The Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, Ambassador Fergal Mythen, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 26 August 2022.
Since taking up duty in New York, he represented Ireland on the Security Council for the final phase of our two-year term as an elected member, which concluded on 31 December 2022; in addition, together with Qatar, he co-facilitated the drafting of the High Level Political Declaration on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which was adopted by consensus by Heads of State and Government at the SDG Summit in September 2023.
Prior to his current appointment, Fergal spent considerable periods of his career working for the Government of Ireland in support of the Northern Ireland peace process and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement – working for the International Fund for Ireland (1990-92), on Justice & Security issues (1999-2003 and 2005-07), and on Northern Ireland political affairs (2007-09).
Most recently, as Director-General of the Ireland, UK and Americas Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2022, he led the Departmental team working on Northern Ireland peace process issues, Irish-British relations (including the impact of Brexit), and Irish-US relations.
Between 2013 and 2017, Fergal was Director-General of the Department’s Corporate Services Division, with responsibility for human resources, finance, ICT, property management, and corporate governance and compliance issues.
He has twice served in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels, covering two Irish EU Council Presidencies, firstly as Middle East / North Africa Attaché from 2003 to 2005, and as Coreper II Counsellor from 2009 to 2013.
Earlier in his career, in 1996-97, Fergal was seconded to the European Community Monitoring Mission in the former Yugoslavia, based in Sarajevo, BiH.
He was Director of the Department’s Human Rights Unit from 1997 to 1999.
Fergal also served as Consular Officer in the Embassy of Ireland to Italy, Rome, from 1992 to 1996.
Born in 1968, Fergal studied History and English in Trinity College Dublin and Business Studies in University College Dublin.
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