Harald Braun (diplomat)

Harald Braun (born 1952) is a senior German diplomat who has been serving as the Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations in New York since March 2014. On June 13th, 2016, Ambassador Braun was elected Vice President of the 71st UN General Assembly 2016/2017. Prior to his nomination, Ambassador Braun was State Secretary of the German Foreign Ministry from 2011 to 2014.

After graduating from Goldberg-Gymnasium in Sindelfingen in 1971, Harald Braun served for two years in the German army, followed by an apprenticeship at IBM Germany. He then completed two M.A. degrees in economics and history in Tübingen and New York and added a doctorate at SUNY Stony Brook before entering the Foreign Service in 1981.

His diplomatic postings include Beirut, London, Bujumbura, Washington and Paris. Harald Braun also served as Chief of Staff to former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1992–94) and Deputy Foreign and Security Adviser to the Federal Chancellor (2003–05).

From 2005 to 2008, he spent three years in the private sector as Corporate Senior Vice President for Group Policy and External Affairs at Siemens AG in Munich.

Since March 2008, Harald Braun has also been an Honorary Professor for Global Studies and Diplomacy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Ambassador Braun was awarded an Honorary Citizenship of Washington D.C. in 2002. He is Grand Officier of the National Order of the French Legion D’Honneur, bearer of the Grand Cross of the Italian Order of Merit and further international distinctions, as well as a member of the Knights of the Order of St. John.

He has been married to Dr. Ute Braun since 1980; they have three children and two grandchildren.

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