Mr Patrick Edwards 
Patrick Edwards was born on August 16, 1948.

He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies at St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago where he obtained his BA (Hons), Diploma and M.Sc. degree in International Relations.

He worked in the office of the Prime Minister on diplomatic assignments, and as a Tutor in the Department of Social Sciences of the University of the West Indies, from 1971-1974. He formally joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in I974.

He was awarded Fellowships to study at Manchester University in the UK, the Hague Academy of International Law at the Hague, Netherlands and at the Administrative Staff College in Hyderabad, India, the training college for Senior Public Servants in Trinidad organized by the Ministry of Public Administration and a Training programme in International Negotiations at the Institute of International Relations at the University of the West Indies. He attended post graduate courses for Latin American diplomats at Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC. He pursued his PhD studies at Howard University in Washington DC, but left to take up his diplomatic assignments in Nigeria before completing his Doctoral studies.

His distinguished career spanned diplomatic assignments at his country's missions in Washington, Nigeria (twice), London and at the United Nations in New York. He was appointed Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria (1981-85) and later High Commissioner (2000-2003) with concurrent accreditation to Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroons, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Algeria.

He was involved in the establishment of the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in South Africa. He went on to establish the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in Uganda and served for eight years (2007-15) as High Commissioner/Ambassador with concurrent accreditation to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. During his tour of duty, he engaged in many bilateral economic, social, cultural and sporting initiatives to develop and strengthen relations with the countries of accreditation.

He was Dean of the Diplomatic Corps of Uganda and embarked on many measures to strengthen the relationship between the Corps and the host state. He was appointed Special Envoy to African states (2014-15) in his country's quest to have the Headquarters of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Secretariat located in Trinidad and Tobago.

Served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) from 2013-2015.

Appointed Secretary to the President's Commission of Enquiry into the Public Health Sector of Trinidad and Tobago, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Secretary in the office of the Prime Minister. He was the Acting High Commissioner at his country's mission to the Court of St James, London.

He worked in the Protocol Division and was later appointed State Chief of Protocol. He was responsible for the planning and execution of many International Conferences, Official and State Visits. Some of these included the visits by Presidents Mandela of South Africa, Shankar Dayal Sharma of India, Chiluba of Zambia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Some of the major celebrations and conferences included, Carifesta V and the inauguration of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in 1995. Thirty-eight Heads of States, Governors, Chief Ministers and hundreds of officials from Latin America and the Caribbean attended.

Conceptualized and organized the Protocol and Conference Services facilities for the Forty-Fifth Commonwealth Law Ministers Conference and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Speakers Conference in 1997 and 1998.

The Ambassador was a highly experienced diplomat, administrator and international negotiator, a foreign policy strategist with excellent inter-personal skills and the foremost exponent of cultural diplomacy in his country. He was a member of numerous official delegations on economic, trade and cultural matters.

He was an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and four Presidents on Trinidad and Tobago /Africa bi- lateral and multi-lateral relations, and the leading exponent on Trinidad and Tobago /Africa diplomatic relations. He has been heavily involved in the strengthening of multi-cultural relations both within his country and internationally.

He retired from the Diplomatic Service in 2015 after serving forty four years in the sphere of Diplomatic Relations.

Mr. Edwards continues to maintain an ardent involvement in African-Caribbean relations, through his private and voluntary work on behalf of a number of causes dedicated to the strengthening of Africa/ Trinidad and Tobago diasporic ties. He continues to be involved with many groups seeking to broaden, deepen and sustain inter cultural and inter-ethnic harmony.