PERSONAL

Nauruan national
Married 27 years to Marion

BACKGROUND

A Nauruan by birth and part-Marshallese by extraction, Vinci Clodumar was educated in Australia. A recipient and product of the Nauruan Overseas Scholarship System, he distinguished himself as a sportsman and scholar at the prestigious The Scots School in Bathurst, NSW, and later at the Warnambool Institute of Technology in Victoria – where he graduated in Engineering. He returned home as one of the few Nauruan graduates and was employed by the Government of Nauru in increasingly important capacities, leading to his election to Parliament where he served in several portfolios as a Cabinet Minister.

Vinci Clodumar undertook 4 years legal training in Nauru under a program developed by the Chief Justice of the Nauru Supreme Court and was admitted to the bar as a legal practitioner in Nauru.

Vinci Clodumar has worked and traveled extensively throughout the region and beyond, culminating in his appointment as Nauru’s first Ambassador to the United Nations – where his multi-faceted skills and leadership qualities were put to good use as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Group between 2001 and 2002 – a period which saw an unprecedented growth in the profile and effectiveness of the NY Group in negotiating global development issues, and in promoting Pacific issues.

QUALITIES AND SKILLS

Energetic, motivated and results-oriented, Vinci Clodumar brings with him a broad range of skills and experience. He has a proven track record in corporate management, as well as a thorough grounding in national and international public service. He has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to regional development issues, and through his dealings in the Pacific and in the United Nations, has developed a wide network of contacts. Vinci Clodumar’s vision and leadership qualities coupled with an ability to work with a range of modern communication and management tools make him an efficient manager and diplomat.

EXPERIENCE

1999–Present
UNITED NATIONS, New York
USA Permanent Representative of Nauru & Ambassador Plenipotentiary

In presenting his credentials to the UN Secretary-General on December 22, 1999, Vinci Clodumar became Nauru’s first Ambassador to the United Nations, and was responsible for setting up the new Permanent Mission. In establishing an agenda and mission statement, Vinci involved himself intimately in the workings of the UN, particularly in the committees and meetings involving security and legal issues. Upon becoming Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Group in July 2001, Vinci played an important role in improving the cohesiveness and profile of the group, and Pacific region in general, on the international stage.

To afford wider and more effective coverage of important issues by the small missions of the Pacific Islands Forum Group, Vinci established a number of Working Groups, and secured the extensive input of experts from the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) experts to cover the relevant UN Committee work and represent the region in negotiations within the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). He brought the Group together in New York more than a dozen times at the Ambassadorial and Ministerial level, and delivered 24 joint statements on behalf of the Pacific region during his tenure. Under his Chairmanship the group secured its first resolution on Cooperation with the United Nations, and opened up extensive dialogue with the United States and important agencies like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in an effort to establish a database of assistance needs for the region.

1999
NAURU REHABILITATION CORPORATION
Republic of Nauru
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Vinci was appointed Chairman of the newly created Rehabilitation Corporation during what was a critical time in Nauru’s transition to a post-phosphate economy. With his small management team, Vinci Clodumar was responsible for recruiting the CEO, and designing the Operations Manual and Mission Statement for the Corporation, as well as preparing the inaugural budget.

1997–1999
NAURU PHOSPHATE CORPORATION (NPC) & NAURU PHOSPHATE ROYALTIES TRUST (NPRT)
Chairman of the Boards & General Manager

As Chairman & General Manager of both of these instrumentalities, Vinci Clodumar simultaneously at once managed the two most important bodies on Nauru. The Phosphate Corporation was winding down its operations and Vinci was appointed by Cabinet to make the transition a smooth one, while at the same time as Chair of the Trust, he was charged with managing and restoring the country’s sole source of future wealth.

1987–1997
PARLIAMENT
Republic of Nauru
Member of Parliament

In 8 years as the elected member of Parliament for the constituency of Meneng, Vinci Clodumar held various portfolios during his tenure as a Cabinet Minister in the Nauru Government, including:· Minister for Justice (1989); Minister for Health & Education (1989-1992);· Minister for Finance (1992-1994), and;· Minister for Works and Community Services (1994-1995).

1982–1989
NAURU PHOSPHATE CORPORATION
Republic of Nauru
Mining Supervisor, Operations Manager and General Manager

Between 1982 and 1989, Vinci Clodumar’s engineering and management skills were put to use managing the phosphate mines. He quickly ascended the corporate ladder becoming the country’s first indigenous Operations manager in 1986, and then Acting General Manager in 1988 until he was appointed as member of the Aroi Government in 1989.

1981–1982
CIVIL AVIATION
Republic of Nauru
Director of Civil Aviation & General Manager of Air Nauru

Vinci Clodumar was appointed to head the Department of Civil Aviation, with the responsibility of enforcing the compliance of Nauru Air Navigation Act by air services operators in the Republic’s air space, Vinci was simultaneously appointed as General Manager of Nauru’s national airline - which had a fleet of 7 jet aircraft at that time.

1978–1981
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
Republic of Nauru
A/Director

Vinci Clodumar headed one of the largest departments on Nauru, and was responsible for designing and managing the country’s housing program, as well as the public transportation and construction systems. A/Director Headed up one of the largest departments on Nauru, and was responsible for designing and managing the country’s housing program, as well as the public transportation and construction systems. A/Director Headed up one of the largest departments on Nauru, and was responsible for designing and managing the country’s housing program, as well as the public transportation and construction systems.

1975–1978
DEPARTMENT OF ISLAND DEVELOPMENT
Republic of Nauru
Senior Project Officer

As a young engineer, Vinci Clodumar was employed by the Nauru Government to review and assess potential economic development projects for the country. Projects implemented and managed by Vinci included pilot schemes in the agriculture, private sector, telecommunications and transportation sectors.

EDUCATION

1971–1975
Warnambool Institute of Technology
Victoria, Australia. Graduated with a Diploma in Engineering 1964–1969.

1964-1969
Scots School

Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Matriculated with a NSW Higher School Certificate

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Graduate of the Australian Institute of Engineers

DIRECTORSHIP

Nauru Phosphate Corporation – Chairman of the Board
Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust – Chairman of the Board
Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation – Acting Chairman of the Board & Board Director
Asian Development Bank Board - Governor

MAJOR CONFERENCES ATTENDED

Vinci Clodumar has attended numerous regional and international conferences, workshops and seminars for over 30 years on behalf of the Government of Nauru's Parliament and other national agencies, as well as for the New York Pacific Islands Forum Group. Particular fields of interest include financial management, globalization, governance, economic development, environment, and peace and security issues.

LANGUAGES

English and Nauruan.

INTERESTS

Vinci Clodumar enjoys music, watching sports and likes to travel.