Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad
Encyclopedia
Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein was born 26 January 1964 in Amman
, Jordan
to Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid
head of the Royal Houses of Iraq
and Syria
and pretender
to the Iraqi throne and his Swedish
-born wife Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind, henceforward known as Majda Raad. He is Jordan
's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
, a post he already held previously for six and a half years (2000–2007). From 2007-2010 he served as Jordan's Ambassador to the United States
and non-resident Ambassador to Mexico
.
before gaining a B.A.
in 1987 from Johns Hopkins University
, where he was an important member of the University's rugby club. He received a Ph.D.
from Christ's College, Cambridge
in 1993.
Prince Zeid is Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a post he held previously for six and a half years from 2000-2007. From 2007-2010 he was Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States of America. He also served as Jordan’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, with the rank of Ambassador, from 1996-2000.
Prince Zeid is currently Chairman of the Country-Specific Configuration (of the UN Peace Building Commission) for Liberia. He also chairs the search committee for the selection of the next prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and is Jordan’s “Sherpa” on Nuclear Security.
With reference to the International Criminal Court and from 1996-2010 he was:
While at the UN (1996–2006) he further chaired the Consultative Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) from 2004–2007 and, from 2004–2006, he was the ‘Advisor to the Secretary-General on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in UN peacekeeping.’
He served as a political affairs officer in UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia from February 1994 to February 1996.
In 1989, he also received his commission as an officer in the Jordanian desert police (the successor to the Arab Legion) and saw service with them until 1994.
He delivered the Grotius Lecture at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law (April 2008) entitled: ‘For Love of Country and International Criminal Law.’
Prince Zeid is a member of the Advisory Committee to the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation. He is also a member of the World Bank's Advisory Council for the World Development Report 2011.
to Sarah Butler, henceforth called Sarah Zeid, who was born in Houston, Harris County
, Texas
, on 1 August 1972. She was educated in Prior's Field, Godalming
, Surrey
, Hurtwood House
near Dorking
, Surrey
, and graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Harris County
, Texas
and the SOAS in London
(MSc
). She then employed with the United Nations Organization in New York City
, where she served in the development program, the peace-keeping department and UNICEF. She became the Honorary Director of Petra National Foundation in the United States
, etc. She is the daughter of Dr. Godfrey Butler, a British
Geologist
(Phd
) and a Consultant
to international oil companies, and wife. Together they have two children:
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
to Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid
Ra'ad bin Zeid
Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid is the son of Prince Zeid of the Hashemite House and Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid , a Turkish noblewoman. Upon the death of his father on October 18, 1970, he inherited the position as head of the Royal Houses of Iraq and Syria...
head of the Royal Houses of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and pretender
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to the Iraqi throne and his Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-born wife Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind, henceforward known as Majda Raad. He is Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, a post he already held previously for six and a half years (2000–2007). From 2007-2010 he served as Jordan's Ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and non-resident Ambassador to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Education and career
He was educated at Reed's School, SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
before gaining a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1987 from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, where he was an important member of the University's rugby club. He received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
in 1993.
Prince Zeid is Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a post he held previously for six and a half years from 2000-2007. From 2007-2010 he was Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States of America. He also served as Jordan’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, with the rank of Ambassador, from 1996-2000.
Prince Zeid is currently Chairman of the Country-Specific Configuration (of the UN Peace Building Commission) for Liberia. He also chairs the search committee for the selection of the next prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and is Jordan’s “Sherpa” on Nuclear Security.
With reference to the International Criminal Court and from 1996-2010 he was:
- President of the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (2002–2005).
- Chairman of the informal negotiations on the ‘elements’ of the individual offenses falling under the crimes of: Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes(1999-200).
- Chairman of the Working Group on the Crime of Aggression at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute in Kampala (June 2010).
While at the UN (1996–2006) he further chaired the Consultative Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) from 2004–2007 and, from 2004–2006, he was the ‘Advisor to the Secretary-General on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in UN peacekeeping.’
He served as a political affairs officer in UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia from February 1994 to February 1996.
In 1989, he also received his commission as an officer in the Jordanian desert police (the successor to the Arab Legion) and saw service with them until 1994.
He delivered the Grotius Lecture at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law (April 2008) entitled: ‘For Love of Country and International Criminal Law.’
Prince Zeid is a member of the Advisory Committee to the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation. He is also a member of the World Bank's Advisory Council for the World Development Report 2011.
Marriage and children
Prince Zeid was married on the 5 July 2000 at AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
to Sarah Butler, henceforth called Sarah Zeid, who was born in Houston, Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, on 1 August 1972. She was educated in Prior's Field, Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Hurtwood House
Hurtwood House
Hurtwood House is a private, residential, co-educational sixth-form college near Dorking, Surrey, England. Founded in 1970 by Richard Jackson, the main house is an Edwardian mansion set in in the Surrey Hills...
near Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the SOAS in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
). She then employed with the United Nations Organization in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where she served in the development program, the peace-keeping department and UNICEF. She became the Honorary Director of Petra National Foundation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, etc. She is the daughter of Dr. Godfrey Butler, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
(Phd
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
) and a Consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
to international oil companies, and wife. Together they have two children:
- HH Prince Ra'ad - born 17 May 2001
- HH Princess Hala - born 13 March 2003