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Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

Part of UK in Sweden

4th June 2013

A Step Towards A Safer World

A step towards a safer world was taken in New York on 3 June when the UK, Sweden and 65 other states signed the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

I worked on the ATT during my time heading the political and security team at the UK delegation in New York between 2005 and 2008. I confess that at times since, I doubted it would ever come to pass. So this was a great day.

The Treaty will enter into force when fifty states have completed and reported their ratifications. Further states will be able to join thereafter.

The original co-authors – Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Japan, Kenya and the UK have pledged to continue to work together leading the push for early entry into force and then effective implementation.

Our Minister said: “The Treaty is now the international blueprint for the regulation of conventional arms and it is a fresh starting point for international cooperation. We will encourage States rigorously to implement the Treaty, to be transparent in their implementation, and to go further than the minimum standards of regulation required by the Treaty.”

About Paul Johnston

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially. He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide…

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially.

He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide range of political and security roles in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Paul joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993 as Desk Officer for Bosnia. As part of this role he was also Private Secretary to EU negotiator Lord Owen and his representative on Bosnia Contact Group.

His first foreign posting was to Paris in 1995-99 as Second Secretary Political. He was Private Secretary to the Ambassador and latterly part of the UK delegation to the Kosovo Rambouillet negotiations. Then he returned to London as Head of the Kosovo Policy Team, leading work on post-conflict policy in the EU, NATO, UN and G8.

Before his second overseas posting to New York in 2005, Paul held a variety of other EU policy and security appointments in London, such as Head of European Defence Section between 2000-01 and Head of Security Policy Department between 2002-04.

As Head of the Political Section in UKMIS New York, he advised on major policy issues for the UK on the Security Council and the UN World Summit, including the UK EU Presidency in 2005.

Paul returned to London in 2008 as Director, International Security for the FCO. He was responsible for policy on UN, NATO, European Security, arms control and disarmament, human rights and good governance.

Paul was British Ambassador to Sweden from August 2011 to August 2015 and then was Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO.

He was UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security affairs from 2017 to January 2020 and became Ambassador to Ireland in September 2020.

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Arms Treaty ATT uk