Dorine van Norren
Coordinator UNESCO and human rights, ministry of OCW (detachment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). She is working on the coordination of the Dutch input on world heritage, heritage in conflict, underwater heritage, diverse educational territories such as sustainability education, low-literacy, citizenship and anti-radicalisation and SDG4 as well as input on science and human rights (freedom of expression, speech and journalism). Moreover, she is working on reports on human rights treaties on education, culture and science. She has a PhD on Sustainable Development Goals from a non-western perspective (Ubuntu, Gross National Happiness and Buen Vivir) (2017).
Professional background
Dorine van Norren has a master in international and Dutch law (1995) and is currently finalizing her PhD in law and development studies (2017). She studied law in Amsterdam and South Africa (Capetown) and French for a year in France (Lyon). She worked as a diplomat in Sri Lanka (Colombo, 1998-2001) and Turkey (Ankara, 2001-2005) and held several positions at the ministry of foreign affairs (Southern Africa, ’96-’98, North America, 2005-2009, European Integration, 2013-2014, desks). She was attached to the Advisory Council of International Affairs (AIV, 2009-2013), as an executive secretary for the Commission on Development. She is currently seconded to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, as a coordinator for UNESCO. She is defending her PhD thesis in December 2017, titled ’Development as Service: A Happiness, Ubuntu and Buen Vivir interdisciplinary view of the Sustainable Development Goals’. She has written several blogs and opinion articles for OneWorld, The Broker, Atlantisch Perspectief, NRC, Trouw, De Helling and published scientific articles on development cooperation. She regularly gives national and international lectures on the themes of her PhD.
Personal motto
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there (Rumi)
Never, never, never give up (Churchill)
