Jump to content

Colin Roberts (diplomat)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colin Roberts
Governor of the Falkland Islands
Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
In office
29 April 2014 – 12 September 2017
MonarchElizabeth II
Chief ExecutiveKeith Padgett
Barry Rowland
Preceded byNigel Haywood
Succeeded byNigel Phillips
Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory and the British Antarctic Territory
In office
23 June 2008 – 17 October 2012
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byLeigh Turner
Succeeded byPeter Hayes
British Ambassador to Lithuania
In office
2004–2008
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byJeremy Hill
Succeeded bySimon Butt
Personal details
Born (1959-07-31) 31 July 1959 (age 65)
SpouseCamilla
ChildrenOliver (b. 2002), Alexander (b.2004)

Colin Roberts CVO (born 31 July 1959)[1] is a British diplomat and the former Governor of the Falkland Islands and former Commissioner of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.[2][3]

Biography

[edit]
Roberts as Governor of the Falkland Islands in 2016

Roberts was born on 31 July 1959. He was educated at Winchester College, then an all-boys independent boarding school in Winchester, Hampshire. He studied English literature at King's College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree: as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree. He then studied at The Courtauld Institute of Art, completing a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in 1982.[4]

He previously served as British Ambassador to Lithuania,[5] from 2004 to 2008, Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory and the British Antarctic Territory from 2008 to 2012[6] and Director of the FCO Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate from 2012 to 2014.[2] Roberts also held diplomatic service posts in Japan and France.[2]

In April 2010, Roberts, acting on the instructions of David Miliband[7]—established a marine nature reserve around the Chagos Islands known as the Chagos Marine Protected Area.[8] The designation proved controversial as the decision was announced during a period when the UK Parliament was in recess.[9][10]

In December 2012 it was announced that Roberts had been appointed Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, to take up office in April 2014.[2] Alicia Castro, Argentina's ambassador to the United Kingdom, criticised Roberts's appointment as a "provocation" and said he was "not the person to encourage dialogue between nations".[11]

In June 2017 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced that Roberts would be leaving the Falklands, to be replaced as Governor and Commissioner by Nigel Phillips in September 2017.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Colin Roberts, CVO". Debrett's. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "Change of Governor of the Falklands Islands". gov.uk. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Falklands Governor Colin Roberts takes office next Tuesday 29 April". MercoPress. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Roberts, Colin, (born 31 July 1959), HM Diplomatic Service, retired; Senior Adviser (EU Exit), UK Governance Group, Cabinet Office, 2017–19". Who's Who 2023. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  5. ^ "FCO Daily Bulletin Wednesday 14 January 2004". gov-news.org. 14 January 2004. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  6. ^ "British Indian Ocean Territory". Worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Welcome to the Chagos Conservation Trust | Chagos Conservation Trust". Protectchagos.org. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  8. ^ Rincon, Paul (1 April 2010). "BBC News - UK sets up Chagos Islands marine reserve". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  9. ^ "Mauritius to reiterate its conditions for renewed talks with UK on Chagos". Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  10. ^ Castro, Alicia (3 March 2014). "Britain's new 'governor of the Falkland islands' is a provocation". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Change of Governor of the Falklands Islands". gov.uk. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2017.