Nuala Lawlor is a Canadian diplomat and international development professional.
Nuala is a mother and wife with an interest in journalism. She loves eating, fashion, travel, travel-planning and writing.
She is currently employed as the coordinator for the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) with a focus on inclusive governance and access to justice in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, and Somalia). She served as the country coordinator for United Nations Volunteers in English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, based in Barbados. As a diplomat, she served in Sudan as the acting chargé d'affaires in 2007 and also in South Africa as the Trade Commissioner from the High Commissioner of Canada. Additionally, in her diplomat role, she was deployed in Venezuela, Ghana, and Peru.
During her diplomatic mission in Sudan, she was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours for standing up for human rights and the rule of law in Sudan, a move alleged to have contradicted her diplomatic mission in Sudan. However, she was declared persona non grata after being accused of political interference. A spokesman for the department in Ottawa addressed the issue and mentioned that, "she was standing up for human rights and the rule of law in Sudan, in the finest tradition of Canadian diplomacy".