Jan Grauls has been appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations on 30^th April 2008 and has taken up his new position on 4^th June 2008.

Prior to his appointment in New York, he was Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002-2008). He has been chef de cabinet of the minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-2002) and Director General for Bilateral and Economic Relations (1997-2001) at the Foreign Ministry.

Prior to that, he had been diplomatic advisor to the Prime Minister (1988-1991) and on secondment to the Royal Palace as deputy chef de cabinet and diplomatic advisor to HM the King (1994-1997).

Jan Grauls entered the diplomatic service on 1^st February 1973.  He held successive diplomatic assignments in Bonn, Tunis, the EU Permanent Representation in Brussels, London and Washington.

In June 2008 he was elected chair of the country specific configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission for the Central African Republic.

He represented Belgium on the Security Council until 31 December 2008.

Jan Grauls was educated at the St. Jan Berchmans Jesuit college in Brussels.

He studied Law at the University of Antwerp and at the Catholic University of Louvain.

Jan Grauls co-edited A foreign policy at the service of peace, security and disarmament (1985) and chaired for many years within the King Baudouin Foundation a reflection group on the Muslim community in Belgium.

Jan Grauls was born on 12th February 1948. He is married to Maria Gordts, a political and social scientist.

They have three daughters and one son, all grown-up.