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Former Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite is among the awardees on the Barbados Independence Honours List. The list was released as Barbados celebrates its independence anniversary on Saturday.
Ambassador Applewhaite received the Companion of Honour for distinguished national achievement and merit. She was honoured for her outstanding contribution to public service in Barbados and to diplomacy and development through high-level representation in the region and the Commonwealth.
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
Lolita Janet Applewhaite was born in Barbados and received her primary education at St. Luke's Girls' School and her secondary education at Queen's College. Ms Applewhaite has a Bachelors degree in Political Science from the Institut d'études Politiques of Aix-en-Provence, France, and a Masters in International Public Policy from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, the Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Ms Applewhaite has a wealth of experience in International Relations, Diplomacy, Administration and Policy Formulation at the national and multilateral levels. Before recently joining the Commonwealth Secretariat in London where she was Chief of Staff to the Commonwealth Secretary-General for almost four years, she held the position of CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General for ten years during which period she also served as interim Secretary-General. Prior to this, Ms Applewhaite served in the Barbados Foreign Service for over twenty years, holding postings in North America and Europe before concluding as Barbados Ambassador to Venezuela and to Brazil.
Ms Applewhaite also served in the Barbados Public Service over a period of twelve years as Permanent Secretary of Ministries with various portfolios such as the Environment, Tourism, Industry, International Transport, Education, Youth Affairs and Culture.
Ms Applewhaite has represented Barbados at numerous meetings and conferences of various International Organisations.