Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Contents

Biography

Lord Ahmad was 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

  • 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.

Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict

The Prime Minister’s Special Representative (PMSR) on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict works with governments, the UN, civil society and others to:

  • strengthen accountability and tackle impunity
  • provide greater support for survivors
  • ensure gender equality is fully integrated in all peace and security efforts
  • deliver a more effective multilateral response to crimes of sexual violence in conflict

The PMSR will also promote and implement the commitments of the June 2014 Global Summit.

In addition to continuing the international campaign to raise awareness, the PMSR chairs the cross-Whitehall ministerial committee which brings together the FCO, DFID, MoD and the Home Office. The committee looks at implementation of UK commitments as well as what additional support we can provide politically and practically to key partners in order to secure measurable progress. The PMSR will also chair the PSVI Steering Board with NGOs, academia and experts.

The PMSR will undertake these activities on behalf of the Prime Minister and will report to her.

Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative

Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Responsibilities include:

  • all Foreign & Commonwealth Office business in the House of Lords
  • The Commonwealth (as an institution)
  • the UN, peacekeeping, conflict and International Criminal Court
  • Overseas Territories (excluding Falklands, Sovereign Base Areas and Gibraltar)
  • the Caribbean
  • human rights and modern slavery
  • national security: counter terrorism, countering violent extremism and cyber
More about this role

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Previous roles in government

  1. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Countering Extremism)

    • 2015 to 2016

  2. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport

    • 2015 to 2017

  3. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

    • 2014 to 2015

  4. Lord in Waiting (Government Whip)

    • 2012 to 2014

Announcements

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  1. UK announces £2.9m for human rights across the Commonwealth

    • News story

  2. Minister for Human Rights visits the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel

    • Press release

  3. Adapting UN Peacekeeping to fit our times

    • Speech

  4. Lord Ahmad welcomes conclusions of the 37th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

    • Speech

  5. Foreign Office Minister condemns criminal actors based in Iran for cyber-attacks against UK universities

    • News story

  6. Great opportunities for UK from oceans

    • Press release

  7. UK Commonwealth Minister visits Scotland ahead of April's summit

    • Press release

  8. UK drives progress on gender equality in the Middle East

    • News story

  9. Lord Ahmad marks 70th anniversary of UN Human Rights Declaration

    • Speech

  10. Lord Ahmad congratulates The Gambia on Commonwealth re-entry

    • News story
View all announcements