Ministerial role

Minister of State (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, United Nations and the Commonwealth)

Organisations: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Current role holder: Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon

Responsibilities

The Minister deputises for the Foreign Secretary in the House of Lords.

The Minister’s responsibilities include:

  • Middle East and North Africa
  • Afghanistan and Pakistan
  • India
  • the Commonwealth
  • United Nations and multilateral organisations (except the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Council of Europe)
  • open societies and human rights

Current role holder

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon

Lord Ahmad was first appointed as Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and as Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations in June 2017.

Lord Ahmad was Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations until September 2020. He was then appointed Minister for South and Central Asia, North Africa, United Nations and the Commonwealth until September 2022.

Education

Lord Ahmad was educated at Rutlish School and London South Bank University (LSBU) as well as the Chartered Institute of Financial Services.

Political career

  • Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (2018 to 2019)
  • Minister for Aviation and Trade, Department for Transport (2016 to 2017)
  • Minister for Countering Extremism, Home Office (2015 to 2016)
  • Transport Minister, Skills & Aviation Security (2015 to 2016)
  • Communities & Local Government Minister (2014 to 2015)
  • Government Whip and Lord in Waiting (2012 to 2014)
  • Vice-Chairman (national) of the Conservative Party (2008 and 2010)
  • Councillor (Wimbledon Park) and Cabinet Member in the London Borough of Merton (2002 to 2012)

Career outside politics

Lord Ahmad had a 20-year career in the City working in banking and finance, including at the NatWest Group where he was a senior manager in corporate banking and financial markets. He was later Vice-President and Marketing Director of Alliance Bernstein and his last role before joining the government was as Strategy and Marketing Director at Sucden Financial.

Personal life

Lord Ahmad is married and has a daughter and 2 sons.

Follow Lord Ahmad on Twitter: @tariqahmadbt

More about this person