Ambassador to Micronesia

Media release

10 November 2013

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop today announced the appointment of Dr Terry Beven as Australia's next Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia with non-resident accreditation to the Republics of Marshall Islands and Palau.

He is expected to take up his appointment in January 2014 replacing Mr Martin Quinn.

Dr Beven is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has previously served as Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy and Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), Vienna; and twice as Counsellor (Education and Training; Industry, Science and Technology) at the Australian Embassy in Seoul.

Until recently, Dr Beven was Director of the Department's Nuclear Policy Section. Prior to that he was a Senior Analyst at the Office of National Assessments and a Director at the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO).

Dr Beven holds a PhD and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Tasmania, a Diploma in Education from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Diploma in East Asian Studies from the Australian National University.

Australia shares close and friendly relations with the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and with the US territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

These relations have broadened and deepened over the years to include cooperation on defence, law enforcement, regional security, environment and marine resources management. Tourism and trade links are growing.

Australia works with the countries of the North Pacific in multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum to address global challenges including climate change, and global economic and governance issues.