Since 2006 he has been involved in conflict resolution and political development in various parts of the world, including Sri Lanka, Kosovo, the Middle East, Tanzania, Iraq, Lebanon, Cameroon and Colombia.
After the fall of the power sharing Executive in May 1974 he served as Private Secretary to successive British Ministers in Northern Ireland between 1974 and 1977.
Between 1980 and 1984 he was Special Assistant to the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Sir John Hermon, and a Director of the Northern Ireland Prison Service from 1988 to 1992.
During that time he was deeply involved in negotiations (public and private) with all the political parties in Northern Ireland, the Irish Government and paramilitary groups.
In March 2020 he was appointed Honorary Professor of Practice of Conflict Resolution in the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen's University Belfast.