Sir Harold "Hooky" Berners Walker, (born 19 October 1932) is a British former diplomat. He served as British Ambassador to Bahrain (1979–81), the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

(1981–86),

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

(1986-1990) and finally

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

(1990–91).

Early life

The son of the late Admiral Sir Harold Walker, Sir Harold was born in 1932, and attended

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

and later

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

Career

From 1956 to 1992 he was a career diplomat. From 1958 to 1962 he lived in Dubai, and subsequently served as British ambassador to Bahrain (1979–81), the United Arab Emirates (1981–86), Ethiopia (1986-1990) and finally Iraq (1990–91). During the First Gulf War, he served to Iraq on his last duty from 1990 to 1991, and was awarded a KCMG in that year.

Retirement

Since retirement from the diplomatic service in 1992, Walker has continued his interest in the Arab world. He is a member of

Council for Arab-British Understanding The Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), is a not-for-profit organisation that works for a British Middle East policy rooted in support for international law, human rights and civil society. Since it was founded in 1967, Caabu has taken ...

(CABU), and a trustee of the Next Century Foundation. In 2004, he re-entered the public eye as one of the signatories of the letter to Tony Blair from former British diplomats criticising his approach to foreign policy in the Middle East. He was formerly Chairman of the

Royal Society for Asian Affairs The Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA) is a learned society based in London (United Kingdom). Its objective is to advance public knowledge and understanding of Asia through its worldwide networks, its public events, its publications and its s ...

, and currently serves as one of its honorary vice-presidents.

References

External links

Interview with Sir Harold Berners Walker

transcript
British Diplomatic Oral History Programme, Churchill College, Cambridge, 1996 1932 births Living people People educated at Winchester College Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Ethiopia Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Iraq Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Bahrain Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George {{UK-diplomat-stub