H.E. Dr. John Freeman, CMG
Governor of Turks and Caicos Islands
John Patrick George Freeman is the current Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Early life and education
Freeman was educated at King's College London graduating with a PhD entitled "Britain's nuclear arms control policy in the context of Anglo-American relations 1957-68" in 1984. He subsequently joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1986, serving at first as Head of the South Africa Section, 1986–1989.
Career
In June 2016, the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced that Dr. John Freeman would replace Peter Beckingham as the next Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Prior to taking up his post as Governor, Dr. Freeman was the UK ambassador to Buenos Aires, Argentina since 2012.
Freeman previously served John has previously served in a wide range of appointments in London and overseas dealing with countries as varied as South Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and Singapore; and with a wide range of international issues, including non-proliferation, international terrorism, and drugs policy.
He was Deputy Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and Her Majesty’s Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control [from 2005] and Her Majesty’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament [from 2004], Geneva.
He also served in Brussels as Deputy Permanent Representative at NATO and Alternate Representative on the North Atlantic Council and as Her Majesty’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN agencies in Vienna.
His previous roles include:
| 2012 – present |
Buenos Aires, Her Majesty’s Ambassador |
| 2011 |
Full time language training (Spanish) |
| 2006 – 2011 |
Secondment, Deputy Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
| 2004 – 2006 |
Her Majesty’s Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control [from 2005] and Her Majesty’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament [from 2004], Geneva |
| 2001 – 2004 |
Brussels, Deputy Permanent Representative at NATO and Alternate Representative on the North Atlantic Council |
| 1997 – 2001 |
Her Majesty’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN agencies in Vienna |
| 1994 – 1997 |
Singapore, Deputy High Commissioner and Commercial and Economic Counsellor |
| 1994 |
Attached to the Trade Promotion division of the Department of Trade and Industry |
| 1991 – 1994 |
FCO, Deputy Head of the Eastern (later Central) European Department, and, secondly, as Head of the Security Co-ordination Department |
| 1989 – 1991 |
Senate Liaison, British Military Government in Berlin, and subsequently Head of the Political Section in the Berlin Office of the British Embassy in Germany |
| 1986 – 1989 |
FCO, Head of South Africa Section |
| 1983 – 1986 |
Member, UK Delegation to Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe meetings in Helsinki and Stockholm (at the Conference on Disarmament in Europe) |
| 1977 – 1983 |
Ministry of Defence, Various appointments |
Honours and awards
Freeman was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2016 New Year Honours.
Personal life
Dr. Freeman is married to Corinna Freeman and has two children.
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