William Marsden (15 September 1940 – 12 October 2019)[1] was a British diplomat who served as the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Argentina from 1997 to 2000,[2] and to Costa Rica and Nicaragua concurrently from 1989 to 1992.
For much of the 1960s and 1970s his career was concerned with strategic "East-West" relations, in the UK Delegation to NATO, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the British Embassy, Moscow (1976 to 79).
In a change of geographical focus, Marsden was appointed Head of the FCO’s East Africa Department from 1985, covering also the Indian Ocean.
Marsden's concern for action on nature conservation developed through experience with the modest but worthwhile British Government contribution on environmental issues in the Americas.
In later years he also served as Chairman of the Anglo-Central American Society, UK Trustee of the World Cancer Research Fund and was active in the work of the English-Speaking Union.