Speaker details

Biography

Willem Baron van de Voorde, born on July 21, 1964, is a Belgian diplomat currently serving as the Special Envoy for Climate and Environment at the Belgian Foreign Ministry. With a career spanning over three decades, he has held numerous high-profile diplomatic roles, reflecting his expertise in European affairs and multilateral diplomacy. Willem Van de Voorde studied philosophy and law at the universities of Brussels (UFSAL), Leuven (KUL) and London (LSE). He began his diplomatic journey in 1991 as an attaché at Belgium’s Permanent Representation to the EU. Notable following postings include Secretary to Queen (1994–2000), Deputy Head of Mission in Berlin (2000–2004) and Tokyo (2004–2008), and Ambassador to Germany (2018–2020). He also served as Deputy Head of cabinet of 2 foreign ministers (2011-2014) and was before that coordinating the 2010 Belgian EU Presidency. He was also Ambassador in Vienna (2014–2018), accredited to several countries and UN bodies. His extensive experience, including chairing Coreper II during the 2024 Belgian EU Presidency, while being Permanent Representative of Belgium to the EU (2020 – 2024), underscores his pivotal role in advancing Belgium’s interests within the EU. Fluent in Dutch, French, English, and German, with basic Japanese, Willem Van de Voorde is married with four children.