NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF NEW ZEALAND PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA

Jillian Carol Dempster, the new Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Michael Møller, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Dempster had been serving as Head of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Unit, Environment Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, since April 2013. She served as Lead Adviser, Antarctica and Oceans, Environment Division from November 2012 to April 2013, and as Deputy Director of the Division from February 2011 to March 2012. She was Deputy Director of the International Security and Disarmament Division at the Ministry from September 2006 to May 2010.

Ms. Dempster served as the First Secretary covering human rights issues at the Permanent Mission of New Zealand to the United Nations Office at Geneva from July 2002 to August 2006. She served as a Senior Policy Officer at the United Nations and Commonwealth Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, from January 1999 to May 2002. Ms. Dempster joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1993 and her other assignments include serving as Second Secretary at the Embassy of New Zealand in Beijing from 1996 to 1998.

Ms. Dempster has a Bachelor of Arts from Otago University in New Zealand and is the winner of the James Clark prize for history (Otago University.



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CR17/013E