Gerard Araud (born February 20, 1953) is a French diplomat, who since 2014 has served as Ambassador of France to the United States. He has also served as Permanent Representative of the United Nations as Director General for Political and Security Affairs of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development .
Early life and education
Gérard Araud was born in Marseille . [1] He holds engineering degrees from the École Polytechnique and the National School of Statistics and Economic Administration . Araud graduated from the Paris Institute of Political Studies and is also an alumnus of the National School of Administration (class of 1982).
Career
Araud’s first posting was in the United Kingdom 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 July 15, 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 President of the Security Council in February 2010, May 2011, August 2012, and December 2013.
On July 23, 2014 Araud was appointed Ambassador of France to the United States by presidential decree. [4]
On the night of the election of Donald Trump as President, Araud tweeted: “It is the end of an era, the era of neoliberalism We will not yet know what will succeed it,” followed by: “After Brexit and this election Anything is possible … A world is collapsing before our eyes. Right-wing French political activists, reading this article on the subject of dismay at the result, called for Araud’s dismissal. [5] [6]
Personal life
Araud is openly gay and supports same-sex marriage . [1] His long-time partner is photographer Pascal Blondeau. [1]
References
- ^ Jump up to:a b c Stephanie Green, Do not Call Him the Gay Ambassador Gérard Araud, France’s Head Envoy to the US, Wants to Bring Diplomacy into the 21st Century , Vogue , November 6, 2014
- Jump up^ Official biography on the website of the Embassy of France in the United Nations
- Jump up^ “New Permanent Representative of France Presents Credentials” ,Communiquéof the UN Department of Public Information, September 10, 2009
- Jump up^ Official Decree on Legifrance, official website of the French government for the publication of legislation, regulations, and legal information.
- Jump up^ “Clueless by the result of the US election, Gerard Araud, the French ambassador to the United States is burned on Twitter” inThe Huffington Post(9 Nov. 2016), mentioningGilbert Collardof the National Front,Eric AnceauofDebout FranceandPhilippe Meunier, an aide ofNicolas Sarkozy.
- Jump up^ “French ambassador to the US says” world is collapsing “Donald Trump looks set to become President” in Daily Mirror (Nov. 9, 2016)