ISLAMABAD: The selection of Jane Marriott OBE as the new British High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been announced by the United Kingdom.
Jane will become the first female British High Commissioner to Pakistan in mid-July, according to a news release. Jane Marriott formerly served as High Commissioner to Kenya from September 2019 to June 2023.
In this role, she created a new UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, enhancing linkages in areas such as mutual prosperity, sustainable development, security and stability, people-to-people connections, and tackling climate change. Jane oversaw the introduction of new clean, green, and sustainable energy projects, as well as the UK-Kenyan collaboration to establish the first-ever Kenyan Marine Commando Unit, showing the UK’s commitment to the battle against terrorism in Kenya and the region.
Jane also stood for the restoration of over 1,000 hectares of deforested land, and under her leadership, the UK established a ‘Digital Access Programme’ in collaboration with Kenyan stakeholders in the tech industry to train users on digital inclusion, cyber hygiene, and online content regulation. Jane brings a range of thematic and regional experience to her new role, having joined the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2001, after serving in the Cabinet Office and the Home Office.
She previously worked as the Director of the UK’s Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit, the Joint FCDO Director for the Middle East and North Africa, the Ambassador to Sana’a, Yemen (2013-15), the Deputy and Acting Ambassador to Tehran, and as an adviser to US Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke. She also completed two diplomatic tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
