Gérard Araud

Gérard Araud
Ambassador of France to the United States
Assumed office
September 2014
President François Hollande
Emmanuel Macron
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 (1953-02-20) February 20, 1953
Marseille, France
Alma mater École polytechnique
École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique
Institut d'études politiques de Paris
École nationale d'administration
Profession diplomat

Gérard 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 France's Permanent Representative to the United Nations as well 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 École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique. Araud graduated from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris and is also an alumnus of the École nationale d'administration (class of 1982).

Career

Araud's 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 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 the 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 don't yet know what will succeed it," followed by: "After Brexit and this election anything is possible. A world is collapsing before our eyes. Vertigo." Right-wing French political activists, reading this as an undiplomatic expression of dismay at the result, called for Araud's dismissal.[5][6] On Pearl Harbor Day in 2017, Araud lodged a political insult against the United States by issuing a tweet that said, "In this Pearl Harbor day, we should remember that the US refused to side with France and the UK to confront the fascist powers in the 30s." After the tweet was met with criticism, Araud deleted it and attempted to clarify his remarks.[7]

Personal life

Araud is openly gay and supports same-sex marriage.[1] His long-time partner is photographer Pascal Blondeau.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 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, September 10, 2009
  4. ↑ Official decree on Légifrance, official website of the French government for the publication of legislation, regulations, and legal information.
  5. ↑ "Désemparé par le résultat de l'élection américaine, Gérard Araud, l'ambassadeur français aux Etats-Unis se fait incendier sur Twitter" in Le Huffington Post (9 Nov. 2016), mentioning Gilbert Collard of the Front National, Eric Anceau of Debout La France and Philippe Meunier, an aide of Nicolas Sarkozy.
  6. ↑ "French ambassador to the US says the "world is collapsing" as Donald Trump looks set to become President" in Daily Mirror (9 November 2016)
  7. ↑ Morton, Victor (2017-12-07). "French ambassador uses Pearl Harbor Day to blast U.S. for betraying France in 1930s". Washington Times.
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