New Permanent Observer of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Presents Letter of Appointment

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)

The new Permanent Observer for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Dylan Winder, presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

Prior to his appointment, he was Deputy Director and Head of the Humanitarian Department within the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.  In that role, he oversaw the country’s humanitarian policy and relations with the United Nations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, civil society and other donor Governments.

Before that, Mr. Winder was Humanitarian and Migration Counsellor at the United Kingdom’s Mission to the UN in Geneva, where he represented his country on agency boards and the Syria Humanitarian Task Force, also leading negotiations on the Global Compact on Refugees.  He also led his country’s preparations for the World Humanitarian Summit and the Government Response to the United Kingdom Humanitarian Emergency Response Review.

Furthermore, he — as head of the country’s humanitarian response — led rapid onset assistance for the Philippines, Iraq, Haiti, Gaza and India and supported its aid to Afghanistan and Ukraine.  He also contributed to his country’s responses to the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks.

He held various leadership positions within the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development — which later became the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office — including as Head of its operation in Tajikistan and Deputy Head in Yemen.

He started his career as a scientist researching agricultural development at the International Rice Research Institute headquartered in the Philippines.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Aberystwyth in the United Kingdom, is fluent in English, and speaks some French.