Andrew Gilmour of the United Kingdom assumed his functions as Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights on 1 October 2016, heading OHCHR’s Office in New York.
In his previous position, which he held since 2012, as Director for Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Human Rights affairs in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, Mr. Gilmour was responsible for spearheading the implementation of the Human Rights Up Front initiative.
Since joining the United Nations in 1989, he has held a variety of positions both at the United Nations Headquarters and in the field, including in Afghanistan-Pakistan, Kosovo, State of Palestine and West Africa. In recent years, he has served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq, and in South Sudan and was the Representative of the Secretary-General in Belgrade.
Before joining the United Nations, Mr. Gilmour was an adjunct fellow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and worked in the fields of politics and journalism. He has contributed articles for a wide range of publications throughout his career.
He holds master’s degrees from Oxford University in History and also the London School of Economics in History and Government.Mr. Gilmour, who is Scottish, was born in 1964. He is married with four children.Mr. Gilmour succeeds Ivan Šimonović of Croatia, who is now the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect.