Biographical Note

New permanent representative of Trinidad and Tobago presents credentials

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

The new Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations, Marina Annette Valere, presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

Ms. Valere comes to her new post from Washington, D.C., where, since January 2003, she has served as her country’s Ambassador to the United States and Mexico, as well as the Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States.

She is an experienced diplomat, having entered Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Service in 1971.  And had early postings in Canada and at her country’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.  She served as Deputy Director at the Division of Administration and International Economic Relations at the Foreign Ministry (1981-1990), and then worked as Counsellor/Deputy High Commissioner at Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commission in Kingston (1990-1996).  In 1996, she was named Director of the Division of Information, Culture, Consular Affairs and Library Services, and in 1998 took over the directorship of the Division of Multilateral Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she remained until 2002.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago on 11 November 1944, Ms. Valere received a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Manchester, England, in 1969.  She also holds a diploma in international relations from the Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, and has had training in export promotion, multilateral trade negotiations and mediation and foreign languages.

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For information media • not an official record