Jeremy Greenstock

Sir Jeremy Greenstock in May 2013 being interviewed on BBC Scotland's "Sunday Politics" about Scottish independence

Jeremy Quentin Greenstock (born 27 July 1943) joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1969 and served until 2004. During this time he served in Washington, Paris, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. He is a former British Ambassador to the United Nations and was UK Special Representative for Iraq from 2003-2004.

In February 2011, Sir Jeremy Greenstock was appointed Chairman of the UK branch of the United Nations Association (UNA-UK).

In May 2013, BBC Scotland's "Sunday Politics" programme announced that the UK Government would back a Scottish application for United Nations membership, which would entail an independent Scotland becoming the UN's 194th Member State and being seated alphabetically between Saudi Arabia and Senegal. Sir Jeremy Greenstock commented:

"Scotland would be very welcome at the United Nations, which is highly in favour of self-determination and of a new people expressing itself if it's organised and consensual. I wouldn't see any trouble in any of that. But it's a process that has to be gone through.

"Diplomatically, it would need to form alliances and partnerships. The UK can't do without those. The impact that the UK has would be lost to Scotland. But Scotland would be speaking with the voice of Scotland. It would have the Scottish label but it would have to establish the impact through the performance of the individuals at High Representative level - that's very important."

Life and career

Jeremy Greenstock was born in Harrow on the Hill, north-west London, the son of Ruth Margaret (née Logan) and John Wilfrid Greenstock. He was educated at Harrow School and Worcester College, University of Oxford. He was an assistant master at Eton College from 1966 to 1969. Greenstock joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1969 and served until 2004. He served in the British embassies in Paris, Dubai, Washington DC and Saudi Arabia.

United Nations work

Sir Jeremy Greenstock was the United Kingdom Ambassador to the United Nations for five years, from 1998 to 2003, where he attended over 150 meetings of the United Nations Security Council. From October 2001 to April 2003, he was Chairman of the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee.

In June 2003 Sir Jeremy acted as the head of a Security Council mission to West Africa to assess the UN activities there, including the work of the United Nations Mission to Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

Iraq and aftermath

In September 2003, Sir Jeremy Greenstock was appointed the UK's Special Representative for Iraq, where he worked alongside Paul Bremer within the Coalition Provisional Authority.

Greenstock left his position in Baghdad in March 2004, on a timing agreed with the UK government.

Greenstock wrote a book about his role in the Iraq war that was expected to be released in the Autumn of 2005, but was withdrawn from publication at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Greenstock appeared on the Charlie Rose talk show on 14 May 2008 and explained some of the contents of his book. During the interview he stated categorically that British and American leaders had known since 1998 that Iraq under Saddam Hussein had no nuclear weapon capabilities or programs.

On 27 November and 15 December 2009, Sir Jeremy Greenstock gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry regarding his time as Ambassador to the United Nations.

Situation in Syria

In September 2013, Sir Jeremy gave an exclusive interview to the Middle East Monitor about the situation in Syria, which concluded:

Greenstock believes that what we're seeing in many parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, is how the boundaries and frontiers set by 20th century politics don't fit the identity mix, the ethnic, religious, sectarian and political society arrangements of the 21st century. People from the same tribe are often divided by borders. We live more and more in a virtual world where communications, business, lobbying and demonstrating take place across the world, both physically and virtually. Communicating via Twitter and Facebook means we live in a global space where we are less conscious of these borders.

"The identity mosaic of a free world doesn't fit the national boundary setting of the 20th century," he says, later explaining: "The West has to be careful about intervention to sustain a situation that no longer carries the same legitimacy."

Post retirement

Since leaving HM Diplomatic Service, Sir Jeremy has held numerous positions. He was the Director of The Ditchley Foundation until August 2010 and a Special Adviser to BP plc from July 2004 to June 2010. Currently, he is the Chairman of the United Nations Association of the UK, as well as the Chairman of Gatehouse Advisory Partners and of Lambert Energy Advisory Ltd. He is an adviser to the International Rescue Committee-UK and to the NGO "Forward Thinking", and a Non-Executive Director of De La Rue plc.

Family

Jeremy Greenstock married Anne Ashford Hodges in 1969. They had two daughters (1970 and 1975) and one son (1973).

External links

• Sir Jeremy Greenstock's Biography on the United Nations Association of the UK website
• UNA-UK website
• Greenstock statement in full, BBC, 17 March 2003
• Coalition 'misanalysed' Iraq mood, BBC, 26 March 2004
• Iraq 2004: What went wrong, BBC, 1 January 2005
• No 10 blocks envoy's book on Iraq, The Guardian, 17 July 2005
• FO accused of censoring insider book on Iraq war, The Guardian, 18 July 2005
• Ex-Blair envoy gives Iraq warning, BBC, 23 September 2005

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