EVENT: Two free public forums on Australian-African Relations

You are invited to two free public forums on Australian-African Relations

Monday 20 March 2006, at 6pm

Mr George Atkin, Australian High Commissioner to Kenya

Friday 24 March 2006, at 6pm

Mr Jon Sheppard, Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe

Both forums take place at Geography Lecture Theatre 1, UWA

The nearest carpark is 18 and 19 via Fairway entrance No 1. Map at http://maps.uwa.edu.au/crawley/display/6

Following a successful 2005 forum with six Heads of Australia’s Diplomatic Missions in African countries, the African Studies Centre of Western Australia and the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Western Australia will host the visits of Mr Jon Sheppard, Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe and Mr George Atkin, Australian High Commissioner to Kenya to UWA’s Crawley campus in March 2006. The forums present an excellent opportunity to hear two of Australia’s senior representatives in Africa discuss contemporary issues relating to Australian-African relations.

Monday 20 March 2006, at 6pm

Mr George Atkin, Australian High Commissioner to Kenya Mr Atkin is the Australian High Commissioner to Kenya with concurrent accreditation to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Mr Atkin will also be Australia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). a senior career officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He held the position of Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa Branch (2001-02) and, in addition to a range of earlier placements in the Department in Canberra, he has worked on secondment in the Office of National Assessments.

Overseas, Mr Atkin has served as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia with non-resident accreditation to Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen (1998-00); and Deputy High Commissioner in Port Moresby (1995-97). He has also served in Jakarta, Algiers, Kuala Lumpur and Nauru.

Friday 24 March 2006, at 6pm

Mr Jon Sheppard, Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Jon Sheppard joined the Australian Department of External Affairs in 1967. He has been Ambassador to Ethiopia (1985-87), Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (1992-95) and has also served in Australian diplomatic missions in Thailand and South Africa. Mr Sheppard has been Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe since July 2004. He is also accredited to Mozambique, Angola, Malawi and Zambia.

During his career with the foreign service, Mr Sheppard has headed several sections in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, dealing with Disarmament, South and Southeast Asia, New Zealand and the South Pacific , Central and Southern Africa and Human Rights. He has specialised in two areas throughout his career - the South Pacific, and southern Africa.

Mr Sheppard has also undertaken a number of secondments throughout his career. In 1976-77, he was seconded as an analyst to the Office of National Assessments. From June 1978 to December 1982, he was seconded to the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat), in Suva, Fiji, serving for 3 years as Deputy Director and nearly one year as Interim Director. From 1996 until late 2002, he was seconded to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, as Director of the Political Affairs Division. In this capacity, he dealt extensively with the development of democratic values and systems and with conflict resolution throughout the Commonwealth. He also acted as Conference Secretary to three Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.

Mr Sheppard was born in Vizagapatam, India, and was educated at the Kings School, Parramatta and the University of Queensland. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, First Class Honours degree from Queensland University, and a Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of Southern Queensland.

ALL WELCOME. NO RESERVATION IS REQUIRED.

These forums are presented with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government.