Diplomatic Lunch

Join Junior Fellows and special guest Jon Allen for lunch in the private dinning room to discuss current affairs and middle east diplomacy.

Born in Winnipeg in 1950, Jon Allen completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Manitoba. He obtained an LL.B from the University of Western Ontario, an LL.M in International Law from the University of London (LSE). He joined the then Department of External Affairs in Ottawa in 1981 after working in private practice (Perry, Farley and Onyschuk, Toronto) and at the Law Reform Commission of Canada (Ottawa).

In addition to postings abroad in Mexico City (1983-85), New Delhi (1989-92) and Washington (1997-2001), Mr. Allen spent his early career in the Legal Bureau of the Department where he represented Canada in disputes under the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and worked in the areas of human rights, humanitarian and environmental law.

Mr. Allen subsequently held the positions of Director General, North America Bureau (2001-2004), Minister (Political Affairs) at the Embassy of Canada in Washington (2004-2006), and Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas (2010-2012).

From 2006 to 2010, he was the Ambassador of Canada to Israel. From 2012 to 2016, he was Ambassador to Spain and Andorra and from December 2012 to July 2014, he was Chargé d’affaires a.i. to the Holy See.