Anthony Johnson (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Johnson is a Jamaica
n politician
, diplomat
, economist
and university lecturer. He is a former Jamaica Labour Party
(JLP) Senator and former JLP Member of Parliament
, former Ambassador to the United States, and the current High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Anthony Johnson began his career in the public sector. He worked as an economist for the Ministry of Finance and as a planner for the Central Planning Unit of Jamaica. From 1970 to 1980, Johnson dabbled in the private sector, running the operations of Jamaica Frozen Foods, Jamgro Ltd. and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica. In 1980, Johnson joined the Jamaica Labour Party and was appointed to the Senate. He left the Senate in 1983 to become a Member of Parliament representing Northeast St. Catherine Parish, a post that he held for ten years. During his time in parliament, Johnson’s portfolio included—though not all at once—industry, commerce, mining, energy, technology, education, and agriculture. He joined the Senate once again in 1993, this time for a period of fourteen years. From 1992-2008, throughout his time as Senator and MP, Johnson lectured at the University of the West Indies with the Department of Management Studies. Johnson is also noted for being the first Jamaican council member of Parliamentarians for Global Action, a post that he held from 2001 to 2003.
Since leaving public office, Johnson has been working in the Jamaican Foreign Service. He arrived in Washington, DC in February 2008 to serve as Jamaican Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States. He held this post until May 2010, when he was sent to London to represent Jamaica as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and as non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Finland, the Kingdoms of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, and Ireland.
In April 2009, Johnson, along with Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding
, and Foreign Minister, Kenneth Baugh
, attended the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago
to meet with Barack Obama
and other Presidents and important diplomats in the Americas.
. The fund was established by the Jamaican government to meet the costs of emergency services and relief measures, particularly with schools and hospitals. Johnson spoke at the RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on September 7, 2008 at a Reggae Fest, saying, "I am appealing to you all, to assist Jamaica in its recovery process, by contributing, financially, to the National Disaster Recovery Fund (NDRF). I am sure that many of you here have relatives back in Jamaica, who were affected by the tropical storm, and who are in need of your help at this time."
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and university lecturer. He is a former Jamaica Labour Party
Jamaica Labour Party
The Jamaica Labour Party is one of the two major political parties in Jamaica, the other being the People's National Party. Despite its name, the JLP is a centre-right, conservative party.-Background:...
(JLP) Senator and former JLP Member of Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
, former Ambassador to the United States, and the current High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Biography
Johnson graduated from Kingston College, and went on to get a BA in Economics and an MA in International Trade and Finance from the University of California at Los Angeles. He was an Inter-American Press Association Scholarship winner in 1960 (due to his work with the Gleaner Company and the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation), was honoured three times for academic excellence at UCLA, and was a Senior Fulbright Scholar in 1980.Anthony Johnson began his career in the public sector. He worked as an economist for the Ministry of Finance and as a planner for the Central Planning Unit of Jamaica. From 1970 to 1980, Johnson dabbled in the private sector, running the operations of Jamaica Frozen Foods, Jamgro Ltd. and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica. In 1980, Johnson joined the Jamaica Labour Party and was appointed to the Senate. He left the Senate in 1983 to become a Member of Parliament representing Northeast St. Catherine Parish, a post that he held for ten years. During his time in parliament, Johnson’s portfolio included—though not all at once—industry, commerce, mining, energy, technology, education, and agriculture. He joined the Senate once again in 1993, this time for a period of fourteen years. From 1992-2008, throughout his time as Senator and MP, Johnson lectured at the University of the West Indies with the Department of Management Studies. Johnson is also noted for being the first Jamaican council member of Parliamentarians for Global Action, a post that he held from 2001 to 2003.
Since leaving public office, Johnson has been working in the Jamaican Foreign Service. He arrived in Washington, DC in February 2008 to serve as Jamaican Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States. He held this post until May 2010, when he was sent to London to represent Jamaica as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and as non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Finland, the Kingdoms of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, and Ireland.
In April 2009, Johnson, along with Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding
Bruce Golding
Orette Bruce Golding MP served as Prime Minister of Jamaica from 11 September 2007 to 23 October 2011. He is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party.-Biography:...
, and Foreign Minister, Kenneth Baugh
Kenneth Baugh
Dr. Kenneth Lee O'Neil Baugh is the foreign minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Jamaica. He serves in the Parliament of Jamaica, was a former general secretary and former chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party. In addition he had served Minister of Health before his current position. His wife is...
, attended the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
to meet with Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and other Presidents and important diplomats in the Americas.
Humanitarian work
Anthony Johnson has done much to improve the disaster management resources in Jamaica. He has appealed to Jamaicans in the United States to support Jamaica's National Disaster Recovery Fund, following the major damage caused during the passage of Hurricane GustavHurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
. The fund was established by the Jamaican government to meet the costs of emergency services and relief measures, particularly with schools and hospitals. Johnson spoke at the RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on September 7, 2008 at a Reggae Fest, saying, "I am appealing to you all, to assist Jamaica in its recovery process, by contributing, financially, to the National Disaster Recovery Fund (NDRF). I am sure that many of you here have relatives back in Jamaica, who were affected by the tropical storm, and who are in need of your help at this time."