H.E. Carolyn Schwalger

Ms Carolyn Schwalger presented her credentials as New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations on 4 January 2022.

Since her appointment, Ms Schwalger has co-facilitated the modalities for the Summit of the Future and the preparations for the High-Level Meeting to Address the Existential Threats Posed by Sea-Level Rise. Ms Schwalger also co-chaired the Preparatory Committee of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States. 

From 2019–2021 Ms Schwalger was the inaugural Chief Executive of the New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Prior to her appointment, she was seconded to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to lead the establishment of the NEMA and later became its inaugural Chief Executive. As CE NEMA, Ms Schwalger was a member of the New Zealand COVID-19 National Response Leadership Team. 

Between 2017 and 2019 Ms Schwalger was Deputy Secretary and Principal Capability Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for leading a wide programme of organisational capability improvement.  

Ms Schwalger served as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative at the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations from 2014–17, a period which included the country’s term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Ms Schwalger was also co-Chair of the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects. 

Prior to her posting to New York as Deputy Permanent Representative, Ms Schwalger was responsible for New Zealand’s international environmental diplomacy programme. Ms Schwalger championed the development of the Ross Sea marine protected area in the Southern Ocean as New Zealand’s Commissioner to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. 

Ms Schwalger’s early career focused on North Asia, with diplomatic postings to Seoul (1998–2002) and Tokyo (2002–06). Ms Schwalger speaks Japanese and Korean. 

Ms Schwalger was educated at The University of Auckland and Yonsei University in Seoul where she studied as a Korea Foundation Fellow. Ms Schwalger has also undertaken professional development at the Oxford University Saïd Business School.