Biography

Renate BLOEM

Renate Bloem, a Swiss national born in Germany, completed her studies in Medicine, Languages and Literature at the Universities of Bonn, Munich and New York (Columbia University) and started her academic career by teaching at international schools and cultural institutions worldwide.

Since 1985 she dynamically engaged in the NGO work. As a strong advocate for human rights, in particular for the human rights of women and children, she was actively involved in the Drafting of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, (Art. 37d) and, after its adoption, in the promotion of children's rights. 

As UN Representative for the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women, she led her organization to the World Conferences on Human Rights (Vienna 1993), the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995) and the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (Stockholm 1996) in 1997. After being elected President of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (Geneva) and Co-ordinating Committee Member of the NGO Forum for Health, she also served as Member of the Management Team of the Focal Point on Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Ms. Bloem engaged in many national and international seminars and consultations, amongst which: "Gender and Health" in 1998 (in collaboration with the WHO), "Seoul International Conference of NGOs" in 1999 and numerous others, being heavily involved in lobbying, advocacy and caucuses set-up within UN meetings.

In January 2000, together with her Committee on the Status of Women, she organized the NGO Working Session, preceding the ECE Regional Preparatory Meeting for Beijing+5, largely hailed as a model for NGO/UN partnership, and got actively involved in the whole review process of Beijing and Copenhagen+5.

Elected CONGO President at the General Assembly in November 2000 and re-elected in December 2003, she has been involved in numerous UN meetings, led CONGO delegations to the World Conference against Racism, to the World Summit on Sustainable Development and organized through the CONGO Working Group on Asia the Asian Civil Society Forum 2002 and 2004 in Bangkok, Thailand and, together with Latin American NGO networks, the NGO Seminar in Santiago, Chile. Together with the CONGO Team she has been at the forefront of guiding, supporting and coordinating Civil Society in the process of the World Summit of the Information Society (Geneva and Tunis).

Since she embarked on this ambitious mandate, Renate has provided invaluable counsel and guidance to CONGO membership and staff, contributing to her organization's development. Under her strong leadership, CONGO has gained prominence in the international civil society landscape and became the main counterpart of NGOs in relationship with the United Nations. 

She follows a Strategic Plan for CONGO, based on her priorities for the civil society: Outreach, Dialogue, Training, Communication and Membership Drive and Services.

Renate Bloem, married with two children, lives and works in Geneva, Switzerland.