Studies in history and international law, Berne; PhD. 1987, entered the Swiss diplomatic service; held various positions, Berne and Pretoria; 1996, transferred to New York as Deputy Permanent Observer, Swiss Mission to the United Nations; 2000, Ambassador and head of the human security division, political directorate, Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs, Berne; 2004, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations, New York; worked to integrate Switzerland into multilateral networks; June 2009, elected Chairman of the Fifth Committee by the UN General Assembly, in charge of administrative and budgetary affairs; elected Chairman of the Burundi configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission; Jan. 2010, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Berne and took over the reins of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs. Since July 2012, President, ICRC. Member of the Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum.