Minister of Foreign Affairs announces new Ambassador to Geneva

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Hon. Dr. Kenneth Baugh has announced the appointment of Ambassador Wayne McCook as Jamaica’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations and its Specialized Agencies in Geneva.

Ambassador Wayne McCook

A career diplomat, Ambassador McCook is Head of the Policy Planning Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. He served as Jamaica’s first resident Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China having been assigned the task of establishing Jamaica’s Embassy in that country. He was also assigned (concurrently) as Non-Resident Ambassador to Vietnam, The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Thailand, Laos; and Non Resident High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Singapore.
Prior to his Ambassadorial appointment, Ambassador McCook served as Senior Director and Under Secretary in the Foreign Trade Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Director of the Caribbean and Americas Department and also Director of Information in the Ministry.
He has also served as Jamaica’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Deputy Head of Mission in Jamaica’s Embassy to the USA, and Information Attachẻ in Jamaica’s High Commission in Ottawa and Embassy in Washington.
Ambassador McCook also undertook an assignment with the Broadcasting Commission in 1995, as Executive Director, during which time he helped to develop and implement the framework for the licensing of Subscriber (Cable) Television Services in Jamaica.
A graduate of the University of the West Indies (B.A. Hons), Ambassador McCook received his Juris Doctor (JD) Degree from the Georgetown University Law Centre Washington DC. He holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. He has been called to the Bar in Jamaica and in the United States.
Ambassador McCook succeeds Ambassador Peter Black, a career diplomat, who was posted to Geneva in 2008. Ambassador Black will be going on pre-retirement leave in January 2011, completing 40 years of service with the Foreign Ministry.
Ambassador McCook is expected to assume office in January (2011).