Andrew Gilmour Keynote Speaker

CMG (2020) for services to human rights
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (2016–2019)
Author of The Burning Question on climate and conflict (2024)

Andrew Gilmour's Biography

Andrew Gilmour CMG is a global authority on human rights, conflict prevention and diplomacy, bringing more than three decades of experience at the heart of international decision-making. Appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2020 for services to human rights, he is recognised for combining moral clarity with pragmatic leadership under pressure.

From 1989 to 2019, Gilmour served with the United Nations, including as Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (2016–2019) and as Political Director in the Office of the Secretary-General (2012–2016). Across headquarters roles and field deployments in regions including Iraq, South Sudan, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Kosovo and West Africa, he helped shape responses to conflict, humanitarian crises and the protection of civilians, and led system-wide efforts to address intimidation and reprisals against those who cooperate with the UN on human rights.

From 2020 to early 2025, Gilmour led the Berghof Foundation in Berlin, supporting people in conflict to achieve sustainable peace through conflict transformation and peacebuilding. In 2025, he was appointed Chair of UN Staff for Gaza, mobilising colleagues to speak up for humanitarian principles and the values that underpin the international civil service.

Gilmour is the author of The Burning Question: Climate and Conflict – Why Does It Matter? (2024), a timely exploration of how climate pressures intensify insecurity and reshape geopolitics. He has discussed these themes with audiences at King’s College London (March 2025) and The Conduit (November 2025), and brings the same insight to boardrooms and global conferences.

Geopolitical risk and crisis leadership

Human rights, accountability and rule of law

Conflict prevention, peacebuilding and diplomacy

Climate change, security and conflict dynamics

Protecting civil society and organisational integrity

He has served at the highest levels of the United Nations as Director for Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Human Rights Affairs (2012 to 2016) and Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (2016 to 2019), giving leaders a rare view of how global crises escalate and how institutions respond.
He led UN system-wide efforts to address intimidation and reprisals against those cooperating with the UN on human rights, helping organisations protect integrity and uphold values when scrutiny is intense.
He brings peacebuilding lessons from leading the Berghof Foundation (2020 to early 2025), translating mediation, dialogue and conflict transformation into practical approaches for negotiation and stakeholder trust.
He connects climate risk to conflict dynamics through his 2024 book The Burning Question, equipping boards and executives to anticipate volatility and build strategies that hold under pressure.
His 2025 appointment as Chair of UN Staff for Gaza brings current insight into humanitarian principles and decision-making in conditions of extreme uncertainty.