Colin Roberts (diplomat)
{{short description|British diplomat and Governor of the Falkland Islands}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = His Excellency
|name = Colin Roberts
|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CVO}}
|image = File:Colin Roberts.jpg
|office = Governor of the Falkland Islands
Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
|term_start = 29 April 2014
|term_end = 12 September 2017
|monarch = Elizabeth II
|1blankname = Chief Executive
|1namedata = Keith Padgett
Barry Rowland
|predecessor = Nigel Haywood
|successor = Nigel Phillips
|office1 = Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory and the British Antarctic Territory
|term_start1 = 23 June 2008
|term_end1 = 17 October 2012
|monarch1 = Elizabeth II
|predecessor1 = Leigh Turner
|successor1 = Peter Hayes
|office2 = British Ambassador to Lithuania
|term_start2 = 2004
|term_end2 = 2008
|monarch2 = Elizabeth II
|predecessor2 = Jeremy Hill
|successor2 = Simon Butt
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|7|31|df=y}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|spouse = Camilla
|children = Oliver (b. 2002), Alexander (b.2004)
|alma_mater =
|website =
}}
Colin Roberts {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CVO}} (born 31 July 1959){{cite web |url=http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/r/24076/Colin+ROBERTS.aspx |title=Colin Roberts, CVO |work=Debrett's |accessdate=2013-09-07}} is a British diplomat and the former Governor of the Falkland Islands and former Commissioner of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.{{cite web |url = https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-governor-of-the-falklands-islands |title = Change of Governor of the Falklands Islands |date = 2012-12-21 |publisher =gov.uk |accessdate = 2013-09-07}}{{cite news |title=Falklands Governor Colin Roberts takes office next Tuesday 29 April |newspaper=MercoPress |date=28 April 2014 | accessdate =29 April 2014 |url=http://en.mercopress.com/2014/04/28/falklands-governor-colin-roberts-takes-office-next-tuesday-29-april }}
Biography
File:Remembrance Sunday 2016 (25343449129) (Colin Roberts cropped).jpg in 2016]]
Roberts was born on 31 July 1959. He was educated at Winchester College, then an all-boys independent boarding school in Winchester, Hampshire. He studied English literature at King's College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree: as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree. He then studied at The Courtauld Institute of Art, completing a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in 1982.{{cite web |title=Roberts, Colin, (born 31 July 1959), HM Diplomatic Service, retired; Senior Adviser (EU Exit), UK Governance Group, Cabinet Office, 2017–19 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U43067 |website=Who's Who 2023 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=21 November 2023 |language=en |date=1 December 2022}}
He previously served as British Ambassador to Lithuania,{{cite web |url = http://www.gov-news.org/gov/uk/news/fco_daily_bulletin_wednesday_14_january_2004/63377.html |title = FCO Daily Bulletin Wednesday 14 January 2004 |date = 2004-01-14 |website = gov-news.org |accessdate = 2013-09-07 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130907161126/http://www.gov-news.org/gov/uk/news/fco_daily_bulletin_wednesday_14_january_2004/63377.html |archive-date = 7 September 2013 |url-status = usurped }} from 2004 to 2008, Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory and the British Antarctic Territory from 2008 to 2012{{cite web |url =http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Br_Indian_Ocean_Terr.html |title =British Indian Ocean Territory |website = Worldstatesmen.org |accessdate = 2013-09-07}} and Director of the FCO Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate from 2012 to 2014. Roberts also held diplomatic service posts in Japan and France.
In April 2010, Roberts, acting on the instructions of David Miliband{{cite web|author=Press Association|date=11 June 2013|title=Chagos Islands marine park is compatible with law, high court rules|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/11/chagos-islands-marine-park-court|publisher=guardian.co.uk|accessdate=12 June 2013|author-link=Press Association}}—established a marine nature reserve around the Chagos Islands known as the Chagos Marine Protected Area.{{cite web |url=http://protectchagos.org/ |title=Welcome to the Chagos Conservation Trust | Chagos Conservation Trust |publisher=Protectchagos.org |accessdate=2012-06-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119044248/http://protectchagos.org/ |archive-date=2012-01-19 }} The designation proved controversial as the decision was announced during a period when the UK Parliament was in recess.{{cite web|last=Rincon |first=Paul |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8599125.stm |title=BBC News - UK sets up Chagos Islands marine reserve |publisher=BBC News |date=2010-04-01 |accessdate=2013-08-01}}{{cite web|url=http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2010/05/14/mauritius-to-reiterate-its-conditions-for-renewed-talks-with-uk-on-chagos/ |title=Mauritius to reiterate its conditions for renewed talks with UK on Chagos |accessdate=2011-12-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223113708/http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2010/05/14/mauritius-to-reiterate-its-conditions-for-renewed-talks-with-uk-on-chagos/ |archive-date=2011-12-23 }}
In December 2012 it was announced that Roberts had been appointed Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, to take up office in April 2014. Alicia Castro, Argentina's ambassador to the United Kingdom, criticised Roberts's appointment as a "provocation" and said he was "not the person to encourage dialogue between nations".{{cite news |last=Castro |first=Alicia |date=3 March 2014 |title=Britain's new 'governor of the Falkland islands' is a provocation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/03/britain-malvinas-appointment-19th-century-attitudes |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=8 March 2014 }}
In June 2017 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced that Roberts would be leaving the Falklands, to be replaced as Governor and Commissioner by Nigel Phillips in September 2017.{{cite web |url = https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-governor-of-the-falkland-islands |title = Change of Governor of the Falklands Islands |date = 2017-06-30 |publisher =gov.uk |accessdate = 2017-08-05}}
References
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Category:People educated at Winchester College
Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge
Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Lithuania
Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
Category:Commissioners for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Category:Commissioners of the British Antarctic Territory
Category:Commissioners of the British Indian Ocean Territory