Jan Pronk

Dutch politician, economist, UN diplomat and professor.

His parents were conscientious Dutch Calvinist teachers and also Jan Pronk would become a driven and strongly principal politician. The Dutch PM Wim Kok called him the "Minister for the national conscience".

He followed the Gymnasium in Den Haag (1951-57) and studied from September 1957 till December 1964 economics at the "Nederlandse Economische Hogeschool in Rotterdam", the predecessor of the Erasmus University. During his study he worked as travel guide. His first paid job as an economist was as a research assistant under Prof. J. Tinbergen (1 January 1965) in Rotterdam. Thereafter he worked for the Netherlands Economic Institution (NEI).

From 11 May 1971 till 11 May 1973 he was a member of the Dutch Parliament for the Dutch Labour Party PvdA. From 13 March 1973 till 11 May 1973 he was member of the European Parliament.

From 11 May 1973 till 19 December 1977 he was "minister zonder portefeuille", which later would become a Ministry for Development aid, in a time that the Dutch politicians realised that tackling "born with" poverty in the world and a more equal economic development needed a long term strategy. From 16 January 1978 till 18 Augustus 1980 he was Dutch MP again.

From 1980 till 1985 he was deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva under Dr. Gamani Corea.

From 8 June 1986 till 8 November 1989 he was MP for the Labour Party, PvdA. From 1 September 1989 till 16 November 1989 he was also Professor Theory and Practice of Policy Making at the University of Amsterdam.

From 7 November 1989 till 3 Augustus 1998 he was Minister for Development Co-operation again in the Cabinet Lubbers III (till 22 Aug 1994) and Kok I. Under Cabinet Kok II he was from 3 Augustus 1998 till 22 July 2002 Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Housing.