United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Julie Bishop of Australia as his Special Envoy on Myanmar. Ms. Bishop succeeds Noeleen Heyzer of Singapore to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service.
Ms. Bishop brings extensive political, legal, management and senior leadership experience to the role. She has held several high-level positions in the Australian Government, serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs (2013-2018), Cabinet Minister for Education, Science and Training, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues and Minister for Ageing. She was a member of the Australian Parliament (1998-2019), following a 20-year legal career.
Throughout her career, Ms. Bishop has strengthened engagement with regional partners and led international negotiation efforts, including the first ever United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea conciliation.
Ms. Bishop is currently the Chancellor of the Australian National University. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide, Australia.