Sigrid Agnes Maria Kaag is a Dutch politician, diplomat, and humanitarian born on November 2, 1961, in Aardenburg, Netherlands. She studied political science at Leiden University, graduating in 1985, and began her career in diplomacy and humanitarian aid with the United Nations, including roles with UNHCR and as Assistant Secretary-General for UNRWA, where she served as Commissioner-General from 2007 to 2011. Her extensive experience in the Middle East and fluency in Arabic have informed her work on peace processes and humanitarian issues. Kaag entered Dutch politics in 2017 as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in the third Rutte cabinet, then served as Dutch Foreign Minister from 2019 to 2022, focusing on multilateral diplomacy, climate policy, and Middle East peace processes. After leaving national politics, she returned to the UN, appointed in 2024 as the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, and in 2025 as the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. Known for her pragmatic, consensus-building approach, she has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and sustainable development globally. Personally, she is married to Anis al-Qaq, a Palestinian academic, and they have four children. She has faced some controversy over her handling of foreign policy decisions, including criticism regarding Dutch support for Israel and her UNRWA tenure amid allegations of agency links to terrorism, though she has defended her work vigorously.