Zeid bin Ra'ad

For his father, see Ra'ad bin Zeid.
Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad al-Hussein
زید ابن رعد الحسين
Zeid in 2019
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
In office
1 September 2014 – 31 August 2018
DeputyKate Gilmore
Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon
Preceded byNavi Pillay
Succeeded byMichelle Bachelet
Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations
In office
September 2010 – 22 July 2014
MonarchAbdullah II
Preceded byMohammed Al-Allaf
Succeeded byDina Kawar
In office
7 August 2000 – 2 January 2007
Preceded byHassan Abu Nimeh
Succeeded byMohammed Al-Allaf
Ambassador of Jordan to the United States
In office
22 January 2007 – 27 February 2010
MonarchAbdullah II
Preceded byKarim Kawar
Succeeded byAlia Hatough Bouran
President of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court
In office
2002–2004
Appointed byAssembly of States Parties
Succeeded byBruno Stagno Ugarte
Personal details
Born (1964-01-26) 26 January 1964 (age 60)
Amman, Jordan
Spouse
​
(m. 2000)​
Children3
Parent(s)Ra'ad bin Zeid (father)
Majda Lind (mother)
EducationJohns Hopkins University (BA)
Christ's College, Cambridge (PhD)
HouseHashemite

Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad bin Zeid al-Hussein (Arabic: زيد ابن رعد الحسين; born 26 January 1964) is a Jordanian former diplomat who is the Perry World House[1] Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the president and CEO of the International Peace Institute.[2] He also served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014 to 2018.[3] He played a central role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court, and was elected the first president of the Assembly of State Parties of the International Criminal Court in September 2002. He also served as a political affairs officer in UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia from 1994 to 1996.

A career diplomat, he served as Jordan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2000 until 2007, when he was appointed as Jordan's Ambassador to the United States and non-resident Ambassador to Mexico. He was re-appointed Permanent Representative in 2010 and served until 2014, resigning shortly before his selection as High Commissioner.[4] In 2019, Zeid was invited to join The Elders, an independent group of global leaders working for peace, justice and human rights founded by Nelson Mandela.[5]

He is the son of Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid, Lord Chamberlain of Jordan, and Swedish-born Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind, subsequently known as Majda Raad.[3] As the United Nations does not permit the use of royal or other titles by its officials in the context of their official work, he was known as Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in his capacity as United Nations High Commissioner.[6][improper synthesis?] He is the apparent first in line to the thrones of the defunct Kingdom of Iraq and Arab Kingdom of Syria according to the mainstream claim.

  1. ^ Perry World House
  2. ^ "Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein Appointed IPI's Next President & CEO". 12 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b OHCHR. "High Commissioner". Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  4. ^ Malkawi, Khetam (29 April 2014). "Prince Zeid resigns as Jordan's representative at UN". Jordan Times. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Former UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein to continue his battle as an Elder". The National. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Prince Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein". Christ's College Cambridge Alumni. Retrieved 13 September 2017.