Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF JAMAICA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information received from the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

Stafford Oliver Neil, the new Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations, presented his credentials today to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Neil was the Permanent Secretary and head of the Jamaican Foreign Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.  Mr. Neil was also the non-resident Ambassador of Jamaica to Brazil. 

Between 1995 and 1997, Mr. Neil held the position of Director-General with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica.  His duties included supervision of the Departments of European Affairs, Foreign Trade and Multilateral Organizations.  At the same time, he also served as the non-resident Ambassador of Jamaica to Cuba. 

From 1989 to 1994, Mr. Neil held several positions, including the post of High Commissioner of Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago and non-resident High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica and Guyana.  During that time, he was also non-resident Ambassador to Suriname.  From 1987 to 1989, he served as the Ambassador of Jamaica to Venezuela and as non-resident Ambassador to Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador.  Prior to that he held a number of other positions in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade

At Norman Manley Law School, Mr. Neil obtained a certificate in legal education.  He also has a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law, in New York, a Master of Science in Economics from London School of Economics, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in History, obtained at the University of the West Indies. 

Mr. Neil is married and has two children.

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