Harston who was born 20 October 1942 in Nairobi, Kenya, is an independent Consultant on International Peace and Security matters. A leading practitioners of peacekeeping, he retired as an Assistant Secretary-General in the United Nations. His last post was as the Representative of the Secretary-General in Belgrade, Serbia. Prior to this until March 2009 he was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General heading MINURSO Western Sahara. He was for 25 years a member of the United Kingdom Diplomatic Service. He completed his secondary education at The King’s School, Canterbury, England. He then earned a Bachelor of Science in Politics from the University of London and a degree in African Politics from the University of Rhodesia. Harston has lectured all over the world to military and civilian audiences and has published several papers on peacekeeping and international diplomacy. He also takes part as a role player and mentor in NATO exercises (Netherlands, Latvia, Belgium, France) and in exercises in Sweden, the UK, Germany, Canada, and Uganda. He also lectures and mentors at the United Kingdom Defence Academy, the Swedish Defence Academy, the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, at the German Defence Academy,Hamburg, Germany, and at the Polish Institute for Diplomacy in Warsaw, as well as the Singidunum University in Belgrade.
Harston lives in Belgrade, Serbia. He is married with one son, and two step daughters. He is a member of the East India Club, and Special Forces Club in London, The Goodwood Flying Club, and the Gremio Literario in Lisbon. His hobbies include Early English Church Music and a 1952 Series One Landrover.
CAREER
12/2012 – Founder Member of the Advisory Panel to the Joint Services Command and Staff College, UK
03/2012 – Director Milharbour (pvt) Jersey CI
06/2010 –Advisory Board Member TransConflict Serbia www.transconflict.com
11/2009 –Director, Harstonconsulting, Serbia.(www.harstonconsulting.rs)
11/2009 Professor, College of Security and Diplomacy, Belgrade, and lecturer at the University of Belgrade (Faculty of Economics)
03/2009 Representative of the Secretary General, Belgrade
03/2007 – 03/2009 Special Representative of the Secretary-General Head of Mission MINURSO,Western Sahara
03/2007 Appointed Assistant Secretary-General
04/2004 – 02/2007 Director, United Nations Office in Belgrade, Serbia
10/2001 – 04/2004 Director, Asia and Middle East Division, DPKO United Nations Headquarters, New York
04/2001 – 10/2001 Director, Post UNTAET Planning, U N Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)
1999 – 04/2001. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General United Nations Mission in Bosnia & Herzegovina Sarajevo
1997 – 1999 Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti Head of Mission, Mission de Police des Nations Unies en Haiti
1996 – 1997 Director of the United Nations Liaison Office, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
v1995 – 1996 Head of the Political Unit of the Special Representative of the Secretary General, United Nations Peace Forces in the Former Yugoslavia. Later Head of Political and Civil Affairs for UNPF, Zagreb, Croatia. Career member of the United Kingdom Diplomatic Service
1992 – 1995 Senior Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland
1989 – 1992 Crisis support liaison with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence
1984 – 1989 Counsellor, British High Commission, Harare, Zimbabwe
1982 – 1984 Counsellor, British Embassy, Lisbon, Portugal
1971 – 1982 Postings in London and overseas (including Hanoi N. Vietnam & Blantyre Malawi)
1969 – 1971 Television and radio broadcaster in Vancouver Canada
