Neil Walter
OfficeAdministrator of Tokelau
Term start1988
Term end1990
Prime ministerDavid Lange, Geoffrey Palmer
PredecessorTim Francis
SuccessorGraham Ansell
Term start 21 March 2003
Term end 217 October 2006
Prime minister 2Helen Clark
Predecessor 2Lindsay Johnstone Watt
Successor 2David Payton
Office 3Ambassador to Indonesia
Term start 31990
Term end 31994
Prime minister 3Jim Bolger
Predecessor 3Gordon Parkinson
Successor 3Tim Groser
Office 4Ambassador to Japan
Term start 41997
Term end 41999
Prime minister 4Jenny Shipley
Predecessor 4Maarten Wevers
Successor 4Phillip Gibson
Office 5Secretary of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Term start 51999
Term end 52002
Prime minister 5Jenny Shipley, Helen Clark
Predecessor 5Richard Nottage
Successor 5Simon Murdoch
Birth nameNeil Douglas Walter
Birth date1942 (age 84–85)

Neil Douglas Walter (born 1942) is a New Zealand diplomat, and a former Administrator of Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand. He served from February 1988 until 1990, and again from 1 March 2003 to 17 October 2006.

Biography

In his early career in the Foreign Service, Walter served in Thailand, New York, and Samoa. In 1981, Walter was posted to New Zealand's Embassy in Paris, where he was the New Zealand Permanent Representative to UNESCO. In 1985, Walter became New Zealand's deputy High Commissioner to London.

Walter was New Zealand's Ambassador to Indonesia from 1990–1994, and served as New Zealand's Ambassador to Japan from 1997–1999. In 1999, Walter became Secretary of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, until his retirement from the diplomatic service in 2002. He was one of three people to address the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, 10th Meeting, June 23, 2003.

Walter was the chairman of the Environmental Risk Management Authority until 2008 and the chair of NZ On Air until 2012.[1] He also undertakes various reviews and assessments for the NZ Government. His 2009 report on the State Services Commission's ambitious and ill-fated GSN information technology project led to the resignation of the Deputy State Services Commissioner and Government CIO Laurence Millar.

Honours

In the 2002 Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours, Walter was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services as Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade.[2]

Personal life

He is married and has one son and two daughters. His son, Stephen Walter, is a lead negotiator on climate change for the New Zealand Ministry of Environment. His brother David Walter of Stratford is a former chairman of the Taranaki Regional Council and mayor of the Stratford District Council.

References

  1. ^ "NZ On Air Chairman Neil Walter Steps Down". Scoop. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee honours list 2002". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 June 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2020.