James Larsen

His Excellency
James Larsen
Larsen, pictured in 2006.
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 July 2023
Nominated byAnthony Albanese
Appointed byDavid Hurley
Preceded byMitch Fifield
Personal details
Born
James Martin Larsen

March 1965 (age 59)
Geelong, Victoria
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne (BA, LLB)
OccupationDiplomat, lawyer

James Larsen (born March 1965) is an Australian diplomat and bureaucrat currently serving as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations. He has previously worked as the Ambassador to Turkey and the Ambassador to Israel.[1]

Larsen was born in Geelong,[2] and later studied at the University of Melbourne, attaining a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.[3] Before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Larsen worked as a commercial solicitor for MinterEllison from 1988 to 1991.[3] He joined DFAT in 1992, and worked as second secretary at the Australian embassy in Thailand from 1994 to 1997.[2] Larsen was then appointed as director of the Administrative and Domestic Law Group from 1998 to 2000, before joining the Australian embassy in Belgium as counsellor.[2] From 2004 to 2006 he was legal adviser and assistant secretary in the legal branch of DFAT.[2] In 2006 he was appointed Ambassador to Israel. In this post, he oversaw the relocation of the Australian embassy from Europe House to South Tel Aviv.[4] His next appointment was as Ambassador for People Smuggling Issues.[5] He then became principal advisor to Foreign Minister Bob Carr.[6] He served as the Ambassador to Turkey from 2014 to 2017.[7] Larsen was only 20 m (66 ft) from the blast in the March 2016 Ankara bombing.[8][9][10]

In 2020, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and managed the industrial relations working group of the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission.[7] In 2021, Larsen was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and climate coordinator to manage the work undertaken by DFAT and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.[7] Larsen's appointment as permanent representative to the UN was announced on 11 July 2023.[11][12] He presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 26 July 2023.[1]

In 2023, amidst the Israel–Hamas war, Australia abstained from voting on Resolution ES-10/L.25. Larsen explained that Australia believed the resolution to be incomplete, as it did not recognise Hamas as the perpetrators of the 7 October attacks on Israel, although Australia did "agree with the central proposition, that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and human suffering is widespread and unacceptable."[13][14]

Larsen is married to Antoinette Merrillees, daughter of Robert Merrillees, who are also both career diplomats.[4] They have three children.[3]

  1. ^ a b "New Permanent Representative of Australia Presents Credentials". UN Press. United Nations. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Australia replaces envoy to Israel" (Press release). Canberra: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 8 August 2006. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "James Larsen Biography". Australian Embassy Türkiye. Archived from the original on 5 April 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b Cashman, Greer Fay (16 July 2023). "Grapevine July 16, 2023: A lucky day". The Jerusalem Post. ISSN 0792-822X. OCLC 15700704. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  5. ^ "New ambassador for people smuggling announced". Sydney. Australian Associated Press. 28 February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ "Carr appoints new people-smuggling envoy". Nine News. Nine Entertainment Co. Australian Associated Press. 27 May 2012. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Brown, Greg; Williams, Perry (13 April 2021). "Scott Morrison getting warmer on net-zero target with new climate tsar James Larsen". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  8. ^ Sherden, Amy (14 March 2016). "Ankara bombing: Australian ambassador to Turkey recounts chaotic blast scene". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  9. ^ Koziol, Michael (14 March 2016). "Australia's ambassador to Turkey James Larsen just '20 metres' from Ankara bomb blast: Julie Bishop". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  10. ^ Aubusson, Kate (14 March 2016). "Australia's Ambassador to Turkey James Larsen was with his young daughter when car bomb exploded metres away in Ankara, killing 37". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. 11 July 2023. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  12. ^ Barlow, Karen (11 July 2023). "Penny Wong announces diplomatic posts for UN, Maldives, Mexico, and Ambassador for Arms Control". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  13. ^ Visentin, Lisa (28 October 2023). "Australia abstains on 'incomplete' UN resolution for Gaza truce". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment Co. ISSN 0312-6315. OCLC 226369741. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  14. ^ Manfield, Evelyn (28 October 2023). "Australia abstains 'with disappointment' from UN resolution on Israel-Hamas truce". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.