Dr. Astrid Irrgang confirmed as ZIF Director for at least three years

Dr. Astrid Irrgang will remain Executive Director of the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) after a successful selection process by the German Federal Foreign Office. She had already filled the position ad interim following the departure of her predecessor Dr. Almut Wieland-Karimi on 01 September 2022. Having signed her employment contract today in the presence of Deike Potzel, Director-General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilization, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance at the Federal Foreign Office, she will lead the fortunes of ZIF for at least three years.

"We will continue to strengthen Germany's contribution to the management and resolution of conflicts internationally by sending experts, transferring knowledge and providing advice. To this end, we want to attract the best minds and make even better use of the knowledge gained by our experts in the field to provide the best possible advice to decision-makers in politics and administration," Irrgang said.

"I am looking forward to aligning ZIF with the requirements of the "Zeitenwende" together with the ZIF team. The EU is seeking a new geopolitical role, in which it not only asserts its own interests, but also assumes global responsibility for resolving conflicts. To achieve this, it needs operational institutions capable of implementing this claim in the field of civilian crisis prevention and crisis intervention. Developing ZIF further as a strong instrument of German and European foreign policy and as a reliable partner of the United Nations, NATO and OSCE will therefore be my focus for the coming years."

At its Berlin Ludwigkirchplatz location, ZIF has 60.5 staff positions. In addition, there are currently 183 seconded civilian experts around the world. With an annual budget of 34.7 million euros (2023), ZIF is financed from Federal funds.

Dr. Astrid Irrgang emphasises ZIF's national and international network:

"ZIF maintains an excellent network among international organizations, European countries, but also with partners in the Global South. This network will become even more important for creating synergies as we embark on upcoming tasks. And we will continue to expand our cooperations, for example by entering into further secondment agreements with partners in the UN family."

Dr. Astrid Irrgang has been working at ZIF since 2012, most recently as Deputy Director. Previously, she held professional positions at Goethe University Frankfurt, NATO, the German National Academic Foundation, and the Federal Agency for Civic Education. She is one of the spokespersons in the Advisory Council on Innere Führung of the Federal Ministry of Defense.