Brian Lynch (public servant)
Encyclopedia
Brian Lynch (born 1937), ONZM, MA
1958 & 1962 Canterbury, is a former New Zealand
public servant, diplomat, and is the director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs .
and was educated at St Peter's College
. He studied at the University of Canterbury
where he completed Masters degrees in History (1958) and Geography (1962). He was then a secondary teacher for three years.
in Singapore
(1971–1974) , Head of the Asian and Pacific Division in Wellington
(1974–1977) (where he was involved in the building of the first tentative relationship with Beijing
, extricating New Zealand from Vietnam
, establishing the new Pacific Forum as a going concern and also in setting up the new Pacific Forum Line
). He was Deputy High Commissioner in London (1977–1981) and Assistant Secretary of the Ministry in 1981 and 1982. Lynch was Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Transport from 1982 to 1992, a decade during which the whole structure of air, rail, road and sea transport was corporatized and eventually privatised as part of the restructuring of the state sector which occurred in those years in New Zealand.
in June 2004". He played a major role in debates about the implications of trade liberalization for New Zealand’s food industries. He was the foundation chairman of the New Zealand Trade Liberalization
Network from October 200.1 He was also Chairman of the New Zealand Food Industry Foundation and the New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority and a Senior Adviser and Alternate Member on the New Zealand Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) Business Advisory Council. In 2004 Lynch became Director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
1958 & 1962 Canterbury, is a former New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
public servant, diplomat, and is the director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs .
Background
Lynch came from AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and was educated at St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
. He studied at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
where he completed Masters degrees in History (1958) and Geography (1962). He was then a secondary teacher for three years.
Public service
Lynch joined the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1964 where he was successively, Careers and Special Projects Officer (1969–1971), Deputy High CommissionerHigh Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
(1971–1974) , Head of the Asian and Pacific Division in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
(1974–1977) (where he was involved in the building of the first tentative relationship with Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, extricating New Zealand from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, establishing the new Pacific Forum as a going concern and also in setting up the new Pacific Forum Line
Pacific Forum Line
Pacific Forum Line is a multi-government run shipping line, an example of regional co-operation among Pacific Forum nations. It was born from concern over the deterioration of traditional island tramp services due to containerisation...
). He was Deputy High Commissioner in London (1977–1981) and Assistant Secretary of the Ministry in 1981 and 1982. Lynch was Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Transport from 1982 to 1992, a decade during which the whole structure of air, rail, road and sea transport was corporatized and eventually privatised as part of the restructuring of the state sector which occurred in those years in New Zealand.
Meat, trade and international affairs
Lynch was the Chief Executive of the Meat Industry Association from 1992 until 2003. "It was for his work in assisting the meat industry to rationalize and adjust to a very different commodity chain in the post-subsidy open market conditions of the 1990s that he was made Officer of the New Zealand Order of MeritNew Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in June 2004". He played a major role in debates about the implications of trade liberalization for New Zealand’s food industries. He was the foundation chairman of the New Zealand Trade Liberalization
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
Network from October 200.1 He was also Chairman of the New Zealand Food Industry Foundation and the New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority and a Senior Adviser and Alternate Member on the New Zealand Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region...
(APEC) Business Advisory Council. In 2004 Lynch became Director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.