Winnie Kiap

Kiap is from Baluan Island in Manus Province. She attended Mount St Marys College, Katoomba and St Vincent's College, Potts Point. She graduated from the University of Queensland in Australia.{{Cite news |title=Papua New Guinea - Diplomat Magazine |language=en-GB |work=The Diplomat |url=http://www.diplomatmagazine.com/heads-of-mission/oceania/papua-new-guinea/ |access-date=2018-05-07}}

She first worked for the Tongan civil service as Senior Executive Officer in the Prime Minister’s Department. She then became Assistant Secretary in the Tongan Department of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries. She was also Assistant Secretary for Commerce in the Tongan Department of Labour, Commerce and Industry. From 1988, she worked for the Papua New Guinea Consulate-General in Sydney.{{Cite web |last=Paine |first=Euralia |date=10 January 2011 |title=Ms Winnie Kiap, candidate for the next Governor General post |url=https://euraliapaine.blogspot.com/2011/01/ms-winnie-kiap-candidate-for-next.html |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Euralia Paine}}

In 1992, she returned to PNG working in the Papua New Guinea Department of Trade and Industry, later moving in 1994 to the position of Director of Corporate Services in the Investment Promotion Authority.

In 1998, she became Secretary to the National Executive Council, a position she held for ten years as the first woman to serve in the role.{{Cite web |title=Papua New Guinea High Commission, London :: The High Commission |url=http://www.pnghighcomm.org.uk/about/high-commission/ |access-date=2018-05-07 |website=High Commission of Papua New Guinea, London |language=en}} She was also appointed as temporary head of the Prime Minister's Department for six months in 2008. She served as director on two corporate boards in the PNG financial sector, and worked as a freelance consultant for the two years prior to her diplomatic appointment.{{Cite web |title=Papua New Guinea |url=https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/Foreign%20representatives/Pages/Papua-New-Guinea-.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024012102/https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/Foreign%20representatives/Pages/Papua-New-Guinea-.aspx |archive-date=2018-10-24 |access-date=2019-06-08 |website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)}}

In 2011, Kiap was the only woman nominated as a candidate for the role of Governor-General of Papua New Guinea.{{Cite web |date=2011-01-11 |title=PNG opposition plans to move against government again |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/194743/png-opposition-plans-to-move-against-government-again |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}} {{efn|Enny Moaitz also intended to nominate, however she did not receive the necessary nominations in time.}}

File:Winnie Kiap Meets Kitack Lim at IMO.jpg Secretary-General Kitack Lim|left]]

In August 2011, Kiap was appointed High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea to the United Kingdom with accreditation to Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, South Africa and Zimbabwe.{{Cite web |title=New Chair of Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors {{!}} The Commonwealth |url=http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/new-chair-commonwealth-secretariat-board-governors |access-date=2018-05-07 |website=Commonwealth of Nations |language=en}} During her term she also represented Papua New Guinea at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Foundation, International Coffee Organization, International Maritime Organisation and the International Cocoa Organisation. She is on the Board of the Eminent Persons Group of the Pacific Leadership Foundation. Kiap is a member of Coalition for Change PNG, an advocacy group committed to legislative change and advocacy targeting family violence.{{Cite web |last=africaseenheard |date=2018-03-06 |title=HIDDEN VOICES™ ARCHIVE – Papua New Guinea embodies UNITY IN DIVERSITY |url=https://africaseenheard.wordpress.com/2018/03/06/hidden-voices-archive-papua-new-guinea-embodies-unity-in-diversity/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=africaseenheard |language=en}}

In 2015, Kiap was appointed a Commander of the Order of British Empire for public service.{{Cite news |date=2015-06-17 |title=Papua New Guinea Queen's Birthday Honours list 2015: four new knights |language=en-US |work=Business Advantage PNG |url=https://www.businessadvantagepng.com/papua-new-guinea-queens-birthday-honours-list-2015-four-new-knights/ |access-date=2018-05-07}}

She served as chair of the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors from 2016 to 2018, when she was succeeded by Cypriot High Commissioner Euripides Evriviades.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-27 |title=Our own High Commissioner of Cyprus to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Euripides Evriviades, is the new Chair of the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors |url=https://www.parikiaki.com/2018/06/our-own-high-commissioner-of-cyprus-to-the-united-kingdom-his-excellency-euripides-evriviades-is-the-new-chair-of-the-commonwealth-secretariat-board-of-governors/ |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=Parikiaki Cyprus and Cypriot News |language=en-GB}}

Kiap’s term as High Commissioner ended in August 2022.{{Cite news |title=Court Circular: August 2, 2022 |language=en |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/court-circular-august-3-2022-9r2f9mqsr |access-date=2022-12-21 |issn=0140-0460}}

In December 2022, she was nominated as one of three candidates for Governor-General of Papua New Guinea in 2023, alongside incumbent Sir Bob Dadae and Stephen Pokawin. Kiap lost the election to Dadae.[https://emtv.com.pg/governor-general-sworn-in/ Governor-General Sworn In]

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Category:1948 births

Category:Living people

Category:Papua New Guinean women diplomats

Category:High commissioners of Papua New Guinea to the United Kingdom

Category:High commissioners of Papua New Guinea to Cyprus

Category:High commissioners of Papua New Guinea to South Africa

Category:Ambassadors of Papua New Guinea to Egypt

Category:Ambassadors of Papua New Guinea to Israel

Category:Ambassadors of Papua New Guinea to Zimbabwe

Category:Permanent representatives of Papua New Guinea to the International Maritime Organization

Category:Papua New Guinean Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:University of Queensland alumni

Category:Papua New Guinean women ambassadors