Sonia Farrey Takes Over as the U.K.'s Representative to the UN in Vienna Amid Global Security Concerns
From conflict zone expert to chief diplomat at the IAEA and CTBTO: A profile of Sonia Farrey’s career path and the future challenges facing British diplomacy.
The new Resident Representative of the United Kingdom to the IAEA, HE Ms. Sonia Farrey, presented her credentials to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. / Picture: © Flickr / Dean Calma / IAEA Images [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de)]
A significant leadership change has taken place in the international diplomatic community of Vienna, the federal capital: Sonia Farrey has officially assumed the post of Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations (UNOV), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Vienna.
Today, the UK Ambassador to the IAEA & CTBTO, Sonia Farrey, has also been accredited as the UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna and joined the @INTGenderChamps initiative.
— UK Mission Vienna (@UKMissionVienna) July 13, 2026
Welcome to the UN family, Sonia! pic.twitter.com/uH1jrWkXSJ
With this appointment, announced by the British Foreign Office under the Labour government, Farrey succeeds Corinne Kitsell. After presenting her credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV), Monica Juma, Farrey assumes one of Europe’s most demanding key diplomatic positions.
Dual Role on the International Stage
In addition to her role as UN ambassador, Farrey simultaneously plays a central role in the global security architecture: she has been appointed as the British governor to the IAEA Board of Governors. In this capacity, she represents the interests of the United Kingdom on highly sensitive issues—ranging from monitoring nuclear safety standards in crisis-stricken regions such as Ukraine to reviewing multilateral security guarantees and arms control agreements.
A Career Shaped by Crisis and Security
A look at the diplomat’s résumé makes it clear that the Foreign Office in London is sending an experienced crisis manager to Vienna. Her career began in 2001 at the FCO. Over the following two decades, Farrey, a native of Durham, held a wide range of strategic and operational positions.
After initial assignments in the Middle East Directorate, she completed Arabic language training in Syria from 2004 to 2006. Assignments followed this in challenging posts in the Middle East and Africa: as Second Secretary at the British Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan (2006–2007) and as a reconciliation adviser in Iraq (Baghdad, 2008–2009), she gained firsthand experience in immediate conflict and transition zones.
Back at headquarters in London, Farrey subsequently took charge of key security dossiers—including in the Counterterrorism Department (2009–2010), as Deputy Head of the Somalia Unit (2012–2013), and as Deputy Head of the Security Policy Department (2013–2014).
Expertise from New York to Brussels
Farrey is also extremely well-connected on the multilateral stage. From 2017 to 2018, she headed the European Counter-Terrorism and Extremism Prevention Network (CTEN) from Brussels. Between 2020 and 2021, she served as Political Counselor at the British Mission to the UN in New York. She also demonstrated her versatility outside the civil service by serving as Director of Advocacy and Head of Policy at UNICEF UK from 2018 to 2019.
Most recently, from 2022 to 2025, Farrey served as Deputy Director of the Gender and Children in Conflict Division at the FCDO. Her diplomatic experience is underpinned by a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the renowned London School of Economics (LSE) and a Master of Studies in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, which she completed in 2015.
The Vienna Agenda
In Vienna, Sonia Farrey faces complex challenges. As a representative of a nuclear power on the IAEA Board of Governors, her focus will be on monitoring non-proliferation agreements, nuclear safety, and negotiations within the framework of the CTBTO (UK Mission to the UN in Vienna). Her diverse prior experience in security issues and multilateral diplomacy makes her a key figure in British foreign policy at the heart of Europe.
More information on Ms. Farrey:
Curriculum Vitae - Sonia Farrey
Curriculum Vitae — Sonia Farrey
| Year / Period | Role & Organisation |
|---|---|
| Current Appointment | |
| 2026 – present | UK Permanent Representative to the UN (Vienna), IAEA, and CTBTO; UK Governor on the IAEA Board of Governors |
| Professional Career | |
| 2022 – 2025 | Deputy Director, Gender and Children in Conflict Department, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) |
| 2020 – 2021 | Political Counsellor, UK Mission to the United Nations, New York |
| 2018 – 2019 | Director of Advocacy / Head of Policy, UNICEF UK |
| 2017 – 2018 | Head of the Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Extremism Network (CTEN) in Europe, Brussels |
| 2015 – 2016 | Head of Department, Middle East Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) |
| 2013 – 2014 | Deputy Head, Security Policy Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) |
| 2012 – 2013 | Deputy Head, Somalia Unit, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) |
| 2010 – 2012 | Middle East Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) |
| 2009 – 2010 | Counter-Terrorism Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) |
| 2008 – 2009 | Reconciliation Advisor, Baghdad, Iraq |
| 2007 – 2008 | DFID Office, Baghdad, Iraq |
| 2006 – 2007 | Second Secretary, British Embassy, Khartoum, Sudan |
| 2004 – 2006 | Arabic Language Training (including Syria) |
| 2001 – 2004 | Middle East Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) |
| 2001 | Joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) |
| Education & Academic Qualifications | |
| 2015 | Master of Studies (MSt) in International Relations, University of Cambridge |
| Prior to 2001 | Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Sociology, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) |