Women's International Forum: Britain and the World: A Career in Global Diplomacy

Photo Credits: Society & Diplomatic Review

Women's International Forum hosted a private off-the-record conversation with Dame Karen Pierce, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations where she announced her departure of her post at the United Nations.

It was learned that Great Britain named Karen Pierce the new Ambassador to the United States- and the first woman to hold the post. Pierce is currently Britain's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York and Permanent Representative at the UN Security Council. Pierce began her career at the Foreign Office in 1981 and was Britain's ambassador to Afghanistan between 2015 and 2016. She has also served as Permanent Representative to the UK Mission to the World Trade Organization among other international organizations.

Ambassador Pierce served as the Director General for Political Affairs and Chief Operating Officer of the Foreign and Commonwealth in London, from 2016. Ambassador Pierce joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1981. Her first role was in Tokyo between 1984 and 1987, after which she returned to the UK to work in the Security Policy Department. Ambassador Pierce worked in Washington as the Private Secretary to the British Ambassador to the United States between 1992 and 1995. Between 1996 and 2006, Ambassador Pierce held several positions in London including Team Leader for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Deputy Head of Eastern Adriatic (Balkans) Department, Head of Newsroom, Head of EU Department (Bilateral) and concurrently Head of Afghanistan Political Military Unit after 9/11 before returning to the Balkans as Balkans Coordinator from 2002 to 2006.

In 2006, Ambassador Pierce moved to New York for the first time to be the Deputy Permanent Representative and Ambassador at the UK Mission to the UN. In 2009, she returned to London to become the Director of South Asia and Afghanistan Department and the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2012, Ambassador Pierce started her second multilateral role, this time in Geneva, where she was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UK Mission to the United Nations, World Trade Organization and Other International Organisations until 2015. Between 2015 and 2016 Karen was the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan.

Photo Credits: Society & Diplomatic Review