FCO Bloggers: Global conversations

Goodbye to all that

James Donally — Sat, 4 Jul 2009 09:52:15 +0100

Well, my year in Musa Qala is nearly up and it’s time to say my goodbyes to my Afghan and British friends here. I must say the time really has flown by and much has happened in this small corner of Helmand, not least improved security, leading to increased freedom of movement and an uplift in business in Musa Qala. And some basics are in place: school, clinic, some roads, improved electricity supply. But to fill the security "envelope" provided by the Afghan security forces and their British counterparts, the Afghan government needs to step in and be seen to be working full time in the district; Afghans deserve a government that listens to its people and is trusted. Until now in Musa Qala, we foreigners - civilian and military - have sometimes seemed to be the only people the local population could approach to discuss their problems and get things done. But the Afghan government understands that it has to assume its proper place in the lives of the locals, and in other parts of Helmand this process is already under way, led by an energetic and progressive Provincial Governor. I really believe the people of Musa Qala are ready for that next step: they are interested in the future of their country and are now gearing up for August's presidential and provincial elections. Successful voter registration earlier this year means that people are at least in a position to vote - providing they feel safe and know enough about the choices on offer.

Even if we sometimes lacked Afghan attention, we certainly weren’t short of British visitors to Musa Qala, from Ross Kemp through assorted generals to the PM, all have shown huge interest in the people of Musa Qala and the UK military who have come here to help them.

I will leave here with an enormous admiration for the British military who have hosted this strange civilian with great patience and I wish them all a safe return home. At the same time I commend our exceptionally brave and talented local staff and other local partners who I hope will remain in their country to continue to improve the lot of its people.

Honduras: the confusion continues

Julie Chappell — Fri, 3 Jul 2009 21:16:01 +0100

We have kept a close eye this week on events in and around Honduras. Our Honorary Consuls (based in 3 key places in Honduras) have been particularly helpful in giving us accurate information about e.g. demonstrations in the major cities. We have also been meeting diplomatic, military and business contacts to get a feel for opinions in the region, as well as staying in close touch with other British Embassies – for example, in Washington where the Organisation of American States (OAS) has its headquarters. We hope that confrontation can be avoided ahead of the elections that are due to be held in Honduras in November this year. The OAS has a crucial role to play this weekend in helping to find a peaceful, political way forward. But for now, the situation remains unpredictable. Just today, we have issued a further update to our travel advice warning of possible confrontations over the weekend.

Three ways to improve the climate

Agnieszka Tomaszewska — Fri, 3 Jul 2009 15:32:32 +0100

The past few days have witnessed a series of climate and energy events. It is impossible to describe all, I will therefore only mention some of them.

First, 17 June saw a seminar for sectoral media, organised by Lewiatan under the motto "Three ways to improve the climate". A dozen-so journalists attending the event familiarised themselves with reports on energy efficiency, biomass and CCS, compiled in the wake of the SPF LCHG project I wrote about last time. The meeting spurred a lively discussion, with many interesting questions asked. I know that information on the report on development possibilities for the biomass market also appeared on the Economic Portal wnp.pl, one of the best sources of up to date information on energy generation.

Second, we had the QBP, or the annual party to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, hosted by Ambassador Ric Todd in his residence. We celebrated the occasion together with our project partners and climate and energy experts from public administration and non-governmental organisations. On the morning of that day the International Energy Agency held an important meeting in the Ministry of Economy, devoted to prospects for the development of CCS technologies in Poland. The so-called round table was attended by government experts, energy companies and representatives of social organisations, including institutions implementing CCS-related SPF LCHG projects.

On Friday 19 June our Climate and Energy Team met with coordinators and participants of Challenge Europe, a regional British Council project. Climate advocates informed us of their concepts of internet projects they would like to carry out in the near future. We in turn told them how to apply for funds promoting low-carbon economy and familiarised them with the projects we support. Head of our Team Michael Halpin admitted that the Embassy could not provide funding for internet portals, therefore we tried to ponder on other forms of cooperation. We exchanged our business cards and I trust that we will stay in touch. We will also be happy to host climate advocates at our events.

And this brings us to a new week. On 22 June the Ministry of Environment organised another in a series of meetings as part of the "Partnership for Climate" initiative that had chiefly aimed at engaging various organisations in the preparation of the COP14 Conference in Poznań. The initiative saw numerous events, exhibitions and open events related to climate change. Following the success achieved in 2008, the Ministry has resolved to continue the initiative for another year. Therefore I am all the more glad that we have been actively participating in it since the very beginning.

And on the next day, 23 June, Poland hosted British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on his first visit to this country. Climate and energy were among the numerous subjects he discussed with his Polish partners. What is more, he also referred to them in his speech on the European Union's future agenda, delivered in the Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw.

Irish Eyes Smiling

David Miliband — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:47:04 +0100

As I explained on Irish radio yesterday the deal secured by Ireland at the European council for a decision in respect of legal guarantees about the Lisbon Treaty, to be followed by the annexing of the decision to a future European treaty, is a win-win - good for Ireland and good for the rest of Europe. All parties there except Sinn Fein support a yes vote in the referendum now planned for early October. But no one is taking anything for granted.

The guarantees address concerns about tax, abortion and defence - and assure that the Lisbon Treaty does not affect Irish practice. My impression is that Irish voters are going to give them a good look. The fact that every country will keep a commissioner is also relevant. I can't tell the Irish how to vote. I can say there was a good deal in Brussels.

Thank You Mr Collins

David Miliband — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:43:26 +0100

I arrived at Leinster House wearing a jacket bearing only passing resemblance to my trousers. My jacket went off the BMI flight on someone else's shoulders (not the hostess' fault) and I had his jacket. The him in this case - you couldn't make it up - turned out to be a Mr Collins. But not Michael.

Forced Marriage

David Miliband — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:07:49 +0100

The Forced Marriage Unit today launched new guidelines for front-line practitioners (including teachers, police, and social and health care professionals) aimed at improving the identification and protection of those at risk of forced marriage.

These guidelines are important. Forced marriage is a serious denigration of human rights. Last year the Unit dealt with 420 individual cases, but no-one knows the real scale - it is likely that many instances remain unreported.

The Forced Marriage Unit - a joint unit of the FCO and the Home Office - runs a public helpline to provide advice and support to practitioners handling cases of forced marriage and to victims themselves. For advice call 020 7008 0151 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, or email fmu@fco.gov.uk. The FCO Global Response Centre can be reached on 020 7008 1500 for out of hours, emergency advice.

Meeting Kim Dae-Jung

Martin Uden — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 09:19:28 +0100

I normally don't say much about the many private meetings that I hold in Seoul, but this morning I called on Kim Dae-jung, former President of Korea and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. I went to see him to thank him for his continued attention to the imprisonment of his fellow Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi, and specifically for his contribution to the website set up for ASSK's 64th birthday.

We discussed Secretary-General Ban's visit to Burma tomorrow and the sad fact the ASSK's trial is to resume the same day. It was encouraging to see the very clear focus that President Kim has on the plight of ASSK and his strong support for pro-democracy elements there. Coming from a man who did so much to bring democracy to Korea, I found it truly heartening.
President Kim kindly agreed that I could mention our conversation and his staunch support for the people of Burma.

Universiade spirit... or not

Stephen Wordsworth — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 07:44:05 +0100

The World University Games, or Universiade, opened in Belgrade this week, bringing thousands of athletes and officials from 145 countries to Serbia. On Monday 29 June we organised a garden party to welcome the British team and officials, and some team members from other countries too. We also hosted many Serbian guests, of course, including a group of school pupils from the Rade Drainac school who are supporting the UK team during their stay here. With entertainment from the 'Orthodox Celts' - a local band that plays Irish music - it was a very international occasion. All the weather forecasts had said it would rain, but they were wrong as usual, and everybody seemed to have a good time. I was enormously impressed by the enthusiasm of the young UK visitors, none of whom (as far as I could find out) had been to Serbia before, who were all looking forward to their competitions. They all seemed very happy with their accommodation, and with the welcome they had received.

On 1 July I went to the opening ceremony at the Belgrade Arena. The flags were paraded in one by one to loud cheers and everything seemed to be going well until the flag of the USA appeared. Then, unfortunately, a large section of the crowd to my left began booing loudly, and there were further boos, though less loudly, when the Croatian flag appeared a few minutes later. This must have been very hurtful to the young US and Croatian athletes present, who had worked so hard to get to the competition. It also left all the references to 'sportsmanship' and 'fair play' in the pre-scripted speeches that followed sounding very hollow. After the speeches there was an entertainment programme. The young people must have rehearsed hard, but I no longer felt like celebrating and left before the end.

Any Comments? - in Serbian or in English?

Cycling in Taiwan

Charles Garrett — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 05:04:26 +0100

Outside work, Taiwan has witnessed over the last few years a social development that has amazed and delighted me in a equal measure.

I'm talking about the massive increase in the popularity of bicycles. When I first came here in 2005 it seemed that cycling was a minority interest. Taipei City Government was building cycle paths along the capital's rivers more in hope, it seemed, than in expectation that people would actually use them.

Charles Garrett(third from left), Deputy Director of BTCO

But today those same pathways, still being extened and improved, are now busy with cyclists of all ages and at all times. And on the back-roads of Yangmingshan - which must be one of the world's very best networks of cycling routes for the super-fit bikes now outnumber cars and scooters many times over. Pay a visit to Road 101 from Danshui to Erziping or the road which leads from the National Palace Museum over the hills to Wanli, and you'll see what I meam.

On Sunday 14 June I was in Nantou County cycling 58km from Puli to Hehuanshan. The race starts at about 400 metres above sea-level and ends at over 3200 metres. I cannot think of anywhere in the world which has a race like it - this must be unique. What surprises me is that so few people outside Taiwan know about this. There is a big global market for extreme physical challenges - this sort of event could bring participants from around the world.

UK and Kenya-Response to Dr. Wapili Job

Rob Macaire — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 09:48:35 +0100

I'd like to respond to the comment posted by Dr Wapili Job. As I wrote earlier, it's not for us to try to dictate how Kenya pursues justice for the post election violence. But we do support the findings of the Waki commission (and the government's own repeated statements) that a serious judicial process is needed. The question seems to be "what constitutes a serious judicial process". Kenyans I speak to seem divided on this. But I do think it important that there should be an informed public debate. I think a lot of people are misled by the phrase "a local tribunal". What Waki recommended, and we support along with Kofi Annan and others, is the concept of a tribunal based on the international law that governs the ICC, with constitutional protection, and thus insulated from the existing judicial and prosecutorial system. So it would have international investigators, international prosecutors, and a majority of international judges at both the trial and appeal level. That is the proposal that Parliament rejected, which is a shame, because whether or not the ICC gets involved, such a tribunal seems to be the best way to attack impunity in the country.

One thing does seem pretty clear to me though - given the doubts people have about even such a strong tribunal, a weaker one isn't likely to carry credibility with many Kenyans or others. The idea of a tribunal set up under the existing court system is doing the rounds, but certainly lacks that credibility, which is what I have said to anyone who has raised it with me. I'm not, of course, going to comment on any specific meetings I've had that were not in the public domain.

Ends

UK and Kenya- Replies to some points made

Rob Macaire — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 06:18:34 +0100

Some thoughtful and thought-provoking comments on my last post. A couple of them ask questions:

First, Iqbal Halani asks about a Special Tribunal as proposed in the Waki Commission as against the alternative idea of a tribunal set up under existing mechanisms. It's up to Kenyans to decide what route they want to take towards justice for the post-election violence. But as far as we are concerned, we remain strong supporters of the National Accord process, of which the Waki Commission was a key part. And one of the key conclusions of that Commission was that any judicial process was going to have to be credible and independent. That's why it recommended a tribunal anchored in the constitution. Would an alternative that is under the existing structures be credible? Judging by the fact that most Kenyans seem to harbour doubts about even the stronger, Waki version, I can't imagine that a weaker one would be acceptable to many people. What do you think?

Second, let me answer Alexander's question about the links with the case brought by veterans of Mau Mau. I think it is absolutely right to point out that transitional justice mechanisms need to link back to history. At a time when Kenya is setting up a TJRC to look at injustices since independence, it's perhaps a good moment to look back before that, to the colonial period also. We certainly don't want to impede that debate, and we think it's important to have an open discussion, including of Mau Mau and the Emergency period. I am afraid that I'm going to duck for now the invitation to make a statement about the case itself: I don't know the details of the claims, so it is difficult to comment in any detail, and since these are before the courts, that's the right place for the discussion to happen. But a couple of general points: as I said to the representatives of the Mau Mau veterans when I met them before they left for the UK, I believe that everyone who thinks they have a justifiable claim should have access to the courts to have it heard. I have faith in the High Court in London to hear it impartially, and of course the British Government will abide by the outcome. And although I am not sure how much prospect they have of actually winning their case, I don't think it is unhelpful to shine a spotlight on what has happened in in the past, including in the Emergency period which brought a great deal of suffering to people on all sides.

And thirdly, I apologise for not answering earlier Mary Onyango's question about the health sector. Health is, indeed, essential for development. DFID is funding on average £28 million per year on health and AIDS work, particularly malaria control. The UK is a development partner in the health sector and we engage in a variety of policy and strategy consultation mechanisms. We work with civil society as well as government, and concentrate our work in areas of high vulnerability. We have funded the distribution of 14 million anti malarial bednets to date and provide around 30 million condoms per year.
Of course, there is always more to do. For another example of our work, see my blog on a military medical exercise last month.

ends

Curvy Cucumbers

David Miliband — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:02:46 +0100

The EU has defied sceptic attacks and shown its distaste for waste, approving the sale of curvy, knobbly, natural fruit. These measures combine common sense and subsidiarity. So there.

China-European Commission agreement on CCS

David Miliband — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:13 +0100

I blogged recently about the need to finance environmental measures in developing countries ('A Greener World'). I was pleased to see the European Commission's announcement on Thursday of its intention to help fund carbon capture and storage demonstration with China - particularly since the original EU-China Partnership on Climate Change was launched through a joint declaration during the UK's last EU Presidency in 2005.

We have long argued that providing global certainty on the demonstration of CCS (by 2015) and its deployment (by 2020) is central to any credible climate change agreement which deals effectively with fossil fuel, and coal in particular.

A credible global CCS demonstration effort will require substantive international collaboration between major coal dependent economies. The Commission's announcement is a welcome step in the right direction. Funding CCS demonstration in China would complement the G8's commitment to launch 20 demonstrations in 2010.

More broadly this Commission-Chinese initiative can provide a model for more proposals for collaborative projects between developed countries and emerging economies. Nevertheless we need to act much faster and more ambitiously on CCS and other mitigation technologies as we approach Copenhagen.

G2G, a social experiment, and why I like Yammer

Stephen Hale — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:49:43 +0100

I might have been part of a ethnomethodological study last week. I was part of a panel at the Gov2Gov event at Canada House, talking with a flock of geeks about how social media is changing society, government and international relations.

It was a good event with lots of interesting people in the room, well organised and run by Dominic Campbell, Lovisa Williams, and Chris Heuer.

It was the hashtag (#g2g) that made me feel a bit like I was part of an experiment. Participants were encouraged to use the hashtag to talk about the event online before, after, and particularly during the event, and the live tweets were projected onto a huge screen in the room during the discussions.

But from where I was sitting, I couldn't see the live coverage. So as I spoke I was aware that some of the audience were providing live commentary to the web, and some were following the commentary as it was projected behind me, rather than my wise words as I spoke.

Now I reckon that speaking to a room full of people can be difficult enough. But people being amusing and clever in real time - literally behind your back - could make a man paranoid.

Reading them now, the tweets from the event make unremarkable reading. But the experience made me think about the difference between what people say, and what people say on the social web.

There's no doubt that some tools can embolden the author. That's almost certainly true of Twitter, particularly if the author posts anonymously (or without it being clearly apparent who the author is).

It's also made me think about when digital can augment physical engagement (by queuing questions, rebroadcasting, or offering an alternative opinion in this case), when it is just a fun sideshow, and when the choice of digital tools could alienate a wider audience.

For the record, I am not active on Twitter. I decided that the always-on, 10-opinions-a-day nature of Twitter suits my objectives and my personality less well than other tools. I think the macro blog suits me better than the micro.

I do realise that we may already have passed the point at which Twitter is an essential business (as well as personal) tool. I might already be missing out on conversations that aren't taking place anywhere else. But for the moment I use search.twitter more than I use www.twitter. I'm a Twitter lurker. I keep my micro-thoughts to myself.

Having said that, I do like to micro-blog. We're using Yammer in the Foreign Office, and I'm loving it. Private micro-blogging tools like Yammer seem to me to be a perfect tool for medium sized (and distributed) networks like Digital Diplomacy Group. Email is no good for informal knowledge sharing; Yammer seems to solve a problem we didn't realise we had.

One of the things I like about Yammer, is that it is all clearly attributed. So it fits with the Foreign Office model for digital engagement, in which we always try to be open and transparent, and explicitly clear about who is talking.

Attribution is often less clear on Twitter. People don't always say who they are (and sometimes they appear to, but aren't). That's why I'm more excited about John Duncan's use of Twitter - which is clearly attributed and seems to be providing useful opportunities for real engagement - than I am by our corporate channels, which we largely use to broadcast (even though I know that a corporate Twitter channel is unlikely to heckle me as I speak).

Toughest Job in Government?

David Miliband — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:05:09 +0100

Morgan Tsvangirai has finished a three week tour to rally support to the reform programme he is trying to drive through. I spent part of last week with him. The government supports his efforts. He has viciously difficult structural problems - and a transitional government with Robert Mugabe. One would be tough enough on its own; the two together make his one of the toughest jobs in government.

The UK is determined to offer practical and public support to the implementation of the transitional government's programme leading to fresh elections in about eighteen months. Step by step we will support the reform. Mark Malloch Brown's article in the Times shows the way forward and explains why easing sanctions on members of the Mugabe elite is not the place to start.

It's easy to say Tsvangirai has a battle on his hands. We have to help him.

Honduras: Expulsion of President Zelaya

Julie Chappell — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:40:55 +0100

This weekend was a busy one for the embassy, monitoring events in Honduras following the expulsion of President Zelaya on Sunday. Fortunately, the situation has remained calm. Tourists in the popular areas such as Roatan have been unaffected, but we are staying in close touch with our contacts on the ground and travel advice will be kept updated on www.fco.gov.uk.

On Sunday, our Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant called for the restoration of democratic, constitutional government in Honduras. We will continue to urge for the situation to be resolved through political - and not military - means.

CLUSTER MUNITIONS BAN: BUILDING BRITAIN’S FUTURE

John Duncan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:27 +0100

Today the Prime Minister published a major consultation exercise on the Draft Legislative Programme (DLP) including a Cluster Munitions Prohibitions Bill to give effect to the UK’s obligations under the Oslo Treaty signed by David Miliband at the end of last year.

The Plan called “Building Britain’s Future” calls for the United Kingdom to show leadership on a wider scale in driving forward a step-change on the nuclear non-proliferation and multilateral disarmament agenda in 2010.

The new bill on cluster munitions will create the criminal offences to enforce the Oslo Treaty's ban on the use, development, production,stockpiling, retention or transfer of cluster munitions, and thereby pave the way for the UK's ratification of this most significant new arms control agreement in recent years.

The Oslo Treaty (or more correctly the Convention on Cluster Munitions), and this Bill, will advance our goal of tackling the humanitarian and security threats posed by conventional weapons to regional and global stability, security and sustainable development.

To take part in this online consultation Building Britain's Future follow the links above.

Biomass market in Poland

Agnieszka Tomaszewska — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:23:26 +0100

On 5 June I went to Płońsk to attend a conference devoted to the production of energy crops for use by the energy sector. The conference officially launched the PKPP Lewiatan project on the development of the biomass market in Poland.

The 150 participants included farmers, agricultural advisors from local branches of the Mazovia Agricultural Advisory Centre and local authorities. Business was represented by Vattenfall Heat Poland S.A., who presented the results of a feasibility study of an energy willow plantation. I learned from the presentation that willow is a perennial plant, which is grown for 15-20 years, and is harvested every 3 years. In Poland it may be best grown on class III-VI soil and the size of a plantation recommended by Vattenfall Heat is 10-20 hectares.

As far as I know, the climate and energy package, adopted in December 2008, assumes that by 2020, the European Union will have reduced the CO2 emissions by 20%. In case of Poland, in order to reach this objective, the proportion of renewable energy, including biomass, in the energy mix should be 15%. However, experts say, that there is little awareness of the role farmers can play in fulfilling the EU commitments. In order to address this challenge, PKPP Lewiatan has prepared a practical guide for farmers, “Growing crops for the energy sector”. It contains information about where, when and what plants to grow. The guide is available at the website of PKPP Lewiatan as well as in the seat of the organisation.

In my view, the meeting in Płońsk provided a good opportunity for dialogue between business and farmers. The former have presented an offer of cooperation, while the farmers shared their concerns whether biomass production would be sufficient for them to make a living. We have not seen a lot of meetings like that in Poland so far. Therefore I think that the Płońsk seminar was an important event. I wonder if and how this cooperation will develop.

Were we cycling the joint European future of the region?

Stephen Wordsworth — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:51:30 +0100

Today we are hosting an entry written by Vladan Avramovic, member of our Projects team, and a 'Danube by Bike' tour participant.

A team of staff from the British Embassies in Budapest, Zagreb and Belgrade joined in the 'Danube by Bike' Tour. Altogether, four hundred people cycled the length of the Danube river in Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania last week. It was an opportunity to bring together people from all over Europe - EU member states, Western Balkan countries and Turkey - to encourage integration and dialogue, whilst raising awareness of the rich cultural heritage of Southeast Europe.

The British Embassy Team cycled from Budapest in Hungary, through Osijek and Vukovar in Croatia and on to Novi Sad and Belgrade in Serbia. The tour left the participants with a sense of pride, and a number of new friends. We were only cycling – but we feel we contributed a little to the European future of the region.

Serbia leg of the tour

The Serbia leg of the tour started on Saturday 27 June in Novi Sad and took the group to Sremski Karlovci where it boarded the tourist train, “Nostalgia”. Several keen cycling enthusiasts carried on to Slankamen where they were rewarded with what is claimed to be the best fish soup on Danube. The British Embassy Cycling Team agrees!

The day ended with an astonishing group ride through Belgrade which brought together more that 500 cyclists. It was a celebration of the European diversity and environmental consciousness, and for local, sometimes not very cyclist-friendly, car drivers, a unique opportunity to get the feeling of being an oppressed minority. It might help a few of them to respect cyclists' rights better in the future!

We posted news, views, photos and videos on the following Tumblr site throughout the tour, from its start in Budapest on Tuesday 23 June to the grand finale in Belgrade on the evening of Saturday 27 June: http://danubebybike.tumblr.com/. There is more about the tour on: http://danubebybike.eu/home.html and on the Embassy FlickR pages.

Gaza

David Miliband — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:50:42 +0100

The G8 Foreign Ministers reiterated their support for UNSC Resolution 1860 and its call for a halt to any smuggling into Gaza and the immediate opening of Crossings. This is important because rocket fire into Israel has been significantly reduced but not eliminated, while the number of trucks entering Gaza, which leapt last week to over 800, is still below the 500 per day that the UN say is essential. Meanwhile the closure of crossings provides an incentive for tunnelling and smuggling. Until these issues are resolved the threat of confrontation remains.

United effort in Afghanistan

David Miliband — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:44:30 +0100

The Italian chairmanship of the G8 group of industrialised countries brought over 40 delegations to Trieste to forge common ideas on Afghanistan and Pakistan. For Afghanistan, I stressed the importance of credible elections on 20 August. We do not support any particular one (of the 41) candidates but instead are working for a process that commands the confidence of Afghans. On the civilian side I emphasised: a) governance at provincial and district level; b) reconciliation of former Taliban willing to live by the constitution; and c) the economy and especially the renewal of agriculture.
The leadership in Pakistan has succesfully reached out across the political spectrum to rally popular opinion behind a surge in military activity against the militants. The people and government of Pakistan need our help to support and then resettle internally-displaced persons as soon as possible.
Strong and credible political leadership is the best antidote to the fear of the war-weary people of both countries. That is what we are trying to support.

Armed Forces Day

David Miliband — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:37:29 +0100

The bravery, intelligence and sacrifices of our armed forces have been given appropriate coverage this week through the media's focus on Afghanistan. Armed Forces Day gives official recognition and hopefully raises understanding and pride. It is also a chance to raise extra money for the Help for Heroes charity - the attached link gives details of the run along the Kabul Wall by the British ambassador and the leading British officer, General Dutton. http://www.justgiving.com/H4H-Ambassador-General.

The Armed Forces Day in Belgrade

Stephen Wordsworth — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:33:15 +0100

Today we are hosting a blog by Colonel Nigel Fenn, the Defence Attache of the British Embassy in Belgrade, written on the occasion of the first UK Armed Forces Day.

The British Embassy in Belgrade marked the first United Kingdom's Armed Forces Day by raising a commemorative flag outside the Embassy on Thursday, 25 June. Britain's Armed Forces day will take place on Saturday 27th June and will be marked by events all over the UK. The commemorative flag will fly at councils, businesses and homes as well as UK Armed Forces bases all over the world. In recognition of this event the British Embassy in Belgrade is proud to support the event.

Armed Forces Day was created as part of the British Government's initiative to recognise better the contribution made to society by all those who serve and have served in the British Armed Forces. It is part of a wider campaign to raise public awareness, understanding and support for the Armed Forces.

The title “Armed Forces Day” has been chosen to reflect the wider Armed Forces Family of serving personnel (both regular and reserve), veterans and the cadet forces. This sense of inclusiveness is reflected in the strap line for the Day: “Honouring Britain’s Armed Forces, past, present and future”. However, this does not mean that we do not also honour those allies that have fought alongside British Forces in the past; Serbia and the UK have a long tradition for cooperation through two world wars and I hope that we can continue to cooperate for many years to come.

This Armed Forces Day allows us to remember and honour not only those in past but the present and equally the future. We must all work together towards a more secure and peaceful future.

EXIT Festival 09 - stay safe and enjoy!

Stephen Wordsworth — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:33:18 +0100

Today we are hosting an entry written by Ian Craig, member of our Consular team that will be in Novi Sad during the EXIT Festival, 9-12 July, to assist British visitors in case of emergency.

Although there has been an Embassy presence at EXIT for many years in 2008 the British Embassy set up an help and information stand at the EXIT campsite. This year we will doing the same and myself and other colleagues will be there from 10 until 5 everyday of the festival, we also be on call 24 hours a day on special designated numbers which you can find on our Embassy site and on this blog. The site and blog will also tell you what we can and cannot do for you.

EXIT is one of the best and most enjoyable festivals in the world and even people of my age can have a flashback to long gone days of jumping around to Eton Rifles (Paul Weller 2008) and this year getting those too tight Fred Perry T-shirts out for some Nutty Boy mayem from Madness. EXIT is also a great showcase for Serbia and the majority of people leave with nothing but good impressions of the country, as is shown by the many who return year after year.

Enjoy EXIT, keep safe, drink lots of water, slap on the suncream as it will be hot and sunny and hopefully we won't see you for anything more than a chat.

UK Armed Forces Day in Guatemala

Julie Chappell — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:20:08 +0100

Yesterday, we hosted a couple of events. At lunchtime, we celebrated the first ever UK Armed Forces Day by holding a lunch for ex-UK military personnel (including World War II veterans) now living in Guatemala. UK Armed Forces Day is about showing our thanks for the sacrifices and immense commitment that our British Forces make. In the UK, there were also a number of events to raise public awareness of the work that they do. (For more information, check out www.armedforcesday.org.uk) I was really pleased to be able to support this day because I have worked very proudly alongside the British military throughout most of my diplomatic career – in Jordan, Iraq, Washington, NATO HQ and most recently in the Horn of Africa.

Then we were back down to Antigua - this time to meet some of the 150+ UK residents who live in this small town. We regularly do this type of consular outreach to stay in touch with the British community and to help with any problems as necessary. This time round, we also asked for some advice from them in designing a leaflet campaign for British tourists in this region. Ideally, all of the 40,000 British travellers to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador would check our travel advice (on www.fco.gov.uk) to know the latest security risks and for practical advice on e.g. what to do in an earthquake. But, then again, I’m sure I remember backpacking in Africa as a student and not always being quite so diligent! So the idea of the campaign is to be proactive in getting helpful information out to travellers once they have arrived in country. To be most effective, we’ll be calling on our British network – as well as contacts in e.g. the ports (air and sea), tourist agencies, Spanish schools and local tourism boards – to help us get leaflets to those who need them.

And finally, I rushed home to check the internet to see how the British teams got on the 2009 Lacrosse World Cup (www.lacrosseworldcup2009.com). This sport remains my favourite, even though not so many people play it here… yet!

Satisfying the media

Stuart Jack — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:32:11 +0100

There was an interesting editorial in yesterday's Cayman NewNews encouraging transparency on the part of government. The Caymanian Compass, the other daily newspaper in the Cayman Islands, has also been a strong advocate of freedom of information.

I do not, of course, always agree with their editorials and I cannot always satisfy their enquiries for various reasons (often legal, or the matter is actually someone else’s responsibility). Personally I sometimes get frustrated when I am advised not to say too much, though I usually understand why. It is reasonable that some government activities should be confidential. That includes some policy-making, at least until the policy is decided (though in many cases open public or stakeholder consultation would make for better government than discussions behind closed doors). Care must be taken over criminal investigations, legal proceedings, commercially sensitive information and individuals’ privacy. But as far as possible I believe government should be open and transparent. I have, for example, been all for publication of Auditor General reports even if the findings are awkward for some of those involved, and for public sessions of the Public Accounts Committee of the Legislative Assembly. I respect legislators and journalists that search out the facts.

I therefore share the hopes of the media in this country that the new Government will make themselves available to the media and either through them or directly at public meetings share as much information as possible with the public. But it is for the Ministers to decide how they do that.

Michael Jackson

David Miliband — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:16:10 +0100

The death of Michael Jackson is very sad news for his family, friends and fans. My thoughts are with his family at this time.

But the instant Twitter put out in my name last night was not me.

Korean War Lives On…

Martin Uden — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:14:39 +0100

25 June is more than a date in South Korea - it's part of the language. To refer to the Korean War, you simply say 6.25, the day that North Korea invaded the South. This year is the 59th anniversary of that day, and by happy close coincidence, the British government has decided to hold the first UK Armed Forces Day on 27 June.

This meant that we decided to hold our local celebration of Armed Forces Day on 24 June. There is real poignancy here in remembrance of fallen service personnel since over 1,100 British servicemen lost their lives in the Korean War. And the Republic of Korea itself is enormously generous in supporting the veterans (of all the states that sent forces to the UN Command) during re-visits. They really set a fine example in honouring the contribution of the sending states, but even more importantly of the individual servicemen, who all made enormous sacrifices and many of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice. I should recommend just such a story in one of the Korean English-language dailies (Joongang Daily) about one of the British servicemen who died and how the Korean government helped his family to visit his grave in the UN cemetery in Busan.

British Ambassador, Martin Uden, and Defence Attaché, Brigadier Matthew O'Hanlon, mark the first UK Armed Forces Day with Lieutenant General Eui-don Hwang, Director of Korea's Defence Intelligence Agency.

I'll be interested to see how the first ever Armed Forces Day is received in the UK itself. It certainly made enormous sense here.

European Future

David Miliband — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:42:35 +0100

The European election results show that there is a big job for pro Europeans all over Europe to counter apathy or negativism about the European Union. One way to do that is to put behind us institutional debates. This was a theme of my speech in the House of Commons last week before the European Council. But another essential feature is to map out a positive role for the EU in the future.

We need to defend the gains of the past. For me that means understanding that Europe has a distinctive model of the social market economy and liberal politics. Social market economy because the market is regulated to serve the public interest. liberal politics because the foundation of the EU is the respect for civil, political and social rights that came out of the Enlightenment. But we also need to advance a new set of European responsibilities for the future. In my speech I pick out two areas in particular.

First energy. It was a particularly apposite to speak about this in Poland given the dependence of Europe on Russian gas. The second is foreign policy where Europe needs to speak with a clearer louder voice. People talk about a "G2 (Group of Two)" world in 2050, meaning the US and China. If there is to be a G3 then Europe needs to be the third leg, not replacing the nation state but speaking up for European interests and values.

Polish Roots

David Miliband — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:17:12 +0100

Most foreign trips evoke a range of emotions. Tuesday's trip to Poland brought sharper feelings than usual.

Britain has a great historic alliance with Poland. 100s of 1000s of Poles fought with the Allies in the Second World War. But my link is more personal. My mother was born in Poland before emigrating to the UK after the War. My father's grandparents were born in Warsaw before leaving for Belgium after the First World War. But the history of Poland's Jewish community, at its height some three million strong, turned to tragedy during the Holocaust. Only 300,000 survived the War.

The deepest questions of responsibility and victimisation are raised by this history. On Tuesday I found a modern Poland defining a new and confident place for itself. Interestingly the Museum of the History of Polish Jews for which building starts on the 30th June is a symbol of this, looking at 1000 years of Polish/Jewish history and to occupy a building funded by the Polish government. I wish it every success.