9 May 2005

New MFAT Deputy Secretary appointed

Career diplomat Caroline Forsyth has been appointed Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, MFAT CEO Simon Murdoch announced today.

She will replace Rosemary Banks who has been appointed New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Ms Forsyth takes up her new position in June. Her new job will involve oversight of much of the Ministry’s multilateral policy work, including the UN and Commonwealth, environment, human rights, disarmament, legal, protocol, consular and Antarctic policy.

Ms Forsyth is currently director of the Ministry’s European division. She returned to New Zealand in 2001 after serving as Ambassador in Buenos Aires. She has also been Head of Mission in Port Vila and had postings to Mexico and Paris.

Previous positions in Wellington include heading the Ministry’s Americas, international security and arms control, and human rights divisions.

Ms Forsyth joined the Ministry in 1972. She has a BA from Canterbury University and an MA from Auckland University.

ENDS

© Scoop Media