he was a serious candidate for the post of Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It went, however, to the Turkish economist and politician, Kemel Dervis. In January 2006 Melkert was appointed Associate Administrator of the UNDP. In 2009 Melkert was appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq. He was a candidate to succeed Juan Somavía as Director-General of the International Labour Organization but lost to Guy Ryder. Decorations References External links Drs. A.P.W. (Ad) Melkert Parlement & Politiek 1956 births Living people Dutch atheists Dutch corporate directors Dutch expatriates in Belgium Dutch expatriates in Iraq Dutch expatriates in the United States Dutch former Christians Dutch lobbyists Dutch nonprofit directors Dutch nonprofit executives Dutch officials of the United Nations Dutch political activists Dutch sports executives and administrators Dutch trade association executives Former Roman Catholics International Monetary Fund people Labour Party (Netherlands) politicians Leaders of the Labour Party (Netherlands) Members of the Council of State (Netherlands) Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Members of the Social and Economic Council Ministers of Social Affairs of the Netherlands Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau Oxfam people People from Gouda, South Holland Politicians from The Hague Special Representatives of the Secretary-General of the United Nations United Nations Development Programme officials Under-Secretaries-General of the United Nations University of Amsterdam alumni World Bank people 20th-century Dutch civil servants 20th-century Dutch politicians 21st-century Dutch civil servants 21st-century Dutch diplomats 21st-century Dutch politicians