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{{short description|Indian diplomat (born 1941)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Kamalesh Sharma
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Kamalesh Sharma January 2015.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Sharma in 2015
| order =
| title = 5th [[Commonwealth Secretary-General|Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations]]
| 1blankname = [[Head of the Commonwealth|Head]]
| 1namedata = [[Elizabeth II]]
| 2blankname = [[Commonwealth Chair-in-Office|Chair]]
| 2namedata = {{Collapsible list|title=''See list''|1=[[Yoweri Museveni]] (Uganda) [[Patrick Manning]] (Trinidad & Tobago) [[Kamla Persad-Bissessar]] (Trinidad & Tobago) [[Julia Gillard]] (Australia) [[Kevin Rudd]] (Australia) [[Tony Abbott]] (Australia) [[Mahinda Rajapaksa]] (Sri Lanka) [[Maithripala Sirisena]] (Sri Lanka) [[Joseph Muscat]] (Malta)}}
| term_start = 1 April 2008
| term_end = 31 March 2016
| primeminister =
| predecessor = [[Don McKinnon]]
| successor = [[The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]]
| office2 = 9th [[List of Chancellors of Queen's University Belfast|Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast]]
| term_start2 = 10 December 2009
| term_end2 = 25 April 2015
| predecessor2 = [[George J. Mitchell]]
| successor2 = [[Thomas J. Moran (businessman)|Thomas J. Moran]]
| office3 = [[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations]]
| 1blankname3 = {{nowrap|Secretary General}}
| 1namedata3 = [[Kofi Annan]]
| 2blankname3 = President
| 2namedata3 = [[Kocheril Raman Narayanan]]
| term_start3 = 7 August 1997
| term_end3 = 27 May 2002
| predecessor3 = [[Prakash Shah]]
| successor3 = [[Vijay K. Nambiar]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1941|09|30}}
| birth_place = [[Benares]], [[Benares State]], [[British Raj|British India]] (present-day [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]])<ref name=sharma_graduate>{{cite web |publisher = Queens University Belfast |title = World Citizen |url=https://daro.qub.ac.uk/document.doc?id=26 |access-date=30 January 2017 }}</ref>
| alma_mater = [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]] [[Delhi University]] [[King's College, Cambridge]] [[Cambridge University]]
| religion =
| children = 2
| profession = [[Diplomat]]
| nationality = [[India]]n
| party =
}}
'''Kamalesh Sharma''' (born 30 September 1941)<ref>{{cite news |title=New Permanent Representative of India Presents Credentials |url=https://www.un.org/news/Press/docs/1997/19970804.BIO3087.html |publisher=United Nations |date=4 August 1997 |access-date=6 April 2008 }}</ref> is a [[retired]] [[Indian people|Indian]] diplomat who served as the fifth [[Commonwealth Secretary-General|secretary-general]] of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] from 2008 to 2016. Previously, he was the [[List of high commissioners of India to the United Kingdom|High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom]] from 2004 to 2008.<ref name=sharma>{{cite web |publisher = Commonwealth Secretariat |title = Kamalesh Sharma is new Commonwealth Secretary-General |url = http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/172993/241107newsg.htm |access-date = 24 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071125091830/http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/172993/241107newsg.htm |archive-date = 25 November 2007 |url-status = dead }}</ref> In addition, he is the Chancellor Emeritus of [[Queen's University Belfast]].

==Education==
Sharma is an alumnus of the [[Modern School (New Delhi)|Modern School]] on Barakhamba Road in New Delhi, [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi|St. Stephen's College]] in Delhi and [[King's College, Cambridge]].<ref>
{{cite web|publisher=Judge Business School, Cambridge |title=Kamalesh Sharma, Indian High Commissioner |url=http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/mba/networks/seminar_popups/sharma.html |access-date=24 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071115161102/http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/mba/networks/seminar_popups/sharma.html |archive-date=15 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career==
Sharma was an officer in the [[Indian Foreign Service]] from 1965 to 2002. He served as India's [[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations|Permanent Representative]] to the [[United Nations]] from August 1997 to May 2002, before his retirement from the Indian Foreign Service.<ref>{{cite web| title = Permanent Representatives of India to the United Nations| url = http://www.un.int/india/2013/pmi_prs.pdf| publisher = un.int| access-date = 21 August 2013}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

From 2002 to 2004, he was the [[UN Secretary General]]'s special representative to [[East Timor]]. He subsequently served as [[List of high commissioners of India to the United Kingdom|High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom]] from 2004 to 2008.

He is a Vice-President of the [[Royal Commonwealth Society]]. He was also the [[Chancellor]] of [[Queen's University Belfast]] from 2009 to 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.qub.ac.uk/temp/New_Chancellor.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=9 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712043525/http://www.qub.ac.uk/temp/New_Chancellor.html |archive-date=12 July 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>
{{cite news | url = http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/07/stories/2007060706971200.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070609222652/http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/07/stories/2007060706971200.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 9 June 2007 | title = India to field Kamalesh Sharma for C'wealth job | date = 7 June 2007 | work = [[The Hindu]] | access-date = 24 November 2007}}</ref>

==Commonwealth Secretary-General==
Sharma was elected to the position of secretary-general over [[Michael Frendo]], [[foreign minister]] of [[Malta]], during the biennial Commonwealth summit in [[Kampala]], [[Uganda]], held from 22 to 24 November 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=4488 |title=Kamlesh Sharma for C'wealth top job |publisher=Times Now |date=24 November 2007 |access-date=24 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127212710/http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=4488 |archive-date=27 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He took over from [[Don McKinnon|Sir Don McKinnon]] of [[New Zealand]] on 1 April 2008.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnB614830.html | title = Indian diplomat to be new head of Commonwealth | publisher = Reuters, Africa | date = 24 November 2007 | access-date = 24 November 2007 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Sharma was re-elected on 30 October 2011 at the [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011|2011 CHOGM]]. He was unopposed, having been proposed by [[India]] and seconded by [[Pakistan]]. His second and final four-year term began on 1 April 2012 and ended on 31 March 2016.

Sharma has been criticised as a "decent but ineffective" [[Commonwealth Secretary-General|Secretary-General]] by [[Hugh Segal]], [[Canada]]'s former special envoy to the Commonwealth, who commented that under Sharma's tenure, the organization has been "missing in action on Sri Lankan human rights, vicious anti-gay laws in some parts of Africa and continued weakness in the promotion of judicial independence and democracy."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Segal|first1=Hugh|title=The spirit of the Commonwealth needs to be revived – and quickly|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-spirit-of-the-commonwealth-needs-to-be-revived---and-quickly/article27490483/|access-date=27 November 2015|work=Globe and Mail|date=26 November 2015}}</ref>

[[Geoffrey Robertson]] [[Queen's Counsel|QC]] described Sharma's tenure in the following terms: "...for eight years before 2016 it was led by an Indian diplomat who would not have known a human right if he fell over it.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Robertson|first1=Geoffrey|title=The Commonwealth will sink into insignificance without cold, hard cash|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/the-commonwealth-will-sink-into-insignificance-without-cold-hard-cash-20200214-p540sv.html|access-date=15 February 2020|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=15 February 2020}}</ref>

Sharma responded to such criticism stating: "The most important point about the Commonwealth is that it engages with member states to advance the values template. I made five visits to Sri Lanka, but you can't keep on talking about it in public for the reason that work has to be done below the radar to carry political conviction."<ref>{{cite news|title='Commonwealth is a great global good'|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/commonwealth-is-a-great-global-good/article8381772.ece|access-date=22 June 2020|work=The Hindu|date=21 March 2016}}</ref>

During his eight-year tenure as [[Commonwealth Secretary-General]], Sharma focused on the empowerment of young people, the advancement of women's political and economic rights and raising international awareness of challenges facing small states as pressing priorities.

Sharma was described by [[Arif Zaman]], Executive Director of the Commonwealth Businesswomen's Network as "someone who has been a passionate, active and dedicated champion for women, combining advocacy with practical steps".<ref name="Hydrant">{{Cite web|url=http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/farewell-commonwealth-secretary-general-kamalesh-sharma|title=Farewell to Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma {{!}} The Commonwealth|website=thecommonwealth.org|access-date=2016-05-24}}</ref>

On Sharma's tenure, The Rt Hon [[Hugo Swire]], [[Minister of State (United Kingdom)|UK Minister of State]], [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] commented that Sharma "helped to guide the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] through a period of significant challenges and he can be rightly proud of the important developments that have taken place under his leadership, such as the introduction of the Commonwealth Charter".<ref name="Hydrant" />

At the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta, 27 November 2015, [[Joseph Muscat]], [[Prime Minister of Malta]] stated that Sharma had "done a very good job at providing leadership and introducing new initiatives during his tenure." He gave thanks to Sharma "for his unflinching commitment to the Commonwealth", adding that "his legacy will undoubtedly be a positive one".<ref name="Hydrant" />

== Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast ==
On 9 July 2009, Sharma was appointed [[Chancellor (education)|Chancellor]] of [[Queen's University Belfast]] after the retirement of [[United States Senator|Senator]] [[George J. Mitchell]].<ref name="Queens">{{cite news|url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8142381.stm|title = Queen's appoints new chancellor|publisher = BBC News|date = 9 July 2009|access-date = 9 July 2009}}</ref>

[[Queen's University Belfast|Queen's]] says, he was responsible for cementing relations between [[Northern Ireland]] and [[India]], which led to the country's investment in Northern Ireland businesses.<ref name="Queens" />

The position is a largely honorary title and Sharma said he was enormously proud to be given the job at [[Queen's University Belfast|Queen's]].<ref name="Queens" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111007131438/http://thecommonwealth.org/Internal/191183/176914/biography/ Biography of Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretariat]
*[http://custom-made.org.uk/2011/10/05/democracy-in-cameroon-is-a-work-in-progress-says-commonwealth-chief/ Interview with Kamalesh Sharma] – broadcast by [[Radio France Internationale]], 5 October 2011

{{s-start}}
{{s-intgov}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Don McKinnon|Sir Don McKinnon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Commonwealth Secretary-General|Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations]]|years=2008–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=[[The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]]}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box|title=[[List of Chancellors of Queen's University Belfast|Chancellor]] of [[Queen's University Belfast]]|before=[[Senator George Mitchell]]|after=[[Thomas J. Moran (businessman)|Thomas Moran]]|years=2009–2015}}
{{s-end}}
{{Commonwealth Secretary-General}}
{{Indian civil servants}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Kamalesh}}
[[Category:Commonwealth secretaries-general]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Chancellors of Queen's University Belfast]]
[[Category:People from Delhi]]
[[Category:St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:Permanent representatives of India to the United Nations]]
[[Category:High commissioners of India to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Modern School (New Delhi) alumni]]
[[Category:People from Varanasi]]

Kamalesh Sharma - Revision history

LaurenToliver at 09:01, 15 September 2025