H.E. Mr. Jean-Marc de La Sablière, former Ambassador of France to the United Nations
Mr. Jean-Marc de La Sablière was the Ambassador of France to Italy between 2007 and 2011. Prior to this, he was the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations from 2002 to 2007. Earlier, Mr. de La Sablière served for nearly two years as diplomatic adviser and Sherpa to the President of France, Jacques Chirac.
In the service of his Government since 1973, Mr. de La Sablière was the Ambassador of France to Egypt (1996-2000), and Director of African and Malagasy Affairs at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1992-1996).
From 1989 to 1992, he served as the Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in New York. Earlier, he served as the Second Counsellor at the Mission (1981-1984).
He was Deputy Director of the United Nations and International Organizations Directorate in the French Foreign Affairs Ministry (1986-1989). He was in the Private Office of the Foreign Minister from 1975 to 1978, serving as Technical Adviser (1977-1978). From 1978 to 1981 he was Chargé de Mission in the Private Office of the Prime Minister.
Earlier (1973-1975), he was in the Economic and Financial Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had previously served as Secrétaire des Affaires Etrangères of the Ministry.
Before embarking on his diplomatic and civil service career, Mr. de La Sablière studied at the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, and received his law degree from the Faculty de Droit de Paris. He is also a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
Born in Athens, Greece, on 8 November 1946, Mr. de La Sablière is married with three children.
H.E. Mr. Gérard Araud, former Ambassador of France to the United Nations
Mr. Gérard Araud, a career diplomat, was appointed Ambassador of France to the United States in September 2014. He previously held numerous positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Development, notably including that of Director for Strategic Affairs, Security and Disarmament (2000-2003), Ambassador of France to Israel (2003-2006), Director General for Political Affairs and Security (2006-2009), and, most recently, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in New York (2009-2014).
Over the course of his career, Mr. Araud has developed specialized knowledge in two key areas: the Middle East and strategic & security issues. As regards the latter, he was the French negotiator on the Iranian nuclear issue from 2006 to 2009. In New York, at the Security Council, he notably contributed to the adoption of resolutions on Libya (#1970 and #1973), Côte d’Ivoire (#1975), the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and the Central African Republic, and participated in debates on the Syrian and Ukrainian crises.
He has written numerous journal articles, including recently in “Commentaire,” two on the outbreak of WWI and one on the French foreign policy between 1919 and 1939, and another in “Esprit,” on the search for a new world order. He just published an article about the Treaty of Versailles.
