St. James North

Chad Blackman is an attorney-at-law, international development professional, and public servant with over two decades of experience working at the highest levels of global governance and policy formulation. He currently serves as Minister of Educational Transformation, having previously held responsibility in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment.

His career spans international diplomacy, labour governance, and youth development. Chad has served as Barbados’ Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Vienna, and Rome, as well as Ambassador to Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, and Serbia. During his diplomatic tenure, he played key leadership roles across the WTO and UNCTAD, including Chair of the Trade and Environment Committee, Chair of the Trade and Development Committee of the WTO, President of the G77 and China in Geneva, and Coordinator of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Group.

He later joined the International Labour Organization as Senior Advisor to the Director-General. While based in Geneva, he also lectured at the Master’s level at the Geneva School of Diplomacy.

Chad holds both an LLB in Law and an LLM in International Trade Law from the University of Essex and is fluent in French. His career reflects a deep commitment to development, education, and global equity.