Fauziah Mohd Taib

Dato' Dr. Fauziah binti Mohamad Taib (born 26 March 1955) is a Malaysian diplomat and published author. She was previously the Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a post she held from 13 August 2008 until her retirement in 2015. She also served as the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is based in The Hague.

Fauziah has written extensively on a variety of topics of interest to the diplomat. Her first published work, titled ''Malaysia and UNCED: An Analysis of A Diplomatic Process'' was published under Kluwer Law International in 1989 and remains a reference for the diplomatic negotiation process. Since then, she has authored or edited no less than ten other books, including editing the best-selling ''Number One, Wisma Putra'', a collection of short stories from Malaysian Ambassadors of their lives on the road. Her latest book, ''At the OPCW: A Story of Malaysia's Interventions'', was launched by the OPCW Director General in March 2015.

In 2005, Fauziah was appointed as the Director General of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations, the training arm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia). It was during her tenure at the Institute that she instituted major changes to the diplomatic syllabus, tailoring the courses to the relevant diplomatic skills needed for a 21st-century diplomat. She advocated for a more interactive mode of training, preferring simulation and discussions, over lectures and talks.

She published a number of books while at the Institute, and helped others to publish as well, strengthening the publication mandate of the Institute. Her writing skills were also employed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs during this time as his lead speech-writer. She is known for her strength in substantive issues as well as a flair for the written word.

As Permanent Representative to the OPCW, Fauziah represented Malaysia in two Executive Council terms, even successfully co-facilitating on the difficult and controversial question of the OPCW’s inspection methodology. When the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2013, there was no question that Fauziah would be among the handful of state representatives travelling to Oslo for the ceremony. In the Netherlands, Fauziah discovered a talent for painting and held her first exhibition at The Hague in 2012.

Fauziah is an avid traveller – an interest she developed after spending the summer of her graduation in 1977 backpacking and trekking across the continental USA. Provided by Wikipedia