Sir Kieran Prendergast KCVO, CMG was formerly the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs, senior British member of the United Nations Secretariat and chief foreign policy adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General (1997-2005), responsible for managing crises in Congo, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine, Iraq and East Timor.

Kieran was previously the British Ambassador to Turkey (1995-1997); British High Commissioner to Zimbabwe (1989-1992) and Kenya (1992-1995). He also served as Head of the Southern African Department in the Foreign Office (1986-1989) during a critical period in bringing apartheid to an end and Namibia to independence; and as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Israel (1982-1986). Kieran was also Deputy Private Secretary to two Foreign Secretaries (1976-1979 – Anthony Crosland and David Owen).

He was formerly President of the British Association of Former United Nations Civil Servants; Senior Adviser to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva; Trustee of the Beit Trust and member of the Council of Experts of the Democratic Progress Institute. He was also a member of the International Advisory Board of the NGO Independent Diplomat, Chair of the Anglo-Turkish Association, and Senior Adviser to BHPB from 2006 to 2009 and Chairman of the United Nations Follow-Up Committee on Nigerian withdrawal from Bakassi Peninsula (2006-2009).

He was educated at St Patrick’s, Sydney, Salesian College, Chertsey, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford (Oriental Studies). He is fluent in Turkish and French.