6 mid-career paths to Multilateral Diplomacy
Plus: the career advice that served me well for 30 years in diplomacy
Welcome to you, and to 4,132 new subscribers who joined so far in February, as well as over 3,000 faithful friends. If you haven’t yet, do consider upgrading to a paid subscription and see what you’ve been missing. You can cancel any time.
“I must say how much I value your [your publication, that] not only resonates but also illuminates the craft with rare clarity and insight” - UN Director
How to get into diplomacy roles mid-career?
Since the Gazette launched in September, that remains your most FAQ: Today, the 4th in a series on possible pathways, as well as some career advice and tips.
Previously in the series:
Introduction: the main mid-career pathways into diplomacy, see Gazette of 30 October
How to get into national diplomatic service with experience, see Gazette of 27 November
How to become an Ambassador, see Gazette of 1 January
Mid-career entry to international organisations
My personal experience
I joined the UK Foreign Ministry to work in bilateral diplomacy: advancing relations between the UK and other individual countries.
Largely that’s what I’ve been doing for 30 years (see the career advice article below), but my first and last positions, and one ambassadorial role, were multilateral:
In my 30s I represented the UK with the EU and (now obsolete) Western European Union, based in London, traveling to/from Brussels
In between I served as the first British global Ambassador for Climate
In my 50s I was posted as a UK Delegate to the UN HQ in New York
In all three cases, roles for diplomats: the first two with the (UK) dip service, the second on secondment from the service. All rarely open externally to non-diplomats, although the Climate role could have been, and the scientist Sir David King played a central part.
Many roles open to “outsiders” face competition from “insiders” (for example, UN permanent staff). Geographic quotas can constrain further. It’s not any easy time, with cuts at the UN and elsewhere.
Despite all this, multilateral organisations do recruit many professionals externally.
With careful planning there are several ways in for outsiders with professional experience/expertise. But many aren’t widely known. It’s easy to miss good opportunities.
Here, 6 pathways (plus 2 more) for mid-career professionals, with links and tips.
