growth report for the Netherlands.[1] He was re-elected in1972. In 1973 he became Minister ofDevelopment Cooperation in the cabinetDen Uyl.[1] He changed the development cooperation policy of the Netherlands, giving it a political goal: the equal distribution of power and wealth in the world. The development cooperation policy became oriented towards theNew International Economic Order, in which developing countries would become self-reliant.[1] In 1975 1,5% of thedomestic product was spent on development aid. His proposal to includecommunist states asCuba andNorth Yemen as recipient countries of Dutch development aid, led to some controversy, but he put his proposal through.[1] His policy supported liberation movement inSouthern Africa.[1] His left-wing policy put him at odds with the more moderate PvdAMinister of Foreign AffairsMax van der Stoel.[1] As Minister for Development Cooperation, Pronk held several prominent positions in international organizations: between 1973 and 1977 he was Deputy Governor of theWorld Bank.[4] Because of his many international travels, he often fell asleep atCabinet meetings, which lasted until very late in the night.[1]
In1977 he returned to Parliament. He combined this period in Parliament with several posts in the world of development cooperation: in 1979 he also became Professor of International Development at theInstitute of Social Studies; he was a member of the committee "Church Participation in Development" of theWorld Council of Churches and of the Councils Commission of Advisors on Economic Affairs; he was a member of the International Commission for the Study of Communication Problems ofUNESCO; and in the Netherlands he was member of the Council for Government and Social Affairs of the Dutch Reformed Church.[4] In 1978 he became Knight in theOrder of the Netherlands Lion.[1] In 1980 he left Parliament to become AssistantSecretary-General of theUNCTAD.[4] In 1985 he was Assistant UN Secretary-General.[4]
Pronk was re-elected to Parliament in1986. In 1987 he was elected vice-chair of the PvdA, after first considering running for chair.[1] In 1987 he was co-writer of the report "Moving Panels" in which the PvdA moderated its policies.[1] In 1989 he combined his work as MP with a position asprofessor at theUniversity of Amsterdam, where he occupied the "Joop den Uyl chair", created by the scientific foundation of the PvdA.[1] Although he was originally asked to become Minister of Defence, he returned to the post of development cooperation in thethird Lubbers cabinet in1989.[1] During his period as Minister for Development Cooperation he sought to combine economic and social development, with environmental protection. As Minister for Development Cooperation he again became deputy governor of the World Bank. In 1992 his criticism ofIndonesian government's record onhuman rights, caused the Indonesian government to refuse development aid from the Netherlands and to conclude the long-standing international aid coordination arrangements, chaired by the Netherlands, which had been maintained since the late 1960 through theInter-Governmental Group on Indonesia.[1] In 1993 he was asked to become Deputy UN Secretary-General, but he declined.[1] After the1994 elections he remained Minister for Development Cooperation, now in thefirst Kok cabinet.
In1998 he again became a minister in thesecond cabinet Kok but he switched toMinister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment.[1] During this period he focused onsustainable development. In 2000 afire works depot exploded in the neighbourhood ofEnschede. As minister he was responsible for this event, although there was considerable controversy surrounding the disaster he did not step down.[1] In 2000 he was the Dutch candidate for the post ofHigh Commissioner for Refugees, a post which was taken by another Dutchman, former prime ministerRuud Lubbers.[1] In 2000 and 2001 he chaired theUN climate conference, where parties agreed upon a compliance mechanism for theKyoto protocol for the reduction of greenhouse gases.[1] In 2002 when the report on the Dutch involvement in theSrebrenica massacre was published, it became clear that theDutchbat peacekeeping force had been unable to prevent the massacre. On 10 April Pronk announced that he would step down as minister because he felt politically responsible.[1] On April 16, the entire second Kok cabinet stepped down. In2002 the Labour Party lost half its seats; Pronk was re-elected to Parliament, but he refused the position because he wanted new faces to enter Parliament.[1] In December 2002, he became Officer in theOrder of Orange-Nassau.[4]
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Since 2002 Pronk has held several positions in theUnited Nations.
In 2002 he came Special UN envoy to theWorld Summit on Sustainable Development inTokyo. He moderated discussions on water, hygiene, the environment and biodiversity. In 2003 he chaired theWater 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 Dutchcivil society. In 2004 he came into conflict with ministerVerdonk (Migration & Integration), because he characterized the way she sentasylum seekers out of the country as "deportation".
In June 2004 Pronk was appointed UN Special Representative forSudan by United Nations Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan
On September 21, 2006, Pronk asked the warring parties inDarfur, including PresidentOmar al-Bashir and the seven rebel movements, to observe a "month of tranquility" duringRamadan, which would begin September 23, 2006. His implicit call for a ceasefire in the western region of Sudan came after theKhartoum government withdrew its ultimatum forAfrican 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 GeneralKofi 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 ofMukesh Kapila, a previous UN employee who was forced to leave Sudan after making critical comments about the Darfur conflict.
Jan Pronk was a candidate for the election of thechairman of the DutchLabour Party (PvdA). As a candidate he wanted the party to return to a more left-wing course. He lost the election, between 16 and 23 September 2007, toLilianne Ploumen.[10]
On 28 May 2013, Jan Pronk publicly announced he was ending his membership of the Labour Party.[11]
During his political life, Pronk was known as principled politician.Prime MinisterKok called him the "Minister for the nationalconscience".[12] Because he was minister for over 17 years, he came to be known as "minister by profession".
Pronk is a member of the Governing Council ofInterpeace, an international peacebuilding organization.[13] He is also a supporter of theCampaign 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]
Pronk is married to Tineke Zuurmond. They have two grown children, a daughter Carin and a son Rochus.[15] In 1984 Pronk gave upalcohol in one day and became an avid runner.[16]
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Knight of theOrder of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 11 April 1978 | |
_-_ribbon_bar.png) | Grand Cordon of theHonorary Order of the Palm | Suriname | 25 April 1978 | |
 | Grand Cross of theOrder of Bernardo O'Higgins | Chile | 5 August 1993 | |
 | Officer of theLegion of Honour | France | 30 April 2001 | |
 | Officer of theOrder of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 10 December 2002 |
Jan Pronk has twohonorary degrees and he is member of fivechivalric orders. A full list of all his honorary decorations:[4]
The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) awarded its Honorary Doctorate to Jan Pronk in 2002.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Development Cooperation 1973–1977 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Development Cooperation 1989–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Defence Ad interim 1991 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment 1998–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| New title | Special Representative for the United Nations Mission in Sudan 2004–2006 | Succeeded by |
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| Labour Party | |
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| Catholic People's Party | |
| Anti-Revolutionary Party | |
| People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
| Christian Historical Union | |
| Democrats 66 | |
| Political Party of Radicals | |
| Communist Party of the Netherlands | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
| Other | |
