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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

12th June 2013

Honorary Consuls gather in Brisbane

HE Paul Madden with Hon Cons John, Jeanette, James and Peter

Honorary Consuls from Australia, New Zealand and Samoa gathered in Brisbane for their annual conference and briefing on latest developments in our consular policy. I gave them an update on the current state of bilateral relations.

HE Paul Madden with Hon Cons John, Jeanette, James and Peter
HE Paul Madden with Hon Cons John, Jeanette, James and Peter

These are local residents in cities where we do not have a consular office, who volunteer to help support British citizens encountering difficulties. In vast, continent-sized Australia we have five: James Bruce (Adelaide); John McIntyre (Cairns); Jeanette Anictomatis (Darwin); Peter Saville (Alice Springs) – who were all at the Conference – and Michael Johns (Hobart). They are a combination of Australians and Brits with long experience of living here.

Between them they have a range of day jobs, with professional careers in business, science and local government. But they all find time to help Brits with problems ranging from lost passports to crime, accidents and natural disasters. They described some harrowing cases and talked about how rewarding it can be to help people in genuine need.

Consular managers from Singapore and London outlined some of the new developments underway, such as delivering more services online, leaving front line consular officers and honorary consuls with more time to deal with the most vulnerable customers.

As High Commissioner, I also find the Hon Cons (as we call them) an invaluable resource for our wider work because of their extensive local networks in the various cities. I use them to keep abreast of local developments and to advise on appropriate calls when I visit their cities. It was good to see them all again and to have the chance to thank them for everything they do for British citizens in Australia.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.