The Dutch government has revealed the cost associated with Queen Máxima’s work as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.
The cost, which averages around €150,000 per year, factors in travel and accommodation costs for Queen Máxima and a member of the Royal Family Service, who accompanies her. The rest is spent on “multilateral activities” in the Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation budget.
Queen Máxima has been the Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development since 2009 and has spent the decade acting as a “voice on advancing universal access to and responsible usage of affordable, effective and safe financial services,” per the UN’s official website.
“The UNSGSA raises awareness, serves as a convener, encourages leaders and supports actions to expand financial inclusion at a global and country level, all in close collaboration with partners from the public and private sector. An important focus of [Queen Máxima’s] work is on enabling responsible technology for financial inclusion in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Next week in New York City, during the UN General Assembly, Queen Máxima will speak at a special tenth-anniversary session called “Financial Inclusion for Development: Building on 10 Years of Progress.”
The event, taking place on 25 September, will be live-streamed and will also include remarks by António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, the Presidents of the World Bank, PayPal and Mastercard, and Melinda Gates, in her role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
King Willem-Alexander will also attend this special event in support of his wife’s work.
“It will be a special celebration of the progress made in financial inclusion over the last decade, and a recognition of financial inclusion’s importance to achieve the 2030 Agenda,” per the UN’s website.
Queen Máxima has visited Ethiopia, Jordan, India, Nigeria, Vietnam, and a host of other countries in support of her mission.
