Pato was awarded an Order of British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of services to the community and law.

Pato has conducted many significant negotiations on behalf of Papua New Guinea, including on delicate topics such as the Manus Island refugee arrangements.

He has met in bilateral and multilateral meetings, as well as on social occasions, with his counterpart Foreign Ministers and national leaders of other countries.

As an envoy of O’Neill, Pato has delivered the Country Statement for Papua New Guinea on several occasions at the United Nations General Assembly, most recently on 29 September 2018.

As part of the First Marape Cabinet, he lost his ministerial portfolio, but was appointed Special Envoy of the Prime Minister on International Affairs, a role he still holds.