Richard Gowan

Richard Gowan

UN Director
New York

Crisis Group Role

Richard oversees Crisis Group’s advocacy work at the United Nations, liaising with diplomats and UN officials in New York.

Professional Background

Richard was previously a Consulting Analyst with ICG in 2016 and 2017. He has worked with the European Council on Foreign Relations, New York University Center on International Cooperation and the Foreign Policy Centre (London). He has taught at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and Stanford in New York. He has also worked as a consultant for the organisations including UN Department of Political Affairs, the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on International Migration, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Rasmussen Global, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Global Affairs Canada. From 2013 to 2019, he wrote a weekly column (“Diplomatic Fallout”) for World Politics Review.

Areas of Expertise

  • The United Nations system
  • Security Council
  • Peacekeeping
  • European security
  • Early warning and conflict prevention

In The News

2 Mar 2024
The situation in Gaza is now so bad that any additional supplies will at least alleviate some suffering. But this is at best a temporary band aid measure. Reuters

Richard Gowan

UN Director
21 Feb 2024
The ICJ is a place where little countries can line up and leverage international law to constrain what big powers and their allies try to do. The New York Times

Richard Gowan

UN Director
23 Jan 2024
The U.N. is losing credibility as big power tensions rise. The EurAsian Times

Richard Gowan

UN Director
2 Jan 2024
[U.N. diplomats] have never really shaken off the suspicion that Trump might return to power. Devex

Richard Gowan

UN Director
14 Dec 2023
Russian diplomats see the war in the Middle East as a huge opportunity to reset their position at the U.N. Reuters

Richard Gowan

UN Director
12 Dec 2023
The length and intensity of Israel’s operations in Gaza have left many UN members convinced that a ceasefire is essential. Doha News

Richard Gowan

UN Director

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