Ralien Bekkers

Professional Background

After two years serving as the Dutch Youth Representative for Sustainable Development to the UN, from Rio+20 to COP20, Ralien Bekkers moved to the United States for a master’s program at Yale University. There, she worked on the agreement and implementation phase of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including at the office of the UN Secretary-General. Currently residing in Washington, Ralien works with an international coalition for the implementation of the Paris Agreement: NDC Partnership (ndcpartnership.org). From 2019-2021, the Netherlands co-chairs this coalition. Ralien collaborates with developing countries to accelerate the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), mobilize necessary financing, and enhance international ambition to implement climate actions in alignment with the SDGs.