Foreign & Commonwealth Office
The Foreign Policy Centre launched its membership scheme for key partners at a reception hosted by Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Foreign Secretary on 17 January 2006 in the India Office Council Chamber of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Speaking at the launch, Jack Straw said:
"Tonight's event is about launching the centre's membership for key partners. Some of you here - the Corporation of London, GKN, Linklaters, BP and others are already members of this organisation, and I hope that by the end of the evening others will have been persuaded.
"Everybody here, particularly corporate members, is busy, but I hope that you will be able to see the Foreign Policy Centre as a means by which your ideas can filter through into our generation of this policy.
"It was my late friend and colleague, Robin Cook, who helped to get this Centre going. He saw it as a bridge - in his own words as a 'two-way think exchange' between government and society. And the success of Britain's foreign policy is in no small part determined by how effectively this exchange works.
"The FPC since its launch 8 years ago really has done great work, I know it continues to do it under Stephen's leadership and I wish you well and wish the corporate members well. This new partnership should be a very great strength to the Centre, but also to the partners as well."
The programme is aimed to facilitate a dialogue between policy makers and key stakeholders on how government decisions impact on commercial and organisational plans. Businesses and others need to fully understand the direction that foreign policy is taking to allow them to plan for the medium and longer term. Members of the FPC have the opportunity to talk to our programme directors at any time. They have the expertise to provide insight and information (including research papers) relevant to business.
For further information about the membership scheme, please contact Alex Bigham, Communications Officer of the Foreign Policy Centre, on +44 (0)20 7388 6662 or via email alex.bigham@fpc.org.uk
Download Speech by Jack Straw at the launch (30 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)