John Alan Beesley OC QC (1927–2009) was a Canadian diplomat and civil servant.
[citation needed] He spent his early years in Williams Lake, Penticton and Kamloops.
[citation needed] He attended the University of British Columbia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and Law degree in 1950.
After graduating, Beesley practised law at Crease and Company in Victoria, BC, for six years, prior to joining the federal Department of External Affairs in 1956.
His early postings included Israel in 1958 and the Canadian permanent mission to the United Nations Geneva, from 1964 to 1967.
[2] He ended his diplomatic career as ambassador for marine conservation and special environmental adviser to Canada's Foreign Minister from 1989 to 1991.
[2] Beesley was also an active human rights advocate in the World Health Organization (on apartheid) and led the delegation that negotiated the anti-hijacking agreement with Cuba.
[5] In 1993, Beesley was awarded the Admiral's Medal for contributions to Canadian maritime affairs.