Alison Kelly (diplomat) facts for kids

Alison Kelly, born in 1953, is a former Irish diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. She worked for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs for many years. She served as Ireland's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Israel.

Early Life and Education

Alison Kelly was born in Drogheda, a town in County Louth, Ireland. In 1973, she graduated from University College, Dublin. She earned a Bachelor of Social Science degree there. The next year, in 1974, she studied at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. She received a Certificate in Advanced European Studies.

Her Diplomatic Career

Alison Kelly began her career in 1974. She joined Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs. Early in her career, she worked in different countries. She was stationed in The Hague from 1976 to 1979. She also worked in Cairo from 1983 to 1986. She had assignments in Vienna and other places.

From 1998 to 2002, she was the UN Director for the Department of Foreign Affairs. At the same time, from 1999 to 2000, she was also the Africa Director. She served as a Political Counsellor at Ireland's Embassy in Washington, D.C. This role lasted from 2003 to 2007.

From 2007 to 2011, she held important roles. She was the Deputy Political Director. She was also the Director for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. This means she worked on reducing weapons and stopping the spread of dangerous materials. She was in charge of the Diplomatic Conference in Dublin in 2008. This conference created the Convention on Cluster Munitions. These are weapons that release many smaller bombs.

Kelly was Ireland's main representative at the NPT review in 2010. The NPT is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. She led the talks about the Middle East at this conference. Laura Kennedy, a US representative, praised Kelly's work. She said Kelly did a "remarkable job" handling tough issues.

Ambassador to the Czech Republic and Ukraine

From 2012 to 2015, Alison Kelly was Ireland's Ambassador. She represented Ireland in both the Czech Republic and Ukraine. In February 2012, she officially presented her credentials to President Václav Klaus. He was the President of the Czech Republic at that time. In July 2012, she presented her credentials to President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine. Presenting credentials is a formal step. It officially recognizes an ambassador's role in a foreign country.

Ambassador to Israel

In November 2015, Alison Kelly became Ireland's Ambassador to Israel. She took over from Eamonn McKee. He had returned to Ireland earlier that year. Kelly presented her credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. She said her team would work to strengthen cooperation. This would be especially in technology and medical advances.

President Rivlin welcomed her. He said Israel and Ireland are similar in many ways. He noted both are beautiful countries with tradition and faith. He also spoke about the good economic, cultural, and academic cooperation. He mentioned that Kelly arrived at a challenging time. He stressed Israel's commitment to the existing situation at the Temple Mount. He said Israel had no intention to change it.

Soon after, Kelly faced a situation involving the European Union (EU). Ireland is a member of the EU. The EU announced that goods made in Israeli settlements must be clearly labeled. These settlements are in occupied territories. The label "Israel" would only be for goods from Israel itself. Israel's Foreign Ministry expressed its strong disagreement. They called in the EU ambassador to protest. Reports also said Kelly was called in. A newspaper claimed that meetings for Kelly or visiting Irish officials would be limited. This was a response to the EU's decision.

In December 2015, Kelly was a guest speaker in Raanana, Israel. This event celebrated 40 years of diplomatic ties between Israel and Ireland. She spoke alongside former Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Boaz Moda'i. They discussed the relationship between the two countries.

On March 17, 2016, Kelly helped present medals. These were United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) Medals. They were given to 135 Irish soldiers. These soldiers were part of the 50th Infantry Group. They were based in Camp Ziouani in the Golan Heights. The medals recognized Ireland's important work for peace in the region. UNDOF was created in 1974. Its job is to oversee a ceasefire between Israel and Syria. It also maintains a special area called the UNDOF Zone. Over 1,000 UN peacekeepers work there to keep peace.

Alison Kelly retired from her diplomatic service in July 2019.