Robert Fowler (diplomat)
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Robert R. Fowler (born August 18, 1944 in Ottawa[1]) is a Canadian diplomat and the special envoy of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Niger.[2]
On December 14, 2008 he was reported missing and was last seen about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of the capital Niamey.[3][4] On December 16, a rebel group called Front des Forces de Redressement claimed to have kidnapped Fowler.[5]
[edit] Career
Born in Ottawa, Fowler earned a B.A. from Queen's University in 1968. [1] In 1969 he began his diplomatic career as a Foreign Service Officer in the Department of External Affairs. Throughout the 1970s he held various postings in Ottawa, Paris, and at UN Headquarters in New York. [6]
Fowler served as a foreign policy advisor to Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, and Brian Mulroney. In 1986 he became Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) for the Department of National Defence and on May 19, 1989 he was named deputy minister of the DND, a position he held until 1995. [6]
In 1995 he was appointed as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and served in that role until 2000, when became the Canadian ambassador to Italy. He also served as the special representative of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to Africa. [7]
He is presently the special envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Niger and is a Senior Fellow in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. [2] [7]
[edit] Disappearance
Fowler was reported missing along with his aide Louis Guay, deputy director of the Sudan task force in Ottawa, and his Niger-based driver after his car was found on the evening of December 14, 2008 about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of Niamey.[2][8] On December 16, Front des Forces de Redressement claimed on its website that its members kidnapped Fowler and three others,[5] saying that they targeted diplomats who support the Niger government led by President Mamadou Tandja.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Robert R. Fowler: Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN". United Nations.
- ^ a b c Ward, John (15 December 2008). "Former Canadian diplomat missing in Niger", The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on 15 December 2008.
- ^ "Former Canadian diplomat missing in Niger". CTV News. Retrieved on 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Heads of Posts List". Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Retrieved on 2008-12-15.
- ^ a b c "Canadian diplomat held by Niger rebels", The Hamilton Spectator (December 16, 2008).
- ^ a b "Biography of Robert Fowler". Conference of Defence Associations. Retrieved on 2008-12-15.
- ^ a b "Biography of Robert Fowler". University of Ottawa. Retrieved on 2008-12-15.
- ^ "2 Canadians, including diplomat, reported missing in Niger", CBC News (15 December 2008). Retrieved on 15 December 2008.
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Louise Fréchette |
Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations January 1995–August 2000 |
Succeeded by Paul Heinbecker |
| Preceded by David M. Malone |
Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations 1994- |
Succeeded by John Weekes |
| Preceded by Jeremy Kinsman |
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy 2000-2006 |
Succeeded by Alexander Himelfarb |
| Preceded by Jeremy Kinsman |
High Commissioner to Malta 2000-2006 |
Succeeded by Alexander Himelfarb |
| Preceded by Jeremy Kinsman |
Ambassador to Albania 2006-present |
Succeeded by Alexander Himelfarb |
