Simon Thomas OBE
Biography
Mr Simon Thomas OBE is a senior British diplomat, serving as the UK government’s Envoy to the Commonwealth since June 2026.
He was previously the UK’s Ambassador to the United Nations General Assembly in New York (from 2025 to 2026) and Ambassador to Croatia (from 2021 to 2025).
Simon joined the Diplomatic Service in 1997, after graduating from Birmingham University with a first-class Honours Degree in Russian Language and Literature.
He has served in various diplomatic posts overseas, including Warsaw, the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York and the UK Representation to the EU in Brussels. He was Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 2009 to 2013 and Deputy Head of Mission, later acting Ambassador, at the British Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 2016 to 2019.
Simon has worked extensively on national security issues, including in the UK government crisis centre (COBR), on counter-terrorism policy and as Head of the FCO’s Intelligence Policy Department. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies and holds a Master’s Degree with distinction in International Security and Strategy from King’s College London.
In 2018 he was awarded an OBE by HM The Queen, for services to British foreign policy.
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Commonwealth Envoy
The Commonwealth Envoy represents the UK within the Commonwealth, including on the governing Board of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The Envoy works in support of the 3 main pillars of the Commonwealth to implement the principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter. The 3 pillars consist of:
- its Member States (56 including the UK)
- the Commonwealth Secretariat
- the many accredited Commonwealth organisations
Previous roles in government
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British Ambassador to Croatia
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Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Harare