Colin David Beck became ambassador of the Solomon Islands to the United States on March 31, 2004. He is also his nation’s representative to the United Nations. Beck received a bachelor’s degree in administration and political science from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. He holds a foreign services certificate from Oxford University in the United Kingdom, and has a master’s degree in international relations and Southeast Asian politics from the University of Queensland, Australia. In 1988 Beck started his career as a desk officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was later promoted to senior desk officer in 1990, and then sent to Australia for three months to establish a consulate general office in Brisbane. From 1993-1995 he served in various locations, including the embassies to Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. During that time he also served in the Solomon Islands Permanent Mission to the European Union and the High Commission to the United Kingdom. From 1995 to 2002 he was chief desk officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002 he served as assistant secretary of the Pacific and Asian Branch’s Political and Security Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In September 2008, Beck began a one year term as Vice-President of the United Nations General Assembly.