Of Counsel : Ambassador Patrick Edwards

Patrick Edwards was born August 16, 1948.
He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies at St Augustine, Trinidad, and Tobago where he obtained his BA (Hons), Diploma and M.Sc. degrees in International Relations. He worked in the office of the Prime Minister on diplomatic assignments, and as a Tutor in the Department of Social Sciences of the University of the West Indies, from 1971-1974. He formally joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in I974. He pursued his Ph.D. studies at Howard University in Washington DC but left to take up his diplomatic assignments in Nigeria before completing his Doctoral studies.
His distinguished career spanned diplomatic assignments at his country’s missions in Washington, Nigeria (twice), London and at the United Nations in New York. He was appointed Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria (1981-85) and later High Commissioner (2000-2003) with concurrent accreditation to Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroons, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Algeria.
He was involved in the establishment of the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in South Africa. He went on to establish the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in Uganda and served for eight years (2007-15) as High Commissioner/Ambassador with concurrent accreditation to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. During his tour of duty, he engaged in many bilateral economic, social, cultural and sporting initiatives to develop and strengthen relations with the countries of accreditation.
The Ambassador is a highly-experienced diplomat, administrator and international negotiator. He is a foreign policy strategist, with excellent interpersonal skills and is the foremost exponent of cultural diplomacy in his country. He was a member of numerous official delegations on economic, trade and cultural matters.
He has been an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on Trinidad and Tobago /Africa bilateral and multilateral relations. He is the leading exponent on Trinidad and Tobago /Africa diplomatic relations. He has been heavily involved in the strengthening of multicultural relations both within his country and internationally.
He retired from his country’s Diplomatic service in 2015, having served for forty-four years, fifteen of which was at the level of Ambassador.
Mr. Edwards continues to maintain an ardent involvement in African-Caribbean relations, through his private and voluntary work on behalf of several causes dedicated to the strengthening of Africa/ Trinidad and Tobago Diaspora ties.