Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations

{{Short description|None}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

{{Infobox official post

| post = Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations

| body =

| insignia = Coat of Arms of Australia.svg

| insigniasize = 120px

| department = Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

| reports_to = Minister for Foreign Affairs

| image = James Larsen (2).jpg

| alt =

| incumbent = James Larsen

| incumbentsince = {{start date|2023|07|26|df=y}}

| residence = New York

| nominator = Prime Minister of Australia

| nominatorpost =

| style = His Excellency

| appointer = Governor-General of Australia

| termlength =

| formation = 1946

| inaugural = Norman Makin
{{small|(as Head of Delegation)}}

| website = [http://www.unny.mission.gov.au/unny/home.html/ Permanent Representative]

}}

The ambassador and permanent representative of Australia to the United Nations is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of Australia to the United Nations in New York. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is the lead Australian representative to the UN, although that role is also shared with representatives present at the United Nations Office in Geneva, the United Nations Office in Vienna and the United Nations Office at Nairobi, and the delegations to UNESCO and the United Nations Agencies in Rome. Australia is a charter member of the United Nations and has sent representatives to New York since 1946.

The permanent representative, currently James Larsen, is charged with representing Australia during plenary meetings of the General Assembly and, when Australia holds a non-permanent seat or by invitation, the Security Council, except in the rare situation in which a more senior officer (such as the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister of Australia) is present. The post is appointed by the Governor-General of Australia in the name of the monarch, and nominated by the prime minister.

List of permanent representatives

{{more citations needed|date=January 2023|reason=More accurate dates of time in office required}}

class='wikitable sortable'

! # !! Officeholder !! Image !! Term start date !! Term end date !! Time in office !! Notes

align=center | {{nts|1}}

| {{sortname|Norman|Makin}}
(Head of Delegation)

| align=center| {{start date|1945|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1946|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1945|1946}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|2}}

| {{sortname|Paul|Hasluck}}

| align=center| {{start date|1946|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1947|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1946|1947}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|3}}

| {{sortname|John|Hood| John Hood (diplomat)|Hood, John}}

|

| align=center| {{start date|1947|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1950|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1947|1950}} years

|

align=center | {{nts

}}

| {{sortname|Mick|Shann}}
(Acting)

| align=center| {{start date|1950|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1951|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1950|1951}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|4}}

| {{sortname|Bill|Forsyth|Bill Forsyth (diplomat)|Forsyth, Bill}}

|

| align=center| {{start date|1951|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1956|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1951|1956}} years

| Chad Mitcham, ‘Forsyth, William Douglass (Bill)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/forsyth-william-douglass-bill-27737, published online 2018

align=center | {{nts|5}}

| {{sortname|Edward Ronald|Walker}}

| align=center| {{start date|1956|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1959|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1956|1959}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|6}}

| {{sortname|James|Plimsoll}}

| align=center| {{start date|1959|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1963|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1959|1963}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|7}}

| {{sortname|David|Hay|David Hay (diplomat)|Hay, David}}

|

| align=center| {{start date|1964|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1965|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1964|1965}} years

| {{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/a-pioneering-presence-20090521-bh0x.html?page=-1|title=David Hay, 1916-2009|last=Farquharson|first=John|author-link=John Farquharson (journalist)|date=2009-05-22|work=smh.com.a|access-date=2009-05-22}}

align=center | {{nts|8}}

| {{sortname|Patrick|Shaw|Patrick Shaw (diplomat)|Shaw, Patrick}}

| align=center| {{start date|1965|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1970|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1965|1970}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|9}}

| {{sortname|Laurence|McIntyre}}

| align=center| {{start date|1970|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1975|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1970|1975}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|10}}

| {{sortname|Ralph|Harry}}

|

| align=center| {{start date|1975|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1978|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1975|1978}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|11}}

| {{sortname|Harold David|Anderson}}

|

| align=center| {{start date|1978|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1982|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1978|1982}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|12}}

| {{sortname|Richard|Woolcott}}

|

| align=center| {{start date|1982|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1988|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1982|1988}} years

|

align=center | {{nts

}}

| {{sortname|Michael|Costello|Michael Costello (public servant)|Costello, Michael}}
(Acting)

|

| align=center| {{start date|1988|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1989|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1988|1989}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|13}}

| {{sortname|Peter|Wilenski}}

| align=center| {{start date|1989|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1992|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1989|1992}} years

| {{Cite Australian Dictionary of Biography|first=Chad|last=Mitcham|title=Peter Stephen Wilenski (1939–1994)|id2=wilenski-peter-stephen-29978}}

align=center | {{nts|14}}

| {{sortname|Richard|Butler|Richard Butler (diplomat)|Butler, Richard}}

|

| align=center| {{start date|1992|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|1996|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1992|1996}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|15}}

| {{sortname|Penelope|Wensley}}

| align=center| {{start date|1997|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|2001|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|1997|2001}} years

| {{cite web|title=Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York|url=http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1997/fa89_97.html|publisher=Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia|access-date=12 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720185053/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1997/fa89_97.html|archive-date=20 July 2008|url-status=dead}}

align=center | {{nts|16}}

| {{sortname|John|Dauth}}

| align=center| {{start date|2001|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|2006|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|2001|2006}} years

| {{cite web|title=Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York|url=http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2001/fa020_01.html|publisher=Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia|access-date=12 August 2012}}

align=center | {{nts

}}

| {{sortname|Caroline|Millar}}
(Acting)

| align=center| {{start date|2006|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|2006|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|2006|2006}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|17}}

| {{sortname|Robert|Hill|Robert Hill (Australian politician)|Hill, Robert}}

| align=center| {{start date|2006|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|2009|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|2006|2009}} years

|

align=center | {{nts|18}}

| {{sortname|Gary|Quinlan}}

| align=center| {{start date|2009|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|2014|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|2009|2014}} years

| {{cite web|title=Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations|url=http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2009/fa-s027_09.html|publisher=Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia|access-date=12 August 2012}}

align=center | {{nts|19}}

| {{sortname|Gillian|Bird}}

| align=center| {{start date|2015|df=y}}

| align=center| {{end date|2019|df=y}}

| align=right | {{age in years|2015|2019}} years

| {{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/bio4693.doc.htm|title=New Permanent Representative of Australia Presents Credentials (2015)|publisher=United Nations|date=17 February 2015|access-date=22 January 2020}}

align=center | {{nts|20}}

| {{sortname|Mitch|Fifield}}

| align=center| {{start date|2019|10|17|df=y}}

| align=center| 1 July 2023

| align=right | {{age in years and days|2019-10-17|2023-07-01}}

| {{cite press release |author=Payne, Marise |author-link=Marise Payne |url=https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/ambassador-and-permanent-representative-united-nations |title=Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations |work=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade |publisher=Australian Government |date=17 October 2019|access-date=22 January 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/bio5278.doc.htm |title=New Permanent Representative of Australia Presents Credentials (2019) |publisher=United Nations |date=22 October 2019 |access-date=22 January 2020}}

align=center|21

| {{sortname|James|Larsen}}

| align=center|26 July 2023

| align=center|Incumbent

| align=right|{{age in years and days|2023-07-26

}

|{{Cite web |title=New Permanent Representative of Australia Presents Credentials {{!}} UN Press |url=https://press.un.org/en/2023/bio5504.doc.htm |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=press.un.org}}

|}

See also

References

{{reflist|30em}}

External links

[http://www.unny.mission.gov.au/unny/home.html Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations - New York]

{{Permanent Representatives to the United Nations|state=collapsed}}

{{Lists of heads of Australian diplomatic missions|state=collapsed}}