Event

The Institute of International Relations  (IIR) invites you to the launch of the publication: The Life of a Diplomat: Representing A Small Island State at the United Nations by Ambassador Dr Christopher Hackett, Former Ambassador of Barbados to the United Nations. 

The launch will take place on February 6 from 1 to 3pm at Lecture Room 1, IIR.

To RSVP, please email Zara.Weekes-Rhyzer@sta.uwi.edu or call 662-2002 ext.83235. 

About the Book:

The Life of a Diplomat is an account of the life and work of Dr Christopher Hackett. This book has insights for everyone interested in international affairs and diplomacy, multilateralism, the functioning of the United Nations, and the global development system, irrespective of which country they are from.

About the Author:

Dr Christopher Hackett was born in Bridgetown, Barbados. He was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations at New York from February 2004 to April 2010. As the head of Barbados’ delegation to the UN he was an active participant in many of the negotiations at the United Nations on a variety of topics, but particularly those related to development and climate change. He was his country’s chief representative at a number of UN related Conferences including sessions of the UN General Assembly, the Non-Aligned Movement Summits, South-South Summits, other South-South High Level Meetings, as well as on the United Nations Economic and Social Council during Barbados’ membership on the Council from 2007 to 2009.

Ambassador Hackett has the distinction of serving as a facilitator of three Presidents of the UN General Assembly on the topics of the 2005 UN Summit, HIV/AIDS, and UN System wide coherence, where he was responsible for preparing the drafts of the outcome documents of these three major UN meetings, and chairing the negotiations that led to the adoption of the final versions of the documents.

Prior to becoming his country’s chief diplomat at the United Nations, Dr. Hackett served as an Economist for over 30 years in the United Nations Secretariat and at the United Nations Development Programme in a number of senior capacities, both at UN headquarters in New York and in a number of developing countries across the globe where UN development expertise was needed.

He holds academic degrees of BSc in Economics from The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica; a Diploma in International Relations from the Institute of International Relations of the University of The West Indies at the St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago; a Masters in International Affairs from Carleton University, Canada; and a PhD in Urban Economics from New York University, USA.