Sherard Cowper-Coles
Encyclopedia
Sir Sherard Louis Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO (born in London, England, 8 January 1955) is a British
diplomat
. From 2009 to 2010 the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative to Afghanistan
and Pakistan
, he is now BAE Systems
' international business development director, focusing on the Middle East and south-east Asia. His surname is pronounced 'cooper coals'.
and Hertford College, Oxford
. He read classics at Hertford College, Oxford, and speaks fluent Arabic, Hebrew, and French
and has studied Pashto.
, 1980–1983, First Secretary
in the Planning Staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
, 1983–1985; Private Secretary to the Permanent Under-secretary of State, 1985–1987, First Secretary in Washington, 1987–1991, Assistant in the Security Policy Department of the FCO, 1991–1993, Resident Associate, International Institute for Strategic Studies
, 1993–1994; Head of the Hong Kong
Department of the FCO, 1994–1997, Political Counsellor in Paris
, 1997–1999; Principal Private Secretary
to Robin Cook
, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 1999–2001.
His first role as a head of mission was in Tel Aviv
as the British Ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2003. He was next appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia
in Riyadh
, a post that he held until 2006. From 15 May 2007 until April 2009 he served as ambassador to Afghanistan
in Kabul
. In February 2009 it was announced that he would be taking up a new role as special representative of the UK Foreign Secretary to Afghanistan
and Pakistan
.
In early 2010 it is reported that he clashed with senior Nato and US officials over his insistence that the military-driven counter-insurgency effort was headed for failure, and that talks with the Taliban should be prioritised.
On the 21st June 2010 the British high commission announced he had taken "extended leave" from his position in Afghanistan. Following comments from the Foreign Secretary William Hague, it appeared unlikely he would return to the post,.
' international business development director, focusing on the Middle East and south-east Asia. His appointment at BAE
caused some controversy, since he is thought to have “had a profound effect” on the decision by Robert Wardle, then director of the UK's Serious Fraud Office
, to end an investigation into BAE
's allegedly corrupt dealings with Saudi Arabia.
This memo leak occurred the same week another additional memo was leaked concerning fellow British ambassador, Sir Nigel Sheinwald
's comments with regard to US Senator Barack Obama
. Both leaks concerned foreign policy and occurred in the final weeks of the 2008 US Presidential Election.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. From 2009 to 2010 the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, he is now BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
' international business development director, focusing on the Middle East and south-east Asia. His surname is pronounced 'cooper coals'.
Education
He was educated at Freston Lodge School, New Beacon School, Tonbridge SchoolTonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
and Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
. He read classics at Hertford College, Oxford, and speaks fluent Arabic, Hebrew, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and has studied Pashto.
Diplomatic career
Cowper-Coles entered the diplomatic service in 1977. He was Third Secretary and later Second Secretary in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, 1980–1983, First Secretary
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
in the Planning Staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
, 1983–1985; Private Secretary to the Permanent Under-secretary of State, 1985–1987, First Secretary in Washington, 1987–1991, Assistant in the Security Policy Department of the FCO, 1991–1993, Resident Associate, International Institute for Strategic Studies
International Institute for Strategic Studies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies is a British research institute in the area of international affairs. It describes itself as "the world’s leading authority on political-military conflict"...
, 1993–1994; Head of the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Department of the FCO, 1994–1997, Political Counsellor in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 1997–1999; Principal Private Secretary
Principal Private Secretary
In the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service the Principal Private Secretary is the civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office...
to Robin Cook
Robin Cook
Robert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001....
, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 1999–2001.
His first role as a head of mission was in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
as the British Ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2003. He was next appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, a post that he held until 2006. From 15 May 2007 until April 2009 he served as ambassador to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. In February 2009 it was announced that he would be taking up a new role as special representative of the UK Foreign Secretary to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
In early 2010 it is reported that he clashed with senior Nato and US officials over his insistence that the military-driven counter-insurgency effort was headed for failure, and that talks with the Taliban should be prioritised.
On the 21st June 2010 the British high commission announced he had taken "extended leave" from his position in Afghanistan. Following comments from the Foreign Secretary William Hague, it appeared unlikely he would return to the post,.
Post-diplomatic career
In 2011 Cowper-Coles became BAE SystemsBAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
' international business development director, focusing on the Middle East and south-east Asia. His appointment at BAE
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
caused some controversy, since he is thought to have “had a profound effect” on the decision by Robert Wardle, then director of the UK's Serious Fraud Office
Serious Fraud Office
The Serious Fraud Office may refer to:*Serious Fraud Office *Serious Fraud Office...
, to end an investigation into BAE
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
's allegedly corrupt dealings with Saudi Arabia.
Memo leak regarding NATO, USA, Afghanistan
He attracted controversy in October 2008 when a leaked French diplomatic cable suggested he had been sharply critical of Karzai and US policy. While insisting Britain should support the US, he was quoted as saying: "We should tell them that we want to be part of a winning strategy, not a losing one."This memo leak occurred the same week another additional memo was leaked concerning fellow British ambassador, Sir Nigel Sheinwald
Nigel Sheinwald
Sir Nigel Elton Sheinwald GCMG is a senior British diplomat, currently HM Ambassador to the United States of America, appointed in October 2007....
's comments with regard to US Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Both leaks concerned foreign policy and occurred in the final weeks of the 2008 US Presidential Election.
Personal
In 1982, he married Bridget Mary Elliott, and they have four sons, Henry Sherard, Rupert Neil, Frederick Peter and Myles Philip, and one daughter, Minna Louise.See also
- British Ambassadors to Afghanistan
- British Ambassadors to Israel
- British Ambassadors to Saudi Arabia