Christopher Alexander (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Christopher "Chris" A. Alexander (born September 9, 1968) is the Conservative Party of Canada
Member of Parliament
for Ajax-Pickering in Ontario
.
in 1989 and an M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford
(Balliol College) in 1991.
. In 1997, he became Deputy Director (Russia) of the Eastern Europe Division responsible for political and trade relations. In 2002 he returned to the Canadian embassy in Moscow as Minister Counsellor (Political). He received a Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) award in 2003. In August 2003 he became the first resident Canadian ambassador in Kabul, Afghanistan
,, relieving resident chargé d'affaires
a.i. Keith Fountain. From 2005 until mid-2009, he served as one of two deputy special representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
In 2005, Alexander was selected as a Young Global Leader, an adjunct to the World Economic Forum
. In 2006 he was one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40. He received the Atlantic Council of Canada Award in 2007, and in 2008 was made a 1st Class Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
. In 2009 he was Honorary Chair of the UTS Centenary. In 2010, he received the Birchall Leadership Award.
On April 12, 2010, CBC News
revealed that Alexander, as a senior official working with the United Nations, alleged that Asadullah Khalid, the former Governor of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, had ordered the killing of five UN workers by bombing, presumably to protect his narcotics interests.
candidate in the suburban Toronto
riding of Ajax—Pickering
on September 21, 2009 and he and his family moved to Ajax, Ontario. The riding was considered a key battleground riding. Alexander won the seat at the 2011 federal election. He has remained active on Afghanistan related issues, frequently speaking and writing on this subject. In May 2011, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence Peter MacKay
.
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Ajax-Pickering in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Background
Alexander earned a B.A. in History and Politics from McGill UniversityMcGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in 1989 and an M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(Balliol College) in 1991.
Diplomacy
In 1991, Alexander joined the Canadian Foreign Service. He was posted to the Canadian embassy in Russia in 1993 as Third Secretary and Vice-Consul. In 1996, he returned to Ottawa to become an assistant to the Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsMinister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations section of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada....
. In 1997, he became Deputy Director (Russia) of the Eastern Europe Division responsible for political and trade relations. In 2002 he returned to the Canadian embassy in Moscow as Minister Counsellor (Political). He received a Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) award in 2003. In August 2003 he became the first resident Canadian ambassador in Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
,, relieving resident chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
a.i. Keith Fountain. From 2005 until mid-2009, he served as one of two deputy special representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
In 2005, Alexander was selected as a Young Global Leader, an adjunct to the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
. In 2006 he was one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40. He received the Atlantic Council of Canada Award in 2007, and in 2008 was made a 1st Class Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
The Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity was founded as national order by the first President of the Italian Republic, Enrico De Nicola, in 1947, to recognise civilian and military expatriates or foreigners who made an outstanding contribution to the reconstruction of Italy after World War...
. In 2009 he was Honorary Chair of the UTS Centenary. In 2010, he received the Birchall Leadership Award.
On April 12, 2010, CBC News
CBC News
CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
revealed that Alexander, as a senior official working with the United Nations, alleged that Asadullah Khalid, the former Governor of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, had ordered the killing of five UN workers by bombing, presumably to protect his narcotics interests.
Politics
Considered a star candidate, Alexander became the Conservative Party of CanadaConservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate in the suburban Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
riding of Ajax—Pickering
Ajax—Pickering
Ajax—Pickering is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2011 by Conservative MP Chris Alexander....
on September 21, 2009 and he and his family moved to Ajax, Ontario. The riding was considered a key battleground riding. Alexander won the seat at the 2011 federal election. He has remained active on Afghanistan related issues, frequently speaking and writing on this subject. In May 2011, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence Peter MacKay
Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defence in the Cabinet of Canada....
.