Karel Kovanda

 
Karel Kovanda

Former Czech Ambassador
NATO; United Nations

Languages
English; French; Spanish; German; Russian; Czech; Slovak

Area/Thematic Expertise
European Union; European Commission; NATO; Brussels; Defence; Security; United Nations; Asia; Central Europe; international negotiation; alternative dispute resolution, mediation, foreign policy, diplomacy, corporate diplomacy, government relations

Career Overview

Ambassador Karel Kovanda is based in Brussels and joined ADRg Ambassadors in 2011. He has 20 years of senior diplomatic experience in the Czech Foreign Service and at the European Commission, as well as spending a decade working in the private sector where he advised international businesses on political risk, government relations and business development.

During his time with the European Commission he served as Deputy Director-General of External Relations (2005-10) and simultaneously served as the European Commission's Political Director. Responsibilities included multilateral diplomacy (relations with the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe and NATO); bilateral relations with the USA, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and other developed countries outside the EU; democracy and human rights promotion; conflict prevention; and conflict management operations. He represented the European Commission in talks within the G8 framework and with G8 members bilaterally, as well as with other important countries including Ukraine, Turkey, Western Balkans, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iraq and Korea.

He served as Czech Ambassador to NATO (1998-2005) and Czech Ambassador to the United Nations (1993-97), including leading his country's delegation as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (1994-95).

Recent Career History

  • European Commission - Deputy Director-General (2005-10)
  • European Commission - Political Director (2005-10)
  • First Czech Ambassador to NATO (1998-2005)
  • First Czech Ambassador to the United Nations (1993-97)

Professional Qualifications

  • PhD Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • MBA, Pepperdine University, CA

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