Kiwi who has has blended law with wine industry expertise is backed by govt to win election as new head of the OIV
Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor didn’t mention the weight of support for Auckland lawyer John Barker, when he welcomed the election of Barker as Director General of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).
Barker won by a margin which O’Connor and his party colleagues can only dream about, as they limber up for the general election.
The Ministers will sign a Status of Forces Agreement providing a legal framework for New Zealand and Fijian military forces to effectively cooperate within each other’s territories. They will also discuss a range of defence and security issues.
The visit follows Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to New Zealand where Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced a further NZ$11.1 million of climate change support for Fiji to respond to the effects of climate change.
According to a report on wineindustryadvisor.com, Barker was elected with 139,4 of the total 142,8 weighed votes. 46 out of 47 eligible Member States voted for him.
The new DG will start his mandate in January 2024, the “International Year of Vine and Wine” and when the organisation celebrates its centenary.
The OIV is an inter-governmental organisation which issues recommendations on viticulture and winemaking practices. Headquartered in Dijon, France, it has 49 Member States and plays an important role in helping to facilitate trade through establishing relevant technical standards for wine and wine products.
In a press statement which welcomed Barker’s election, O’Connor noted this is the first time a New Zealander – or anyone from the Southern Hemisphere – has held this position in the OIV.
The Government had supported Barker’s campaign, reflecting its commitment to the New Zealand wine industry and to an organisation that is critical to the way wine is regulated in our key export markets.
O’Connor said:
“New Zealand’s membership in the OIV gives us the opportunity to identify and influence strategic global debates in areas affecting one of our most successful and fastest growing export industries.”
O’Connor’s press statement was posted on the government’s official website along with statements which answer questions such as:
The new DG will start his mandate in January 2024, the “International Year of Vine and Wine” and when the organisation celebrates its centenary.
The OIV is an inter-governmental organisation which issues recommendations on viticulture and winemaking practices. Headquartered in Dijon, France, it has 49 Member States and plays an important role in helping to facilitate trade through establishing relevant technical standards for wine and wine products.
In a press statement which welcomed Barker’s election, O’Connor noted this is the first time a New Zealander – or anyone from the Southern Hemisphere – has held this position in the OIV.
The Government had supported Barker’s campaign, reflecting its commitment to the New Zealand wine industry and to an organisation that is critical to the way wine is regulated in our key export markets.
O’Connor said:
“New Zealand’s membership in the OIV gives us the opportunity to identify and influence strategic global debates in areas affecting one of our most successful and fastest growing export industries.”
O’Connor’s press statement was posted on the government’s official website along with statements which answer questions such as:
- How are they spending (or mis-spending) our taxes:
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall announced an initial $10m investment to expand Wellington Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department. This is one of 104 health infrastructure projects worth a total of $6.8 billion being planned and delivered around the country.
- Where in the world can we find the minister:
The Ministers will sign a Status of Forces Agreement providing a legal framework for New Zealand and Fijian military forces to effectively cooperate within each other’s territories. They will also discuss a range of defence and security issues.
The visit follows Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to New Zealand where Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced a further NZ$11.1 million of climate change support for Fiji to respond to the effects of climate change.
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The Government is backing a significant expansion of Wellington Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department, Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall has announced.
Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor is welcoming the election of New Zealand’s candidate, Dr John Barker, as Director General of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) at a meeting this evening in Spain.
Dr John Barker was nominated by the New Zealand Government as a candidate for the role of Director General of the International Organisation for Wine and the Vine (OIV) 2024. This was his second campaign, after a closely contested 2018 election.
His career includes working as wine programme manager for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (later absorbed into the Ministry for Primary Industries) for two years.
He worked for 10 years with New Zealand Winegrowers.
His law practice, John Barker Law, specialises in offering expertise and strategic understanding gained from more than 20 years advising industry, government and the private sector on wine and beverage alcohol law and policy.
We provide strategic legal and policy advice in the follow areas:Production, labelling and export rules;
- Sale and promotion of alcoholic beverages;
- Registration and protection of geographical indications;
- Marketing and media law;
- Supply and distribution contracts;
- Excise and alcohol levies;
- International trade rules;
- Issues management.
- :Advising companies on legal management of product contamination and other critical non-compliance incidents.
- Regular pre-market clearance of alcoholic beverage labels and advertisements.
- Advising several international companies on composition of cider and fruit wine for eligibility to be sold in NZ supermarkets.
- Advising on WET/excise implications of product composition for products sold in the Australian market.
- Reviewing regulatory compliance practices across the operations of several major NZ wine companies.
- Reviewing and upgrading the grape supply and winemaking contract portfolios for multiple NZ wine companies.
- Advising on legal risk involved with various sponsorship arrangements for international alcoholic beverage companies.
- Advising on acceptability of certain winemaking practices in key export markets such as EU, Japan and China.
All through university he had worked in wine shops and then later, when he did his OE, he also worked in the wine industry.
He graduated from Auckland University with a BA LLB in 1992.
His prize-winning doctoral thesis dealt with the international regulation of the wine industry.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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