Gérard Araud

Gérard Araud
Ambassador of France to the United States
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 2014
President François Hollande
Preceded by François Delattre
Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
In office
2009–2014
President Nicolas Sarkozy
François Hollande
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Preceded by Jean-Maurice Ripert
Succeeded by François Delattre
Ambassador of France to Israel
In office
2003–2006
President Jacques Chirac
Preceded by Jacques Gabriel Huntzinger
Succeeded by Jean-Michel Casa
Personal details
Born February 20, 1953
Marseille, France
Alma mater Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris
École nationale d'administration
École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique
École polytechnique
Profession diplomat

Gérard Araud (born 20 February 1953) is the Ambassador of France to the United States. Before that he was Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Director General for Political and Security Affairs of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (France).

Early life and education

Gérard Araud was born in Marseille.[1] He graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, the École nationale d'administration, the École polytechnique and the École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique and joined the diplomatic corps in 1982.

Career

His first posting was at the embassy of France in Tel Aviv as First Secretary, from 1982 to 1984. He was then assigned to Paris, at the Analysis and Policy Planning Staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he was responsible for Middle East issues. From 1987 to 1991 he was Counselor at the Embassy of France in Washington, where he was also responsible for Middle East issues. He was Assistant Director of European Community Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1993 and became Diplomatic Advisor to the French Minister of Defense François Léotard in 1993.

Araud joined the French delegation to the North Atlantic Council (NATO) in Brussels in 1995 as Deputy Permanent Representative. He became Director for Strategic Affairs, Security and Disarmament at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2000. He was Ambassador of France to Israel from 2003 to 2006.[2]

In September 2006, Araud was appointed Director General for Political Affairs and Security, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On 15 July 2009, he was appointed Permanent Representative of France to the Security Council and Head of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations. He presented his credentials to Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, on 10 September 10, 2009.[3] He served as the President of the Security Council in February 2010, May 2011, August 2012 and December 2013.

On July 23, 2014, Gérard Araud was appointed by presidential decree[4] Ambassador of France to the United States.

Personal life

He is openly gay.[1] His long-time partner is photographer Pascal Blondeau.[1] Araud supports same-sex marriage, but does not want to get married.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Stephanie Green, Don’t Call Him the Gay Ambassador: Gérard Araud, France’s Head Envoy to the U.S., Wants to Bring Diplomacy into the 21st Century, Vogue, November 6, 2014
  2. ↑ Official biography on the website of the Embassy of France in the United Nations
  3. ↑ «New Permanent Representative of France Presents Credentials», Communiqué of the UN Department of Public Information, 10 September 2009
  4. ↑ Official decree on Légifrance, official website of the French government for the publication of legislation, regulations, and legal information.

External links