JOHN WILLIAM ASHE OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA FIFTH COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Biographical Note

JOHN WILLIAM ASHE OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA FIFTH COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

John William Ashe, who was elected Chairman of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on 13 June, has been Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations since May 2004.  He is also his country’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has ministerial responsibility for WTO and sustainable development matters.

Prior to his appointment as Permanent Representative, Mr. Ashe was Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1995 to 2004.  Between 2000 and 2004, he served concurrently as Ambassador/High Commissioner (non-resident) with duties related to the Asia/Pacific region and special responsibilities for India, the Philippines and Samoa.

From 1989 to 1995, he worked for his country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations as Scientific Attaché, Counsellor and Minister Counsellor.  He held leadership positions on more than 40 committees and organizations.  In particular, he served as Chairman of the thirteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which met at United Nations Headquarters on 11-22 April 2005.  He has also chaired the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and led negotiations on budgetary and administrative matters within the Conventions on biological diversity and desertification, the Basel Convention, and the Montreal Protocol.  He has also served on the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Mr. Ashe was educated at the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, and the Technical University of Nova Scotia at Halifax, Canada.

Born on 20 August 1954 in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda, he is married with two children.

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*     This supersedes Press Release BIO/3568 dated 3 May 2004.

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