Julian Hunte

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Hunte (right) with Bill Graham

Dr. Julian Robert Hunte O.B.E. (born 14 March 1940 in Castries) was the foreign minister of Saint Lucia from April 2001 to 26 October 2004, when he was succeeded by Petrus Compton. He is the Permanent Representative (or Ambassador) for Saint Lucia to the United Nations, after presenting his credentials to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 7 December 2004.

Hunte was also the chairman of the United Nations General Assembly from 2003 until 2004. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE), in recognition of his dedicated service to the Government and people of Saint Lucia, in 1979.

[edit] Political career

He first entered politics in 1967, serving as a councillor, and then as mayor of Castries from 1970-71. He joined the Saint Lucia Labour Party in 1978, and became leader of the party in 1984. He was elected to the Saint Lucia parliament in 1987, and was Leader of the Opposition until 1996, when he was replaced by Kenny Anthony.

In 2001, Robert Hunte was appointed to the Senate of Saint Lucia and was invited by the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia to join the Cabinet that same year as foreign minister.

Hunte stood for election in the constituency of Gros Islet in the general election of 11 December 2006, but was defeated by Leonard Spider Montoute of the UWP.

[edit] Other work and background

Hunte's educational background is in Business Administration and accounting. In addition to his diplomatic work, he is currently Chairman and Chief Executive of the Julian R. Hunte Group of Companies, with a network of agencies dealing with insurance, real estate and packaging and storage.

He has also been the Chair of the Saint Lucia National Development Corporation, which is the country's principal development agency. He also served as Director of the Saint Lucia Development Bank, and the National Commercial Bank of Saint Lucia.

Hunte has played cricket at a national level in St Lucia, and has participated as an administrator at the national, regional and international levels. He has been President of the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association and of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control, and as Vice-President of the West Indies Cricket Board, which he has represented on the International Cricket Council, the institution responsible for international governance of the game.

He is married to Charlotte Elizabeth Jennifer Hunte (nee Clarke), and has four children.