Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Office in Geneva

Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Office in Geneva
Incumbent
Sally Mansfield
since 29 March 2018 (2018-03-29)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHis Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderBertram Ballard
(as Permanent Delegate)
Formation14 December 1949[1]
WebsiteAustralian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General Geneva, Switzerland

The ambassador and permanent representative of Australia to the United Nations Office in Geneva is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the delegation of the Commonwealth of Australia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, and also as permanent representative of Australia to the Conference on Disarmament.

The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and has been sent since the establishment of the European Office of the United Nations in Geneva on 14 December 1949. The United Nations Office in Geneva includes the headquarters of various international organisations including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Labour Organization. From 1949 to 1973 the role was titled 'Permanent Delegate'. Since 1973, Australia's representation to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and its successor the World Trade Organization, have been undertaken by a separate ambassador. From 1983 to 1997 there was a separate Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, but from its establishment in 1979 to 1983 and from 1997 to present it has been held by the present office.[1]

List of office holders

# Officeholder Title Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Bertram Ballard Permanent Delegate 14 December 1949 (1949-12-14) April 1951 (1951-04) 1 year, 3 months [1]
2 Patrick Shaw April 1951 (1951-04) August 1953 (1953-08) 2 years, 4 months [2]
3 Ralph Harry August 1953 (1953-08) March 1956 (1956-03) 2 years, 7 months [3]
4 Gordon Jockel March 1956 (1956-03) February 1959 (1959-02) 2 years, 11 months [4]
5 Lawrence Arnott February 1959 (1959-02) December 1961 (1961-12) 2 years, 10 months
6 Robert Furlonger December 1961 (1961-12) July 1964 (1964-07) 2 years, 7 months [5]
7 Brian Hill July 1964 (1964-07) May 1969 (1969-05) 4 years, 10 months [6]
8 Harold Maxwell Loveday May 1969 (1969-05) February 1973 (1973-02) 3 years, 9 months [7]
9 Laurence Corkery Permanent Representative February 1973 (1973-02) December 1974 (1974-12) 1 year, 10 months
10 Owen Davis December 1974 (1974-12) April 1977 (1977-04) 2 years, 4 months
11 Frederick Blakeney April 1977 (1977-04) July 1978 (1978-07) 1 year, 3 months [8]
12 Lloyd Thomson July 1978 (1978-07) August 1981 (1981-08) 3 years, 1 month [9]
13 David Sadleir August 1981 (1981-08) October 1984 (1984-10) 3 years, 2 months [10]
14 Robert Robertson October 1984 (1984-10) December 1988 (1988-12) 4 years, 2 months [11]
15 Edward Ronald Walker December 1988 (1988-12) January 1993 (1993-01) 4 years, 1 month
16 Penelope Wensley January 1993 (1993-01) July 1995 (1995-07) 2 years, 6 months [12]
17 Howard Bamsey July 1995 (1995-07) October 1996 (1996-10) 1 year, 3 months [13]
18 John Campbell October 1996 (1996-10) March 1999 (1999-03) 2 years, 5 months
19 Les Luck March 1999 (1999-03) April 2002 (2002-04) 3 years, 1 month [14]
20 Michael Smith April 2002 (2002-04) May 2006 (2006-05) 4 years, 1 month [15]
21 Caroline Millar May 2006 (2006-05) February 2010 (2010-02) 3 years, 9 months [16]
22 Peter Woolcott February 2010 (2010-02) September 2014 (2014-09) 4 years, 7 months [17]
23 John Quinn September 2014 (2014-09) 29 March 2018 (2018-03-29) 3 years, 6 months [18]
24 Sally Mansfield 29 March 2018 (2018-03-29) Incumbent 6 years, 209 days [19]

Permanent representatives to the Conference on Disarmament

# Officeholder Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Richard Butler September 1983 (1983-09) January 1989 (1989-01) 5 years, 4 months [1]
2 David Reese January 1989 (1989-01) December 1990 (1990-12) 1 year, 11 months
3 Paul O'Sullivan December 1990 (1990-12) March 1994 (1994-03) 3 years, 3 months
4 Richard Starr March 1994 (1994-03) 1997 (1997) 2–3 years
Functions assumed by the Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Office in Geneva

References

  1. ^ a b c d "CA 8164 - Australian Consulate-General and Permanent Mission to the Office of the United Nations, Geneva [Switzerland]". National Archives of Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  2. ^ "ENVOY TO GENEVA APPOINTED". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. NSW. 9 March 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Appointment To Geneva". The Newcastle Morning Herald. NSW. 25 July 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Consul-General To Switzerland". The Canberra Times. ACT. 13 March 1956. p. 2. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Appointment To Geneva". The Canberra Times. ACT. 15 December 1961. p. 2. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Appointment To Geneva". The Canberra Times. ACT. 23 May 1964. p. 5. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Diplomatic postings listed". The Canberra Times. ACT. 18 November 1972. p. 8. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Netherlands envoy posted to Geneva". The Canberra Times. ACT. 5 January 1977. p. 8. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "UN envoy". The Canberra Times. ACT. 15 May 1978. p. 9. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "UN post for Sadleir". The Canberra Times. ACT. 1 July 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "IN BRIEF Australia Post strike is over". The Canberra Times. ACT. 2 October 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "IN BRIEF". The Canberra Times. ACT. 28 July 1995. p. 4. Retrieved 17 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ Evans, Gareth (27 July 1995). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Geneva UN, Ambassador for the Environment". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Press release). Australian Government. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  14. ^ Downer, Alexander (18 February 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador For Disarmament". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Press release). Australian Government. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  15. ^ Downer, Alexander (11 December 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the UN in Geneva". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Press release). Australian Government. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  16. ^ Downer, Alexander (21 March 2006). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the United Nations Geneva". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Press release). Australian Government. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  17. ^ Smith, Stephen (12 February 2010). "Diplomatic appointment - Ambassador to the United Nations - Geneva". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Press release). Australian Government. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  18. ^ Bishop, Julie (24 August 2014). "Ambassador to United Nations in Geneva". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Press release). Australian Government. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  19. ^ Bishop, Julie (29 March 2018). "Ambassador to United Nations in Geneva". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Press release). Australian Government. Retrieved 29 March 2018.