Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
Ambassador Gail Mathurin, Jamaican High Commissioner to London.
CAREER DIPLOMAT Ambassador Gail Mathurin is ecstatic about her new post as Jamaican High Commissioner to London.
"I consider it a great honour that my government has placed on me," she told The Gleaner on Monday. Ambassador Mathurin currently holds positions as Under-Secretary for Trade, Ambassador for External Negot-iations and non-resident Ambas-sador to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. She relinquishes those posts for her new appointment, which she takes up next month.
Since joining the foreign ministry approximately 27 years ago, Ambassador Mathurin has held several positions. Perhaps it was ordained that she ended up where she did.
"I worked with the Agency of Public Information in London, so I was based in the London High Commission," she related. "For various reasons I wanted to make a move to work in a similar area. Since I worked so closely with the foreign affairs ministry, I developed an interest in that field." The API experience helped her settle quickly at the ministry and she has now come 'full-circle' as she returns to the High Commission; this time in the highest capacity.
Ambassador Mathurin was born in St. Lucia but came to Jamaica when she was seven years old. All her schooling was done here from St. Hugh's Preparatory to the University of the West Indies, including a year at the Cave Hill campus in Barbados. She majored in sociology and history.
Her mother is noted diplomat, scholar and women's rights activist, Dr. Lucille Mair.
In identifying areas of focus as the incoming High Commissioner to London Ambassador Mathurin said: "There are a number of areas of active co-operation between both countries, which I am keen to keep on top of. Then, of course, I will attempt to strengthen the High Commis-sion's relations with the Jamaican community.
"I hope that because of my (current) work I will be able to intensify trade discussions with the United Kingdom and other European Union member states," she added. She also wants to give a Caribbean perspective to negotiations dealing with economic partnership agreement with Europe.
Ambassador Mathurin's appointment continues a trend of upward mobility for women within the foreign ministry. Three of Jamaica's four European missions are manned by women.
