Gherman Natalia

About

Natalia Gherman is a Moldovan diplomat and politician with a remarkable career in diplomatic service and public administration. A graduate in English and German Philology from Moldova State University, she has built a three-decade professional trajectory in international security and preventive diplomacy. She held positions as Deputy Ambassador and Extraordinary Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Austria (2002-2006), Sweden, Norway, and Finland (2006-2009), strengthening Moldova's diplomatic presence in Europe. From 2009 to 2013, she served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and from 2013 to 2016, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, concurrently holding positions as Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Prime Minister in 2015. Her active participation in the negotiations related to the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, as chief negotiator, demonstrated her capability to build consensus in multicultural environments and promote European integration. Throughout her career, Gherman represented Moldova in relations with prestigious international institutions, including discussions with high-ranking American leaders, consolidating the country's strategic relationships. In February 2016, the Moldovan Government nominated her for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, recognizing her expertise in conflict resolution and preventive diplomacy. Since 2017, Natalia Gherman has served as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), a position through which she strengthened UN conflict prevention efforts in the region. Her expertise in regional and global security affairs, as well as her demonstrated ability to promote peace through justice and sustainable development, led Secretary-General António Guterres to appoint her in December 2022 as the Executive Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), a position in which she coordinates global efforts to prevent and counter threats of terrorism, extremism, and organized crime.