Good morning, this is Michelle. Simon Manley’s presence in the multilateral circles of Geneva is one that could hardly be overlooked, especially during his passionately delivered statements at the Human Rights Council.

After four years as the UK’s ambassador to the UN, and as Geneva finds itself in the eye of the storm, Manley is leaving international city hub – not without a pinch of nostalgia and faith in its ability to bounce back.

14.07.2025

On our radar

Simon Manley, UK ambassador to the UN, at the British mission in Geneva, 18 June 2025. (Le Temps/David Wagnières)

UK ambassador Simon Manley: ‘I’m a great admirer of Geneva’s international ecosystem’. Among Geneva’s international diplomatic corps, one familiar voice will soon be missing. British ambassador to the United Nations Simon Manley is wrapping up a four-year term. Despite Brexit, his country has remained a key player on Geneva’s multilateral scene. With children who also hold Swiss nationality, and a wife who fled Franco’s Spain to Lausanne, where she trained as a lawyer, Manley is clearly at ease in Switzerland – a country he leaves with a hint of nostalgia.

Le Temps via Geneva Solutions (EN)

Also on the agenda

📌 15 to 19 July | Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition. Hosted at the Palais des Nations, the annual competition brings together students from around the world to argue a hypothetical human rights case.
UN Human Rights Council (EN)
📌 16 July | International Trade and The Global Food Value Chain. Trade diplomats and officials explore how trade can be used to tackle the growing challenges of food insecurity and make food systems more sustainable.
Geneva Trade Platform (online) (EN)
For more events, visit the Genève Internationale website.

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