Terence Christopher O'Brien (born 1936) is a former New Zealand diplomat who led New Zealand in 1993 to a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
| Terence O'Brien | |
|---|---|
| Terence O'Brien in Moscow | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 January 1936 Aylesbury, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Profession | Former New Zealand Ambassador |
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O'Brien was born in Aylesbury in the United Kingdom in January 1936. His father was a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and so in his early years they moved around a lot. In 1940 during the peak of the Battle of Britain the family moved to New Zealand by boat, dodging German U-boats along the way, where his father took up a post as Chief Air Instructor to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the Second World War. Shortly after the end of the war, he returned to the United Kingdom to be educated at Beaumont College, and later University College Oxford where he read history. However, following graduation he returned to New Zealand, with which he had developed a great affinity in his early years, and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1959.
O'Brien was a diplomat with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for over 40 years from 1959 - 2001. He held early postings as a diplomat in the 1960s in Bangkok, London, and Brussels. It was in Brussels that as a first secretary he helped New Zealand to negotiate a special deal with the European Community giving access for New Zealand dairy products to Europe when the United Kingdom joined the Community in 1972. O'Brien then served as High Commissioner to the Cook Islands (1975-77), and then as Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva (1980-83), to the European Community in Brussels (1983-86) and finally to the United Nations in New York (1990-93). He was President of the United Nations Security Council during the war in Yugoslavia. While in New York, his leadership was a critical factor in New Zealand's securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council, despite competition from more favoured countries such as Spain and Sweden. Nicknamed by the New Zealand press on several occasions "Chardonnay O'Brien" for his love of a good glass of wine and a good cocktail party, O'Brien is known for his global view and his passionate articulation of the role of New Zealand as an independent and free thinking country with its own values and way of doing things. O'Brien has always believed that small countries like New Zealand need to use and support international institutions such as the United Nations to promote common and universal values and have influence in international affairs. Following his return in 1993, he has been widely quoted and sought after in the New Zealand media and press for his foreign policy views and ideas.
In 1993 O'Brien was appointed Founding Director of the New Zealand Centre for Strategic Studies[1] He served as Director for almost 8 years until his retirement in 2001, earning the new institution a respected reputation and high public profile. Controversy surrounded his replacement in 2002 by David Dickens, a former Ministry of Defence official. The Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade investigated the matter and issued a critical report.
O'Brien continues as an Advisor to the Centre for Strategic Studies and remains sought after by media and commentators for his foreign policy views and advice.
In 2009, O'Brien published a book entitled 'Presence of Mind: New Zealand in the World'. The book New Zealand in the World is a selection of writings on the place of New Zealand in the world reflecting on the position of a small country such as New Zealand and its place on the international stage from the perspective of a small, internationally minded, modern and multicultural democracy.