Marjolijn van Deelen assumed the position of EU Special Envoy for Space in February 2024 following 3,5 years as EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
As the EU Special Envoy for Space, she leads the EU's diplomatic, security and operational engagement in the area of space security and defence, supporting the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in advancing the Union's strategic interests in an increasingly contested and congested space environment. Working closely with the European Commission, she contributes to the implementation of the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence. In addition, she shapes further policy development of the Union in response to emerging security challenges in space.
On the operational side, she directs the Union's response to threats affecting EU space systems and services through the Space Threat Response Architecture, a 24/7 operational capability. As Chair of the Board of the EU Satellite Centre (SatCen), she provides operational direction for the Union's geospatial intelligence capabilities, ensuring that satellite-derived information supports EU decision-making, crisis response and security operations.
As Special Envoy, Marjolijn van Deelen represents the EU in multilateral fora and bilateral space security dialogues, promoting responsible behaviour in outer space, and coordinates the positions of the EU and its Member States in international negotiations on space security. She also leads the development of new space security partnerships and dialogues with international partners, including NATO, reinforcing the EU's role as a global actor in the governance and security of outer space.
Marjolijn van Deelen is a career diplomat of the Netherlands. Before joining the EU External Action Service (EEAS), she headed the Non-proliferation, Disarmament and Nuclear Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. She held several posts abroad (to the international organisations in Vienna, at the Dutch Embassies in Bucharest and San Jose), as well as positions in The Hague (Europe Division, Middle East Division, UN Division, Development Assistance).
Ms. Van Deelen holds a Masters in Geophysics from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, as well as a BA in Economics from the American University in Washington DC.
She is married and has a daughter and a son.
Speaking
15September
09:10 / 10:05
Les Salons Hoche
Session
Strengthening Alliances: International Cooperation in Space Security
