Cameron Diver

Experience

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  Government of New Caledonia

  Dec 2000 - Oct 2007

  Key responsibilities :•Coordinating and developing New Caledonia’s external relations ;•Legal counsel to the Government (public and private international law, EU law, conflict of laws);•Developing new international partnerships on behalf of the Government of New Caledonia ;•Defining strategic policies for the Government's external relations and relations with the European Union;•Representing the Government in negotiations and international conferences;•Providing legal translation services for the Government ;•Managing and mentoring 6 staff members.Key achievements :• Head of delegation at several international meetings (8th Conference of Pacific Leaders, Washington DC, 2007; EU-OCT Summit, Brussels, 2006);• Participated in delegations as a legal and policy advisor (Trade negotiations between the EU and the Pacific, 2005-2007);• Lead the negitiating team for New Caledonia’s accession to the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement, PICTA;• Co-chaired the working group on economic and commercial cooperation between New Caledonia and Australia (2005-2007);• Chair of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Conference, 2006;• Named one of Pacific Magazine’s 25 Regional Leaders to Watch, May 2006;• Drafted and presented legal opinions on over 150 International and European treaties/instruments;• Drafted studies and reports on various issues in international law (policies and procedures of international organisations, dispute resolution mechanisms, investment and taxation treaties, privileges and immunities, law of the sea, intellectual property, conflict of laws);• Drafted international agreements and contracts ;• Lead negotiating teams in several areas on behalf of the Government (inter alia external trade, economic and sustainable development, good governance, privileges and immunities, fisheries, law of the sea, international development funding, international environmental law, intellectual property). Show less Key responsibilities : •Analysing and monitoring issues in the fields of public and private international law and intellectual property;•Litigation on behalf of the Government (administrative and civil jurisdictions) ;•Providing expert advice to the Government, public service and public companies on legal issues ;•Risk identification in the field of international law;•Providing a legal translation service for the Government.Key achievements :•Drafted and presented legal opinions, impact studies and reports on International and European instruments, either entered into force or in the process of being ratified (in-depth analysis of over 300 agreements) ;•Drafted opinions, analyses, studies and reports (general public and private international law, intellectual property law, international environmental law, international law of the sea, European Union law, conflict of laws, administrative law, customs law, contract and commercial law, public procurement, criminal law, criminal procedure, civil procedure, constitutional law) ;•Represented the Government in hearings before the administrative court jurisdiction ;•Coordinated legal action with law firms in charge of specific cases ;•Participated in negotiating and drafting the Headquarters Agreement between France and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community ;•Participated in negotiating and drawing up contracts with multinational companies;•Translation of international treaties, legislation and contracts (English-French; French-English). Show less

  • Head of Regional Cooperation and External Relations

    Feb 2005 - Oct 2007

  • Legal Counsel - Department of Legal Affairs

    Dec 2000 - Jan 2005
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  South Province Regional Council - New Caledonia

  Nov 2007 - Sept 2008

  Deputy Director, Department of Legal Affairs and General Administration

  Key responsibilities :•Coordinating the Regional Council’s legal affairs (opinions and advice, litigation, drafting and validation of bills and regulations) ;•Assisting the Director in managing the Department (51 staff) ;•Leading, directing and managing a specialist in-house legal team (8 staff) ;•Defining the Legal Affairs Department’s strategic guidelines ;•Implementing management by objectives within the Legal Department ;•Providing specialist legal advice to the President of the Regional Council and the Secretary General on questions pertaining to public or private international law, EU law and conflict of laws ;•Litigation (administrative and civil jurisdictions) ;•Drafting bills and regulations, contracts, commercial transactions and agreements ;•In depth legal research.Key achievements :•Finalised the Master Plan for the Legal Department’s strategic guidelines;•Implemented professional performance standards for all legal staff;•Successfully defended the Regional Council in major commercial transaction cases ;•Successfully managed pre-trial dispute resolution negotiations on behalf of the Regional Council;•Acted as counsel in hearings before the administrative and civil court jurisdictions ;•Drafted cooperation agreements with foreign partners (Vanuatu, Reunion Island) ;•Participated as a legal expert in consultations with potential foreign investors (BHP Billington, Gladstone Pacific Nickel, Itochu).• Negotiated public tenders and commercial contracts with domestic and international companies ;•Created and implemented a system for coordinating the Regional Council’s legal action in all areas under its jurisdiction (economic development, finance, environment, sport, property, culture, rural development, housing, education, health and social welfare, youth affairs) ;•Drafted a study on the legal framework needed to require payment of an “environmental guarantee” by major industrial and commercial investors. Show less

• 

  Bankside Chambers

  Sept 2008 - Aug 2009

  International Arbitration Assistant and Judicial Clerk to David A.R. Williams QC

  Key responsibilities :• Assisting David Williams QC, New Zealand’s leading international commercial arbitrator, on international arbitrations where Mr Williams is serving as either a sole arbitrator, party appointed arbitrator or Chair of a three member Tribunal ;• Administering arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, ICSID, ICDR (AAA), PCA, SIAC, WIPO and CAS as well as various ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules ;• In-depth legal research in the field of the law and practice of arbitration, public and private international law, contract law, commercial law, intellectual property law, conflict of laws;• Liaising with parties, arbitrators and institutions;• Assisting Mr Williams QC in his role as Chief Justice of the Cook Islands.Key achievements :• Drafting of Awards, Rulings, Decisions, Directions, Terms of Reference, Minutes and general correspondence;• Drafting of Bench Memoranda and Hearing Notes;• Acting as Secretary to Arbitral Tribunals. Show less

• 

  Government of New Caledonia

  Oct 2009 - Sept 2013

  Chief of Staff to Sonia Backes, Minister for Budget, Finance, Taxation, Energy, the Digital Economy, Audiovisual Communication,Tertiary Education and Research - Government of New Caledonia. Key Responsibilities:• Managing the Department of Education and its 70 staff members during the transition to a performance based management system;• Developing a strategic pluriannual financial and management plan for the Department.Key achievements:• Successfully implemented a performance based management system, in particular via the introduction of individual and collective key performance indicators;• Finalised the Department's strategic plan.

  • Chief of Staff

    Sept 2009 - Sept 2013

  • Director of the Department of Education

    Oct 2009 - Jan 2010
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  Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie

  Feb 2012 - Dec 2013

  Lecturer

  Lecturer (part time) in:- Constitutional Law;- Administrative Litigation.

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  Pacific Community (SPC)

  Oct 2013 - Sept 2022

  Representing the Organisation in bilateral, regional and international forums.Executive leadership and responsibility for Integration and Resource Mobilisation, including:- facilitating coordinated country and integrated international development programmes.- leading the development of multi-year partnerships with SPC’s key institutional donors and developing new fundraising opportunities, including providing strategic foresight and advice.- cultivating stronger engagement and closer collaboration between SPC and its global network of partners which contributes to SPC’s outreach, strengthens resource mobilization efforts and enhances the relevance and effectiveness of SPC’s work.General Counsel leading SPC’s legal functions and representation, and responsible for the Organisation's regulatory and governance framework. Executive leadership and management of the Operations and Management Directorate, including the following management and business support services: finance, human resources, ICT, publications, property and facilities management, translation and interpretation, procurement, publications, travel, library and general administration.Executive leadership and responsibility for SPC's network of decentralised offices. Show less Leading, managing and mentoring 10 direct reports (8 Directors) and 300 staff in multiple locations. Executive leadership of SPC’s scientific and technical cooperation programmes in Climate change and environmental sustainability; Fisheries, aquaculture and marine ecosystems; Public health; Statistics for development.Executive oversight of and accountability for the Organisation's legal, finance, human resources and information services, together with the audit and risk environment;Building new strategic partnerships, enhancing existing high-level stakeholder relationships and resource mobilisation;Supporting the Director-General in leading the Secretariat;Driving and implementing organisational policy and continuous improvement and reform. Show less

  • Deputy Director-General, Operations and Integration

    Jan 2021 - Sept 2022

  • Deputy Director-General (Nouméa)

    Dec 2015 - Sept 2022

  • Deputy Director-General, Operations and Management

    Oct 2013 - Sept 2022
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  IUCN

  Aug 2019 - now

  The Climate Crisis Commission (CCC) is the IUCN’s newest Commission, established at the World Conservation Congress in Marseille. The mission of the CCC is to promote appropriate, effective, just, and nature-positive solutions to the climate crisis that are based on the best available scientific evidence from all reputable international bodies and from indigenous knowledge systems. The IUCN CCC will mobilize and coordinate the Union’s efforts by engaging with Regional and National IUCN Committees, Members, and Indigenous Peoples; and by promoting productive and constructive partnerships. Show less The World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) is a network of environmental law and policy experts from all regions of the world volunteering their knowledge and services to IUCN activities. WCEL functions as an integral part of the IUCN Environmental Law Programme (ELP) that includes close collaboration with the Environmental Law Centre (ELC). WCEL advances environmental law around the globe by providing specialized knowledge and assistance to strengthen the legal foundations of the conservation of nature and sustainable development through the conceptual advancement of environmental principles, norms, and laws, and by building the capacity of communities to benefit from the environmental rule of law. Show less

  • Member of the Climate Crisis Commission

    Dec 2023 - now

  • Member of the World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL)

    Aug 2019 - now
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  Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie

  Jul 2020 - now

  Lecturer

  LLM course in Comparative Climate Change Litigation.LLM course in International Environmental Law.LLM course in Pacific Studies (Pacific regional architecture and sustainable development).

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  Kadir Has University

  Dec 2021 - Dec 2021

  Guest Lecturer

  Guest Lecture on "Law in the Service of Climate Justice: Perspectives from the Pacific on One of the Defining Global Issues of the Century".Part of the series of Climate Change and Law Seminars organised by Kadir Has University's Climate Change and Law Laboratory.

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  Kadir Has University

  Jun 2022 - Jun 2022

  Guest Lecturer

  Guest lecture on "Climate Justice: Jurisgenesis in Response to the Climate Crisis", at the Kadir Has University Faculty of Law Summer School on Advanced Issues in Private and Commercial Law.

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  Province Sud

  Sept 2022 - Jun 2024

  Directeur de Cabinet de Mme Sonia Backes / Chief of Staff to Ms Sonia Backes
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  National University of Vanuatu

  Oct 2022 - Nov 2022

  Lecturer

  Taught the Environmental Policy and Governance module of the Bachelor of Environmental Science (degree delivered in partnership with James Cook University, Australia, and the Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, New Caledonia.Prepared and taught courses on: - Introduction to International Environmental Law - Introduction to the Climate Change International Legal Regime - Rights of Nature - Climate Justice and Climate Litigation

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  Armée de Terre

  Jan 2023 - now

  Lieutenant Colonel de la Réserve Citoyenne
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  Towards IPOS (International Panel for Ocean Sustainability)

  May 2024 - now

  Special Envoy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
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  Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN)

  Jun 2024 - now

  Auditeur national de l’IHEDN

  3ème session nationale, 9ème majeure « enjeux et stratégies maritimes ».

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  Island Conservation

  Jul 2024 - now

  Vice President, Conservation Programs