Carolyn Rodrigues

Last updated
Carolyn Rodrigues
Guyana- Situacion DESC - 16850887316 (cropped).jpg
Rodrigues in 2015
Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 October 2020

Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett (born 16 September 1973) is a Guyanese politician and former foreign minister who has served as her country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2020.

Contents

Early life and education

Rodrigues was born on 16 September 1973 [1] to an Arawak Amerindian [2] family in Santa Rosa in the Barima-Waini region of Guyana. After growing up in a home without running water or electricity, studying with the help of an oil lamp, she attended a private school in Georgetown [1] and later received a scholarship for Amerindians [2] that enabled her to study business administration at the University of Regina in Canada. [3] She enrolled at the University of Guyana in 2001 to study social work. She also studied international affairs at the Open University of Catalonia.

Career

Early career

Rodrigues returned to Guyana in 1993 [1] and began working for a lumber company. Under the terms of her scholarship, she was required to work for Amerindian communities, and found employment with the Inter-American Development Bank's social impact amelioration programme, despite a 65% decrease in salary. [2] She coordinated an Amerindian projects programme until 2001. [1]

Politics

In April 2001 Rodrigues was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Amerindian Affairs, and was reappointed to the role following the 2006 general election, [4] serving until January 2008. [5] In April of that year she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, [6] [7] serving until the People's Progressive Party lost the general election in May 2015. She was subsequently offered a place on the party's parliamentary list, but declined to take a seat in the National Assembly. [8]

International career

In August 2017 Rodrigues was appointed Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization's liaison office with the United Nations in Geneva, [9] serving in that role until 2020 when she became her country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. [10]

On 15 June 2026, the Guyanese government nominated Rodrigues as a candidate in the 2026 United Nations Secretary-General selection. [11] [12] [13] [14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Meet the New Cabinet Members", GINA. Archived September 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 3 David Mangurian, "The "Iron Woman" of Guyana" Archived 2009-09-27 at the Wayback Machine , IBDAmerica, August 2001.
  3. ↑ The Guardian, "‘A critical crossroads’: who is the woman vying to become the first Caribbean head of the UN?", 19 August 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "President swears-in first two Ministers", GINA, September 4, 2006. Archived June 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Guyana: Cabinet". Political Database of the Americas. Georgetown University. March 21, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Rodrigues appointed Foreign Affairs Minister", GINA, April 9, 2008. Archived June 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Two new Ministers sworn in before President Jagdeo" Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine , GINA, April 10, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Jagdeo on PPP/C Parliament list", Stabroek News, 7 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Liaison Office with the United Nations (Geneva)". FAO. Archived from the original on 4 May 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  10. ↑ New Permanent Representative of Guyana presents credentials, United Nations biographical note BIO/5323 (2 October 2020). Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "'I aspire to serve as the world's chief public servant'—Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett". Guyana Chronicle . 14 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the nomination of Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett by Guyana [A/80/764-S/2026/498]" (PDF). United Nations . 15 June 2026.
  13. ↑ News Room, "Guyana’s Rodrigues-Birkett tops UN town hall poll ahead of secretary-general selection", 23 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Guyana Chronicle, "Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett pitches practical leadership for Secretary-General post", 24 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
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