Summary heading

CA 9395 - High Commission in Port of Spain

Abolition

Creation

Australia established a High Commission in Port of Spain in July 2004, with John A Piper as the High Commissioner. Previously, responsibility for Port of Spain was held by Ottawa, Canada (1974), Kingston, Jamaica (1975-1994) and Bridgetown, Barbados (1994-2004). Australia’s High Commissioner in Port of Spain also has non-resident accreditation for 13 other countries in the region. 

Trinidad and Tobago achieved full independence from the United Kingdom in 1962 and subsequently joined the Commonwealth and the United Nations. In 1967, Trinidad and Tobago became the first Commonwealth country to join the Organization of American States. In 1976, a republican constitution was adopted, replacing the Queen as Head of State with a president elected by the parliament.

Trinidad and Tobago is a leader in the Caribbean regional integration effort, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market Economy, which went into effect January 1, 2006.  

Functions and activities

The Embassy performs the mandatory mission functions. The post undertakes advocacy, reporting and analysis on a defined range of issues and sustains contacts for the agreed set of issues. The post also undertakes responsibilities for immigration, consular activities, international aid and defence, but only limited public diplomacy activities.

The Embassy has non-residential accreditation for Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname. The Embassy also has consular responsibility and responsibility for bilateral liaison (a minimal responsibility that is on an ad-hoc basis as requested, for a specific task) with Anguilla (UK), Aruba (the Netherlands), British Virgin Islands (UK), Curacao (the Netherlands), Cayman Islands (UK), French Guiana (France), Guadeloupe (France), Martinique (France), Montserrat (UK), The Netherlands Caribbean Territories (Bonaire, Saba, St Eustatius), St Maarten (the Netherlands), Turks and Caicos Islands (UK). The Embassy also has responsibility for representing Australian interests at the International Seabed Authority and the Head of Mission is also Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Legislation administered

Administrative structure

High Commissioners:

May 2004:      John S Mitchell, High Comm.

June 2007:      Philip C Kentwell, High Comm.

Historical agency address

Agency address: 18 Herbert St, St Clair, Port of Spain, Trinidad. 

State/regional structure

Records created by the agency

 A14120 - Correspondence files, annual single number series (second uniform post system) (Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain)

Additional information

End notes

Sources

Department of foreign Affairs and Trade (Nov 2010),. Trinidad and Tobago Country Brief. Retrieved 9 January from http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/trinidad_tobago_brief.html