Alison Stone Roofe to Head the New Jamaican Mission in Brazil

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator A.J. Nicholson, announces the appointment of Alison Stone Roofe as Jamaica’s first Ambassador to Brazil.

Mrs. Stone Roofe is currently the Director of the Caribbean & Americas (C&A) Department.  Her appointment as Ambassador to Brazil represents a deepening of relations within the hemisphere, and in particular with Brazil – a member of what is globally accepted as the group of emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC).

The opening up of a Mission in the capital Brasilia is part of the strategic vision of the Ministry, in a bid to encourage trade and investment opportunities and strengthen Jamaica’s advocacy in the global arena.  

A career diplomat, Mrs. Stone Roofe has over 20 years working experience in the Ministry, and serves as a Member of the CARICOM Inter-Governmental Task Force (IGTF) on the review of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and a member of the CARICOM-appointed Evaluation Committee overseeing the reconstruction of the CARICOM Secretariat.

Prior to her current role as Director of the C&A Department, the Ambassador Designate was Deputy Director of the Foreign Trade Department and Private Sector Liaison for the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM).

The career-diplomat and former Commonwealth Scholar, who attained an M.Phil in International Relations from the University of Oxford (1995); an MSc. in Social Sciences (with distinction) (1989) and a BSc. in International Relations (First Class Honours) from UWI (1988) is therefore an appropriate official to represent the interests of Jamaica while in Brazil, and to further both countries’ friendly relations.

During her tenure at the Ministry, Mrs. Stone Roofe also received training in Supervisory Management and participated in the Programme of High Level Diplomatic Courses in Madrid, Spain. She has received Certificates in Public Administration from the University of Peking (Beijing) and Policy Analysis and Strategic Planning resulting from the Carleton University and the University of Ottawa.

Mrs. Stone Roofe is also a Part-time Lecturer in International Relations in the Department of Government at UWI.

Married to Michael Roofe, Alison is an avid reader who enjoys tennis and swimming.

Mrs. Stone Roofe is expected to assume duties by April, 2012.