Queen Máxima has a particular concern for the
integration of
immigrants into
Dutch culture. She was a member of a special parliamentary commission that sought to recommend ways to increase the participation of female immigrants in the workforce. Máxima stresses the importance for immigrants of learning the
Dutch language (as she did) in order to fully participate in Dutch society. Dutch is the Queen's third language; she is also fluent in Spanish (her native language) and English. She speaks French at a conversational level. In 2007, Máxima inadvertently caused a wave of massive criticism when in a speech to the
Scientific Council for Government Policy she said that in the seven years that she had been in the Netherlands, she had been unable to
find the Dutch identity. Maxima is quoted as having said the following: She participates in conferences around the world representing the Netherlands. She was granted a seat in the
Dutch Council of State on 20 October 2004, the highest advisory body and court of administration. She was a member of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Women's Participation from July 2003 until 2005. She has a seat on the board of governors of the chair on the Management of Diversity and Integration at the
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; she (along with her husband) is a patron of the Orange Fund (established to promote
social welfare and cohesion in the Netherlands); and she also chairs the Board of Trustees of the Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity of the
International Institute of Social Studies and the
University of Utrecht. Máxima attended a conference concerned with LGBT rights on 5 March 2008. Queen Máxima has been honorary chair of the Money Wise Platform since 2010. In this capacity, the Queen focuses attention on the importance of financial education and managing money sensibly, especially where children and young people are concerned. The Queen acts as special advisor to the Platform and consults with interested parties on ways of increasing people's financial awareness and resilience. Since 10 June 2015, Queen Máxima has been the honorary chair of the Ambassadors for Music at School Platform. Queen Máxima has for some years been committed to giving as many children as possible the opportunity to create music. In 2026, Máxima enlisted in the Dutch
National Reserve Corps.
UNSGSA Queen Máxima serves as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). In September 2009 then UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon designated her to this role in order to raise awareness on the importance of inclusive financial systems for achieving economic and development goals such as
poverty alleviation,
food security and education. In her work as UNSGSA, the Queen focuses on how formal
financial services such as savings,
insurance, and credit can prevent people from falling into poverty due to expenditures on
healthcare, and people who are not able to protect themselves against rising food prices and poverty because they do not have access to basic
savings accounts. The role of the UNSGSA is to foster action by governments, private sector, financial system standard setters, and others towards a more inclusive financial system that works for the poor. In later years, her focus as a special advocate expanded to advocating digital financial inclusion, financial health, responsible technology for financial inclusion to support
Sustainable Development Goals and agricultural finance. Máxima is also an advocate for increasing access to financial services, improving consumer protection and enhancing financial literacy. According to the UNSGSA website, she "aims to unlock development opportunities and economic inclusion for all." She also recorded a video for the launch of the Global Findex Database 2021. Queen Máxima is also the honorary patron of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) since June 2011. In this role she works with governments and partners to advance the G20 Action Plan on Financial Inclusion, and the G20 Financial Inclusion Peer Learning Program. Previously, the Queen was a member of the Advisors Group for the United Nations' International Year of
Microcredit 2005 and until 2009, was a member of UN Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors. She also work as the Global Agenda Trustee for the World Economic Forum's Global Challenge Initiative on the Future of the Global Financial System. Máxima convened the CEO Partnership for Economic Inclusion. ==Titles, honours and arms==