November Global Cafe – New Zealand Reflections
Join us on Tuesday 18 November as outgoing New Zealand Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Patrick Rata, shares his reflections on his time in post.
We look forward to an interesting and candid review about his experience.
Tuesday 18 November
10 am -12 noon
Paris Bar, Grand Hyatt
Patrick Rata
New Zealand Ambassador to the Republic of Korea
Patrick Rata is New Zealand Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. He is also cross-accredited to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He arrived in Seoul in February 2012.
A career diplomat, Ambassador Rata’s career has had a particular focus on multilateral issues, with postings to the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, where he worked on Security Cou
ncil issues and was also elected a Vice Chair of the UN Third Committee, and London, where he covered Commonwealth issues.
In 2009 and 2010, Ambassador Rata headed the Koreas and Japan Unit in the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Ambassador Rata has also had a separate career in the trade field, working for ten years as a senior official at the World Trade Organization, including as Chief du Cabinet in the Director-General’s office in 2002.
Ambassador Rata attended Auckland University where he received a Master of Arts (First Class) degree. His wife, Karen Lee Rata, is a lawyer working at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. They have two children. Ambassador Rata’s interests include music and sport.
