'Big Picture' Thinking About Asia's Future and Australia's engagement with it
Richard Woolcott, AC
Thursday 26 August 2010
Richard Woolcott AC is the Founding Director of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre and a founding member of the Australian American Leadership Foundation. He is also a member of the International Council of the New York based Asia Society. In April 2008 he was appointed by the Rudd government as Chairman of a committee to review the Australian citizenship test. In June 2008 he was also appointed the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to develop an Asia Pacific Community concept.
Mr Woolcott was Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 1988 to 1992. Prior to that appointment he had served as deputy to the High Commissioner in Malaysia, Commissioner in Singapore, High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador to the Philippines, Ambassador to Indonesia and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1982-1988), where he also represented Australia on the Security Council (1985-1986). He was Chairman of the Australia Indonesia Institute from (1992-1998) and a member of the Advisory Panel for the first Government White Paper on Foreign and Trade Policy, published in 1997.
Mr Woolcott was closely involved with the establishment of the Asia Pacific Regional Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) and has carried out Special Envoy roles for Prime Ministers Holt, Whitlam, Howard and, most recently, Rudd.
Mr Woolcott is the author of The Hot Seat: Reflections on Diplomacy from Stalin's Death to Bali Bombings (2003, Harper Collins) and Undiplomatic Activities (2007, Scribe).