Minister of State (Minister for South and Central Asia, North Africa, United Nations and the Commonwealth)
Responsibilities
The Minister’s responsibilities include:
- India and Indian Ocean
- Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia
- North Africa
- multilateral engagement (including G7)
- the Commonwealth
- open societies (including Westminster Foundation for Democracy)
- Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI)
- humanitarian issues
- Protocol
Current role holder
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Lord Ahmad is the Minister for South Asia, North Africa, the United Nations and the Commonwealth at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He was first appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and as Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations on 13 June 2017.
Education
He 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 between 2002 and 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.
Announcements
Subscriptions
- UK commits millions to helping the world's most vulnerable on World Humanitarian Day
- Treatment of Baha'i in Iran: FCDO minister's statement
- UK and Morocco’s growing partnership
- Tunisian constitutional referendum: Lord Ahmad's statement
- UN Human Rights Council 50: UK closing statement
- The UK's support to Ukraine in investigating war crimes
- Lord Ahmad announces UK support package for war crimes investigations
- The Sustainable Development Goals are humankind's most important to-do list
- UK to champion importance of freedom of religion or belief at global conference
- Independent assessment of FCDO support for persecuted Christians around the world: FCDO's response to the findings