15 Facts About Rimbink Pato

Rimbink Pato OBE was born on 4 May 1961 and is a Papua New Guinean constitutional lawyer and politician.

Rimbink Pato was Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2012 to 2019.

Rimbink Pato was awarded an Order of British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of services to the community and law.

Rimbink Pato attended Wamapisa Primary School and Pausa Lutheran Secondary School.

Rimbink Pato graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Papua New Guinea in 1986, and then went on to the Legal Training Institute.

Rimbink Pato was Managing Partner with Steeles Lawyers, which later re-established as Pato Lawyers, with Pato remaining as Managing Partner.

From 1999 to 2001, Rimbink Pato was Executive Chairman and CEO of the Finance Pacific Group of companies, which included Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation Ltd, Rural Development Bank Ltd, MMI Pacific Insurance Ltd, and Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust Limited.

Rimbink Pato was elected to Parliament in the 2012 general election, as MP for Wapenamanda, representing the United Party.

Rimbink Pato has since played prominent roles, often as chairman, in the Pacific Islands Forum, the Melanesian Spearhead Group, and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.

Rimbink Pato has chaired and co-chaired high-level sessions at the United Nations.

Rimbink Pato has conducted many significant negotiations on behalf of Papua New Guinea, including on delicate topics such as the Manus Island refugee arrangements.

Rimbink Pato has met in bilateral and multilateral meetings, as well as on social occasions, with his counterpart Foreign Ministers and national leaders of other countries.

Rimbink Pato attended the World Trade Organization 11th ministerial conference 2017 in Argentina as Minister for Trade.

Rimbink Pato chaired the Ministerial Session of the 2018 APEC Economic Leaders Summit in Port Moresby.

Rimbink Pato is married to Joyce Rimbink Pato, and they have three children.