Lawyer, politician and diplomat, François Zimeray was a Member of the European Parliament for the Party of European Socialists from 1999 to 2004, sitting on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence Policy. He served as President of Greater Rouen from 2002 through to his 13 February 2008 appointment by the French Council of Ministers as Ambassador for Human Rights, at the proposal of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights.