Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment,
The Netherlands

Ms Sybilla Dekker was appointed Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in the second Balkenende government on 27 May 2003. She is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Minister Dekker concentrates on the issues of housing and spatial planning.

After completing her secondary education, Ms Dekker studied personnel work at the school of social work in Amsterdam, graduating in 1965. She later studied organisation studies at the Inter-university Centre for Development in Organisation and Change Management (SIOO). From 1965, Ms Dekker worked as a staff welfare officer for Erdal in Amersfoort. From 1968 to 1976 she worked for the Labour Inspectorate in Arnhem, to 1975 as an inspector, and later as a staff officer.

Ms Dekker went on to work as an organisation consultant and social coordinator for a business information project run by the Chamber of Commerce in Arnhem. From 1979 she was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, working as deputy director of personnel to 1983, deputy director of the Organisation and Efficiency Department to 1984, and director of the Central Facilities Department until 1990.

Ms Dekker was director of the Dutch Association of Construction Industry Employers up to 1996, and was general director of the Dutch Employers' Association (AWVN), an organisation of employers in the market sector affiliated to the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW).