Joachim Rücker

Advisor, Politics and Diplomacy

Joachim is an economist with PhD (university of Freiburg), independent consultant, and former Ambassador of Germany. Until 2017, he was also the Special Representative of the Federal Government of Germany for the Middle East Stability Partnership. In this capacity, Joachim was engaged in implementing the “Jordan Compact,” a project combining Special Economic Zones in Jordan with new job opportunities for Jordanian citizens and Syrian Refugees.

Previous positions include Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, President of the UN Human Rights Council, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo and Inspector-General of the German Foreign Office. In the first phase of his service in Kosovo, Joachim was responsible for Economic Reconstruction. He conducted comprehensive programs for privatization and for re-structuring public enterprises and helped laying the foundations for a functioning market economy including the creation of industrial parks / special economic zones.

For almost a decade, Joachim served as Mayor of the industrial city of Sindelfingen in Germany (home of Mercedes production). He has broad experience in diplomacy, politics, administration and finance, decentralization, local governance, public infrastructure & housing and the structuring and steering of utilities.