Carolyn Rodrigues
{{Short description|Guyanese politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Carolyn Rodrigues
| image = File:Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (cropped).jpg
| office = Minister of Foreign Affairs
| primeminister =
| term_start = 10 April 2008
| term_end = May 2015
| predecessor = Rudy Insanally
| successor = Carl Barrington Greenidge
| office1 = Minister of Amerindian Affairs
| president1 =
| termstart1 = April 2001
| termend1 = 4 January 2008
| predecessor1 = Vilbert De Souza
| successor1 = Pauline Campbell-Sukhai
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|9|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = Moruca, Santa Rosa, Barima-Waini Region
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = {{flagicon|Guyana}} Guyanese
| ethnicity =
| party =
| spouse =
| children =
| alma_mater = University of Regina
University of Guyana
| caption = Rodrigues in 2011
}}
Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett (born September 16, 1973[http://www.gina.gov.gy/booklets/cabinet.pdf "Meet the New Cabinet Members"], GINA. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926232602/http://www.gina.gov.gy/booklets/cabinet.pdf |date=September 26, 2011 }}) is a Guyanese politician who was appointed Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations in 2020.[https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/bio5323.doc.htm New Permanent Representative of Guyana presents credentials], United Nations biographical note BIO/5323 (2 October 2020). Retrieved 23 December 2020. She previously served as Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization Liaison Office in Geneva from 2017 to 2020 and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana from 2008 to 2015.
Life and career
Rodrigues, an Amerindian,David Mangurian, [http://www.iadb.org/idbamerica/English/JUL01E/jul01e1.html "The "Iron Woman" of Guyana"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927093858/http://www.iadb.org/idbamerica/English/JUL01E/jul01e1.html |date=2009-09-27 }}, IBDAmerica, August 2001. was born in Moruca, Santa Rosa, Barima-Waini Region. After attending a private school in Georgetown, she received a scholarship for Amerindians and went to study business administration at the University of Regina in Canada and returned to Guyana in 1993. She was required by her scholarship to work for Amerindian communities, and as a result she left the lumber company where she worked and instead went to work for the Inter-American Development Bank's Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) in Guyana, although this meant 65% less pay. She became Coordinator of SIMAP's Amerindian Projects Programme, holding that post until 2001, when she went to study in social work at the University of Guyana.
Rodrigues was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Amerindian Affairs in April 2001. Following the 2006 general election, she was reappointed Minister of Amerindian Affairs and sworn in on 4 September 2006.[http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b060904.html "President swears-in first two Ministers"], GINA, September 4, 2006. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605122049/http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b060904.html |date=June 5, 2011 }} After nearly seven years as Minister of Amerindian Affairs, she was succeeded by Pauline Campbell-Sukhai on 4 January 2008.{{cite web |title=Guyana: Cabinet |url=https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Executive/Guyana/cabinet.html |website=Political Database of the Americas |publisher=Georgetown University |date=March 21, 2011}} She was then appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on 9 April 2008, replacing Rudy Insanally.[http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b080409.html "Rodrigues appointed Foreign Affairs Minister"], GINA, April 9, 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605121943/http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b080409.html |date=June 5, 2011 }} She was sworn in on April 10.[http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b080410.html "Two new Ministers sworn in before President Jagdeo"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605121751/http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b080410.html# |date=2011-06-05 }}, GINA, April 10, 2008.
Rodrigues continued to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs until the People's Progressive Party (PPP) lost the May 2015 general election. She was subsequently offered a spot on the PPP's list of MPs, but she chose not to take a seat in the National Assembly, preferring to work abroad.[http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/news/stories/07/07/jagdeo-on-pppc-parliament-list/ "Jagdeo on PPP/C Parliament list"], Stabroek News, 7 July 2015. She was appointed Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization Liaison Office with the United Nations in Geneva in August 2017,{{cite web |title=Liaison Office with the United Nations (Geneva) |url=https://coin.fao.org/cms/do/en/office.html?officeCode=LOG |website=FAO |accessdate=22 December 2019 |archive-date=4 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504173600/https://coin.fao.org/cms/do/en/office.html?officeCode=LOG |url-status=dead }} and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations in 2020.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Foreign Ministers of Guyana}}
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Category:21st-century Guyanese politicians
Category:21st-century Guyanese women politicians
Category:Female foreign ministers
Category:Foreign ministers of Guyana
Category:Guyanese women diplomats
Category:Government ministers of Guyana
Category:Women government ministers of Guyana
Category:People from Barima-Waini
Category:University of Regina alumni
Category:University of Guyana alumni
Category:Guyanese people of indigenous peoples descent