Atul Khare (born 10 July 1959) is an Indian diplomat who served as the United Nations Under‑Secretary‑General for Operational Support from 2017 until 2022. A career officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) of the 1981 batch, Khare has held a variety of senior positions in India’s Ministry of External Affairs and in Indian diplomatic missions abroad.
Early life and education
Khare was born in New Delhi, India. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, and a Master of Arts in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Career in the Indian Foreign Service
- Early postings: After joining the IFS, Khare served in Indian diplomatic missions in Bangladesh (Deputy High Commissioner), Iran (Chargé d’Affaires), and the United Arab Emirates.
- Senior assignments: He held the role of Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs and later became Secretary (West) overseeing Europe and the Americas.
- Ambassadorial posts: From 2009 to 2013, Khare was Ambassador of India to Ethiopia; concurrently, he served as Permanent Representative to the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations in Addis Ababa. He subsequently served as Ambassador of India to the United Nations in Geneva (2014–2017).
United Nations service
In January 2017, Khare was appointed Under‑Secretary‑General for Operational Support, a newly created UN department responsible for logistics, procurement, and management of the organization’s common services. In this capacity, he oversaw the UN’s global supply chain, infrastructure, and headquarters services, reporting directly to the Secretary‑General. He held the post until 2022, after which he was succeeded by an appointed successor.
Awards and recognitions
Khare has been conferred the Distinguished Service Medal by the Government of India for his contributions to diplomacy. He is a member of several international policy forums and has authored papers on multilateral cooperation and UN reform.
Personal life
Khare is married and has two children. He is fluent in English, Hindi, and several diplomatic languages.
References
- United Nations press releases on appointments (2017).
- Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India – biographies of senior officials.
- Official UN Department of Operational Support archival records.