Change of High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea
Mr Simon Tonge has been appointed British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea.
Simon Tonge
He will succeed Ms Jacqueline Barson MBE, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Tonge will take up his appointment during June 2014.
Mr Tonge joined the FCO in 1996 and has carried out a wide variety of roles, most recently as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.
On his appointment as British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Mr Tonge has said:
I am delighted to have been appointed as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, a fascinating country that I have fond memories of visiting as a tourist.
I look forward to building our already strong bilateral relations and contributing to Papua New Guinea’s rapid economic emergence for the mutual benefit of our people.
Curriculum vitae
Full name: Simon Tonge
| Date | Role |
|---|---|
| Jun 2012 – present | Abidjan, Head of Mission |
| Feb 2012 – Jun 2012 | Full-time language training (French) |
| Nov 2008 – Dec 2011 | Baku, Deputy Head of Mission |
| Oct 2004 – Nov 2008 | Grand Cayman, Head of Governor’s Office |
| May 2004 – Oct 2004 | FCO, Head of Section, Press Office |
| May 2002 – May 2004 | FCO, Regional Security Policy Adviser, South Asia Group |
| May 1998 – Apr 2002 | Jakarta, Second Secretary (Political) |
| Jul 1997 – May 1998 | New York, Committee Support Officer, UK Mission to the United Nations |
| Sep 1996 – Jul 1997 | FCO, Research Analyst for South East Asia |
| 1996 | Joined FCO |
Further information
Follow the Foreign Office on twitter @foreignoffice