Terence O'Brien (1936–2022) served as a diplomat with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for over 40 years. He served as High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, Ambassador to the United Nations and the European Union, a term at the UN in Geneva including the World Trade Organization, and finally to the UN in New York, including a term as President of the UN Security Council. He was the founding director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. He wrote and lectured widely on international and regional relations, security affairs, and New Zealand foreign policy. His memoir Consolations of Insignificance: A Diplomatic Memoir was published in 2024.
