Britain Replaces UN Ambassador, following ICJ Defeat
Britain today appointed Karen Pierce as its new Ambassador to the UN, replacing incumbent Matthew Rycroft under whom it suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of India in the recent election to the International Court
of Justice.
Pierce is the first woman appointed to this role, and is uniquely suited for
the position having previously served as Deputy Permanent Representative to the
UN in New York, and more recently as the Permanent Representative to the UN in
Geneva, the UK said in a statement.
Britain’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations did not give any reason for appointing Pierce
as new ambassador to the world body, which comes days after it failed to get its
judge Christopher Greenwood elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after India’s Judge Dalveer Bhandari consistently.
received nearly two-third of the votes in the UN General Assembly.
Bhandari was on Tuesday re-elected to the ICJ as the UN General Assembly
overwhelmingly threw its weight behind him, forcing Britain to withdraw its
candidate from the hard-fought race to the world court.
This is for the first time in 70 years that Britain would have no judge in
the 15-member panel of the ICJ.
Political analysts and editorials in British media have described it as a
diplomatic failure of the Theresa May government.
“Britain has a proud history of working for positive change through the
United Nations, not least in addressing the problems in Libya and Syria,”
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement without addressing
the reason for sudden replacement of Rycroft.
Rycroft has been in the post since 2015 and will handover in January 2018
when he returns to London to take up his new role as Permanent Secretary at
the Department for International Development.
“I know Karen has the diplomatic skills, energy and patience to continue this
vital work, and I congratulate her on her appointment,” Johnson said.
In a statement, Pierce said the UK had long been a strong supporter of the UN
and its role at the heart of the global rules-based international system at a
time when it is coming under challenge.
Britain has a proud history of working for positive change through the United
Nations, not least in addressing the problems in Libya and Syria,” British
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement without addressing the
reason for sudden replacement of Rycroft.
Rycroft has been in the post since 2015 and will handover in January 2018
when he returns to London to take up his new role as Permanent Secretary at the
Department for International Development.
“I know Karen has the diplomatic skills, energy and patience to continue this
vital work, and I congratulate her on her appointment,” Johnson said.
In a statement, Pierce said the UK had long been a strong supporter of the UN
and its role at the heart of the global rules-based international system at a
time when it is coming under challenge.
“Through our role as a permanent member of the Security Council and position
as the UN’s third largest donor, the UK will conti ..