Ambassador Gerard McGurk, a career member of the British Diplomatic Service, has been appointed as the new Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and has officially assumed his duties today.
Ambassador McGurk's previous diplomatic experience includes extensive engagement in crisis management, bilateral and multilateral international relations across a variety of regions, from Madrid, Amman, and Skopje to the United Nations in New York. Ambassador McGurk was part of the British Government's Final Status Team related to the work of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari (2005-2007).
"These experiences have shaped my approach to diplomacy, focusing on inclusive dialogue, partnership, respect and collaboration. These are virtues that are deeply rooted in OSCE's work here. As the new Head of Mission, I am committed to building on the outstanding work of my predecessors in fulfilling the Mission's core mandate to improve good governance, protect and promote human and community rights, and enhance public safety for all," Ambassador McGurk said.
Ambassador McGurk's previous roles include Deputy Director and Head of the Security and Resilience Department in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Deputy Director of Network and Performance.
He led the Consular Pillar in the Afghanistan Task Force in London, playing a critical role in crisis leadership during the high-profile international Kabul evacuation in August-September 2021. He was part of the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York as the UK Government's representative to the Iraq and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committees. He deployed to Iraq to work with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in the summer of 2003. His first overseas assignment was at the British Embassy in Athens, Greece, in 1991.
Ambassador McGurk holds a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from the Open University in the UK. Apart from his mother tongue, English, he speaks Macedonian and some Spanish. He is married with two adult children.
In his role as the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, he succeeds Ambassador Michael Davenport of the United Kingdom.
