Ambassador John B. Richardson,
Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the United Nations

{Click here or on the picture to start the streaming video. The ambassador gave a public talk, as well as met with students, faculty, and staff during his visit, co-sponsored by the European Studies Alliance.}

Before taking up this post and presenting his credentials to Kofi Annan on 3 May 2001, Mr Richardson had previously been Minister and Deputy Head of the European Commission's Delegation in Washington since October 1996. He has devoted most of his professional career to the cause of European integration, spending 23 years at the EU headquarters in Brussels.

He began his career with the European Commission by working on economic aspects of environmental policy, the beginning of his interest in issues of sustainable development.

Subsequent posts related to international energy policy, relations with the Gulf States, and external aspects of the EU's Single Market. From 1983-1989 he worked on international trade in services, for which he was EU negotiator in the Uruguay Round and spent many long weeks and nights in Geneva, his first multilateral experience.

In 1989 Mr. Richardson became Head of Division for relations with the US then in 1993 for relations with Japan. On two dozen trips to Japan he came to deeply appreciate its art and culture.

As a Member of the Board of the Salzburg Seminar, which runs a program designed to bring together young leaders from Europe, the U.S., and around the world, Mr. Richardson has a long-time interest in understanding and bridging cultural differences. He is also a Member of the Advisory Board of the European Institute.

From 1969 to 1973, Mr. Richardson was employed by Unilever Ltd. as an economist in both London and Hamburg. He studied at Downing College, Cambridge, and University College, London, from 1963-1969, where he received degrees in Chemistry and Economics. He has retained a keen interest in the evolution of scientific thought and claims to have been marked for life by reading, in the 60s, Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".

John Richardson is married to the German radio journalist, Irmtraud ("Irmy") Richardson and has three grown-up daughters. In addition to his native English, he speaks French and German and is at home in Brussels and Provence.

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