Ambassador to the Organization of American States

Today I announce the appointment of Mr Jason Robertson as Australia’s Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS).

The OAS is the pre-eminent regional organisation in the Americas, with 34 Members and 75 Permanent Observers. It has four pillars: democracy promotion; human rights protection; security; and development.

Australia’s Permanent Observer status at the OAS, and the designation of our first Ambassador to the organisation, demonstrates our commitment to stronger engagement with the Americas on shared priorities.

These include support for strong interregional and multilateral rules and norms, promotion of human rights and cooperation on transnational crime.

Mr Robertson is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is currently Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC.

Mr Robertson has previously served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Beijing and as Consul-General in Guangzhou. He has had earlier postings to Australian diplomatic missions in Beijing, Islamabad and Belgrade and served in Sarajevo, Pristina and New York with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations.