Agency descriptive note

Summary heading

CA 8164 – Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General, Geneva [Switzerland]

Abolition

Creation

Established on 14 December 1949.

Functions and activities

The Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General, Geneva, Switzerland is comprised of

- Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations

- Australian Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organisation

- Australian Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament

- Australian Consulate-General (services for Australians).

Australian Permanent Mission to the Office of the United Nations:

The Australian Government established the Australian Consulate-General and Permanent Mission to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva on 14 December 1949. The first Head of Mission was Mr B C Ballard.

The role of the Australian Mission to the United Nations is to pursue Australia’s interest in the United Nations through international diplomacy. This can involve negotiating, advocating and promoting Australia’s policies, as well as working with countries across the world to achieve common objectives. The Australian Mission supports and works with UN agencies to ensure that they can fulfill their potential to promote development and peace, respond to humanitarian challenges and protect human rights. Australia is a major donor to many of the organisations based in Geneva and the Australian Mission oversees these contributions.

The Australian Permanent Mission to the Office of the United Nations works in the following areas:

- Human rights

- Humanitarian

- Health

- Migration/Refugees

- Environment

- Labour issues

- Engages with other specialised agencies and organisations in Geneva.

Australian Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organisation:

The Australian Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organisation opened as Geneva GATT in 1985 before becoming Geneva WTO in January 1995.

It represents Australian interests in international trade, as well as Australian interests relating to

- International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants

- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

- World Intellectual Property Organisation

- World Economic Forum (Davos).

Australian Disarmament Delegation:

The role of the Ambassador for Disarmament and the Disarmament Delegation is to promote and advocate for Australia’s objectives on disarmament and arms control. The Disarmament Delegation contributes to the negotiation of new treaties and instruments, as well as promoting full adherence and implementation of existing treaties and instruments. The Delegation represents Australia in Geneva-based fora, as well as in disarmament-related meetings outside of Geneva. The Disarmament Delegation monitors Australia’s financial contributions to mechanisms assisting the implementation of these treaties, such as the Implementation Support Unit of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the Sponsorship Fund of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

The Australian Disarmament Delegation works in the following areas:

- Conference on Disarmament

- UN General Assmebly First Committee

- Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

- Biological Weapons

- Landmines, Cluster Munitions and other Conventional Weapons

- Conventional Arms Trade.

Consular Services:

The Mission has consular responsibility for Switzerland, with Berlin being responsible for bilateral relations.

Legislation administered

Administrative structure

Ambassadors & Consuls:

United Nations, Geneva

Dec 1949 : Bertram C Ballard, Del.

Apr 1951 : Patrick Shaw, Perm Del. & Cons.-Gen.

Aug 1953 : Ralph L Harry, Perm Del. & Cons.-Gen.

Mar 1956 : Gordon A Jockel, Perm Del. & Cons.-Gen.

Feb 1959 : Lawrence J Arnott, Perm Del. & Cons.-Gen.

Dec 1961 : Robert W Furlonger, Perm Del. & Cons.-Gen.

Jul 1964 : Brian C Hill, Perm Del. & Cons.-Gen.

May 1969 : H Maxwell Loveday, MBE, Perm Del. & Cons.-Gen.

Feb 1973 : Laurence Corkery, Perm. Rep.

Dec 1974 : Owen L Davis, OBE, Perm. Rep.

Apr 1977 : Frederick J Blakeney, CBE, Perm. Rep.

Jul 1978 : Dr Lloyd D Thomson, MVO, Perm. Rep.

Aug 1981 : David M Sadlier, Perm. Rep.

Oct 1984 : Robert H Robertson, Perm. Rep.

Dec 1988 : Ronald A Walker, Perm. Rep.

Jan 1993 : Penelope A Wensley, Perm. Rep.

Oct 1996 : John B Campbell, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Mar 1999 : Leslie R Luck, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Apr 2002 : Michael PF Smith, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

May 2006 : Caroline J Millar, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Geneva (Disarmament)

Sep 1983 : Richard W Butler, Amb.

Jan 1989 : David H Reese, Amb.

Dec 1990 : Paul T O’Sullivan, Amb.

Mar 1994 : Richard G Starr, Amb.

(Post amalgamated with Geneva UN in 1997).

Representative resident in Vienna

Aug 1968 : A Malcolm Morris, OBE, Amb.

(John A Forsythe, resident Charge d’Affaires ad interim, 04/05/1970-13/01/1973)

Mar 1971 : Laurence Corkery, Amb.

(Thomas V Holland, resident Charge d’Affairs ad interim, 14/02/1973-14/08/1974)

Feb 1973 : John R Rowland, Amb.

Berne

Sep 1974 : Keith G Brennan, Amb.

Aug 1981 : Pierre NB Hutton, Amb.

Oct 1985 to Sep 1988 : Douglas A Townsend, Amb.

Oct 1988 : John H Brook, Amb.

(William R Jackson, Charge d’Affaires ad interim Dec 1991-Jan 1993)

(Embassy became Immigration-managed Consulate in Jan 1993. Non-resident representation was assumed by Bonn, and later Berlin).

Geneva GATT

Aug 1988 : Alan R Oxley, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Jul 1989 : David C Hawes, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Mar 1993 : Donald Kenyon, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

(Post transferred to WTO 01/01/1995).

Geneva WTO

Jan 1995 : Donald Kenyon, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Mar 1998 : dr Geoffrey W Raby, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Aug 2001 : David H Spencer, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Aug 2005 : Bruce Gosper, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Feb 2009 : Peter C Grey, Amb. & Perm. Rep.

Historical agency address

1949 – c1997 : 56-58 Rue de Moillebeau, Petit Saconnex, 1211

c1997- : Chemin des Fins 2, Case Postale 102, 1211 Geneva 19

State/regional structure

Records created by the agency

Additional information

End notes

Sources

Commonwealth Government Directories, years 1973-1995

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (ND). Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General, Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved 23 November 2011 from http://www.geneva.mission.gov.au/gene/consular.html.