Sir Kieran Prendergast is a British Diplomat and a former Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the United Nations. After graduating from St Edmund Hall, Oxford, he worked for the British Embassy in Turkey and was later posted to the NATO department at the British Foreign Office where he worked in Nicosia, Cyprus, and the Hague. Sir Kieran worked for the United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations and was appointed as the Consul General in Tel-Aviv, High Commissioner to Zimbabwe and Kenya, and the British Ambassador to Turkey. In 1997, the United Nations Secretary Kofi Annan appointed him Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the United Nations. During his tenure, Sir Kieran helped to bring attention to the human rights violations and “ethnic cleansing” taking place in Darfur from 2003 and was deeply involved in the Cyprus reunification negotiations. Since his resignation from the United Nations, he has conducted research at the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs and is a member of the Advisory Council for Independent Diplomat. He is also a Senior Advisor to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva.

Events participated in:

Is There Such a Thing as American Exceptionalism?: Join Jim Naughtie as he explores America’s historical legacy in the making of the modern world. With Tim Phillips, Aminatta Forna, and Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, as Razia Iqbal and Sir Kieran Prendergast join from abroad. (2021)

Making Peace in the 21st Century: Join Sir Kieran Prendergast as he talks to former Special Assistant to President Obama Salman Ahmed and former South African Ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool about what it takes to make peace in today’s world. (2017)

After Chilcot: What Next for British Diplomacy: Join veteran UN diplomats Sir Kieran Prendergast and Andrew Gilmour as they discuss the soft and hard power options for international diplomacy in the wake of the Chilcot Inquiry. Magnus Linklater asks the questions. (2016)

The Rise of Islamic State – An Era of World Disorder: Join in as Sir Kieran Prendergast, Erik Berglöf and Women In Conflict Fellows discuss the rise of Islamic State, the prospects of an unending war and what the world can do to combat the rise of global Jihadism. (2015)

A Diplomatic Affair: Sir Kieran Prendergast talks to veteran UN diplomat Staffan de Mistura about his life and work, including his time as UN Special Envoy to Syria. (2015)

Kate Adie: Dispatches from the Frontlines: Sir Kieran Prendergast talks to foreign correspondentKate Adie OBE about her life and work on the front lines,her close-to-action approach to reporting and her second life on the home front as author and broadcaster. (2015)

Beneath the Himalayas: the Story of Sikkim: Sir Kieran Prendergast interviews Andrew Duff about his book Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom, the true story of a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire only to be annexed by India in 1975. (2015)

How Do International Institutions Make Peace?: The International Crisis Group’s Joost Hiltermann, the UN’s Andrew Gilmour, the Centre of Humanitarian Dialogue’s David Gorman and Beyond Conflict’s Tim Phillips spill the beans aboutthe realities of trying to make peace in an ever-fracturing world. Sir Kieran Prendergast asks the questions. (2014)

Scotland’s Role in the World: Participate in an important debate about Scotland’s future androle in the world with a number of Scotland’s political luminaries,including a slew of politicians from across the political divide.Mark Muller Stuart QC, Jeremy Purvis , and Spanish senator, Urko Aiartza Azurtza from the Basque country join the debate. Sir Kieran Prendergast poses the questions. (2013)

The Future of Turkey: Join a discussion with Cengiz Candar, senior political columnist of the liberal Turkish daily Radikal, Kerim Yildiz, Director of the Democractic Progress Institute, former UN diplomat and Ambassador in Ankara, Sir Kieran Prendergast and Tûba Candar, biographer of Hrant Dink, as they talk to Mark Muller Stuart QC about the Future of Turkey. (2013)

Iraq 10 Years On: What Lessons for Syria and the UN: Join General Sir Mike Jackson, Chatham House’s Jane Kinninmont and Sir Kieran Prendergast as they come together to discuss the Iraq War and its impact on the U.N. and Syria. Allan Little presides. (2013)

Balancing Security and Human Rights in Times of Transition: Join International Criminal Tribunal judge Ben Emmerson QC, former head of UNDPA, Sir Kieran Prendergast, Roelf Meyer and Lindsey Hilsum as they discuss with Dr. Oscar Guardiola Rivera how to achieve stability in Syria and whether military intervention, the use of targeted drone strikes and the use of other more controversial war on terror methods leads to a more stable world. (2012)

The Arab Spring & the Power of Democracy: Oscar Guardiola-Rivera talks about the power of democracy with Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish, Rashed Rahman, Sir Kieran Prendergast, Ramy Essam and Marie Colvin. (2011)

Zimbabwe at the Crossroads: Allan Little talks with Sir Kieran Prendergast, Mordecai Mahlungu, Petina Gappah and William Burdett-Coutts about the future of Zimbabwe. (2011)