DATE: Tuesday 28 June 2011

TIME: 6.30-8.00pm

VENUE: Committee Room 3A, House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW (Use Cromwell Green Visitors' entrance)

Speakers:

• Rt Hon Lord David Howell, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Kim Sengupta, Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent, The Independent
• Dr Graeme Davies, Lecturer, International Security, University of Leeds
• Dr Rob Johns, Senior Lecturer, Dept of Politics, University of Essex
• Prof Jason Ralph, Professor in International Relations & Director of Research, University of Leeds

Chair: Sir Robert Worcester DL KBE, Chair & Founder, MORI

This Foreign Policy Centre event in partnership with the Universities of Essex and Leeds is the second in a series examining the relationship between UK foreign policy and public opinion. This event will provide a timely opportunity to debate public support for past, current and future UK military interventions overseas and the "special relationship" with the United States.

It is almost universally acknowledged that a hallmark of British foreign policy under Tony Blair's Labour government was liberal interventionism: a willingness to use force abroad for various purposes - humanitarian intervention, peacekeeping and regime change - even if British national interests were seemingly involved only indirectly. As Blair argued at the time: "…a political philosophy that does care about other nations - Kosovo, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone - and is prepared to change regimes on their merits, should be gung-ho on Saddam."

A parallel argument could be said to underlie the present coalition government's decision to join military action in Libya. This suggests a cross-party consensus in favour of liberal interventionism. Yet, this raises questions: first, is elite political consensus on foreign policy in the UK as clear as it appears? What role should a UN mandate play in UK policymaking, especially when it clashes with US policy? In particular, will Labour in opposition maintain the same foreign policy approach? Second, where does the UK public stand? Is there general support for the principles underlying Labour's and now the coalition's seeming interventionism? What effect have the Afghanistan and Iraq wars had on British public opinion concerning military action, especially in light of the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the related defence cuts and the current unprecedented levels of public support for the armed forces?

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to: events@fpc.org.uk

Download Dr Rob Johns & Dr Graeme Davies' presentation (440 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Wednesday 15 June 2011

Time: 6.00-7.45pm

Venue: Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Victoria Embankment, Westminster, London SW1A 2LW

Speakers:

• Stephen Twigg MP, Shadow Foreign Office Minister
• Sir Robert Worcester DL KBE, Chair and Founder, MORI
• Richard Beeston, Foreign Editor, The Times
• Dr Graeme Davies, University of Leeds
• Dr Rob Johns, University of Essex

Chair: Hetan Shah, Chief Executive, Think Global - The Development Education Association

This Foreign Policy Centre event being held in partnership with the Universities of Essex and Leeds will provide a timely opportunity to have a discussion, in broad terms, about the relationship between UK foreign policy and public opinion, including debating questions such as:

• What factors act to influence public opinion on UK foreign policy and foreign policy issues?
• Does public opinion influence foreign policy or respond to it (or both)?
• How do the UK government and other political parties measure public opinion or 'take the temperature' of foreign policy issues? How do they respond?
• Is public opinion on foreign policy generally more or less strongly felt than on domestic policy?
• Do the UK government and other political parties pay as much attention to public opinion about foreign policy issues as they do to domestic issues? If not, why not?
• Should governments pursue foreign policies that people want or those which are in their and the country's best interests? If these two are at odds, how can and do governments and political parties respond and how successful are they in doing so?

Download Dr Rob Johns & Dr Graeme Davies' presentation (450 kilobyte PDF)

Please click below to download a copy of Sir Robert Worcester's presentation for 'UK foreign policy and public opinion: What do we think, why and does it matter?' which took place on Wed 15 June 2011.

Download Sir Robert Worcester's presentation - 15 June 2011 (290 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Wednesday 15 July, 4.30-6.30pm

Venue: Committee Room 12, Palace of Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

Please use Cromwell Green Visitors' Entrance - marked no. 6 on this map: http://www.parliament.uk/documentsuploadcolmap.pdf

Speakers include:

• Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Olympics Minister
• Tim Yeo MP, Chair, Environmental Audit Committee
• Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent, The Financial Times
• Jo Willacy, Director, Shuttle Services, Eurotunnel
• Kulveer Ranger, Director of Transport Policy, Mayor of London
• Stephen Twigg, Director, Foreign Policy Centre

In an increasingly interconnected world, universal and inclusive sustainable development is no longer just an option, it is an imperative. Can major international sporting events such as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the London 2012 Olympics champion the development of environmental sustainability and promote universal access and inclusion?

At this Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) Westminster seminar, the question of how major international sporting championships can move beyond the iconic infrastructure which so often symbolises such events, towards successfully promoting a practical agenda for action and change with sustainability, access and inclusion as achievable outcomes was examined. This seminar provided a platform for the promotion and discussion of ideas which will help inform the development of a Sustainability Charter.

Download Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP's speech (330 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Thursday, 28th February 2008

Speakers:

Gareth Thomas MP, DfID Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Richard Black, BBC

Graham Wynne, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Chair: Stephen Twigg, FPC

About this event:

At the FPC's recent inaugural Annual Lecture, the Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP announced that the UK Government would increase its climate change research to £100 million over the next five years (a tenfold increase).

Continuing with the theme of exploring the centrality of environmental sustainability and global social justice, the FPC in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds held a seminar on "Sustaining our Environment: Is Climate Change the Only Ill?".

This event was kindly supported by the RSPB.

Download Gareth Thomas's Speech (40 kilobyte PDF)

Richard Black's Presentation

Download Richard Black's presentation (660 kilobyte PDF)

Climate Change and Global Social Justice

6 February 2008

The International Development Secretary, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, in a major speech to the Foreign Policy Centre has argued that the world needs to shift its economic development to a low-carbon model. He also announced a tenfold increase in climate change research funding to £100 million over the next five years.

Giving the inaugural Foreign Policy Centre annual lecture at the LSE, the Development Secretary outlined his proposals for a new post-Kyoto global framework to tackle emissions. Mr Alexander argued that while developed countries must take a lead, developing countries must share the responsibility of change by 'leapfrogging' over polluting technologies toward a cleaner economy as their societies develop.

He said:

"Climate change is a defining global social justice issue for our generation. If we do not take the necessary action, we risk condemning the world's poorest people to generations of poverty."

Read more…

Download the full speech (110 kilobyte PDF)

Speakers:

HE Mr Ivohasina Razafimahefa, Minister of Economy, Government of Madagascar

Stephen Twigg, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Date:

Tuesday 13 November 2007, 2.30pm to 4pm

Venue:

Committee Room 12, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

About the event:

The Foreign Policy Centre is delighted to host the Madagascar Development Forum. The Malagasy Minister of the Economy, Mr Ivohasina Razafimahefa will make a keynote speech at the forum.

The Madagascar Development Forum is being held to raise the profile of Madagascar in the UK as an attractive business hub and to forge co-operation between governments and businesses in the UK and East Africa, and to examine the particular challenges for development in small states. Copies of the Madagascar Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy for encouraging growth and reducing poverty will be available.

This event will be a great opportunity to hear from one of Madagascar's most senior politicians, and to meet like minded business leaders, NGOs, journalists and other policy makers.

Please RSVP with the subject "Madagascar Forum" to events[at]fpc.org.uk by 9 November

Tuesday 6 March, 2007

Rt Hon Peter Hain MP

Chair: Stephen Twigg

Kindly hosted by:

Hill & Knowlton

20 Soho Square

London W1A 1PR

About the event:

Peter Hain spoke and took questions at a packed Foreign Policy Centre discussion on "The End of Foreign Policy?" kindly hosted at the offices of Hill & Knowlton.

Since the events of September 11th, the barriers between the domestic and the international have further broken down. The old definition of "the national interest" is too narrow a guide to foreign policy in a globalised world, but we are still developing the new rules which should replace it. How can we redefine a multilateral foreign policy to encompass this new dynamic? Today's foreign policy needs to be shaped by ideas, not by events.

You can download a copy of Peter Hain's speech below

Download Peter Hain's speech to the Foreign Policy Centre (50 kilobyte PDF)

Monday 4 December 2006, 11.30am to 1pm

Venue: Committee Room 12,(PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE) House of Commons

This event on Balochistan, a volatile region of Pakistan is part of a series of events the Foreign Policy Centre is organising in Parliament on conflicts that receive little attention in the media or elsewhere.

Speakers include:

Ms Asma Jehangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Commission on Human Rights (tbc)

Mr Jaromir Kohlicek MEP, Vice-Chair, SAARC Delegation

Mr Selig Harrison, Centre for International Policy, Washington DC

Senator Tariq Azeem, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan

Mr Javed Mengal, Former Senator, Balochistan National Party

Philip Fiske, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Why does Balochistan matter? Balochistan crosses the states of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran and in some ways is the 'Kurdistan of Central Asia'. Balochistan is a crucial element to Britain's relations with Pakistan and the Pakistani community in the UK. Quetta, the capital of Balochistan in Pakistan is a known hideout for Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters.

The Balochi people believe they have been oppressed in many ways by the Pakistani government. Feudal systems of government, corruption and incompetence have lead to socio-economic backwardness and extreme poverty. NGOs have raised concerns of political incarceration and torture of Balochi political activists such as Rasheed Azam.

In addition, Balochistan's gas resources have received much attention from both Iran and China, keen to get a foothold in the province. These facts make a compelling case that Balochistan should be on the radar of the international community.

If you wish to attend, please RSVP to Alex Bigham by emailing alex.bigham[at]fpc.org.uk or calling 020 7729 7566.

The World Culture Forum, was held in Jordan from 4-7 December 2005, and this year focussed on the development of cultural enterprises and their contribution to socio-economic development and international relations. Taking place in the Middle East, the Forum's agenda was particularly concerned with the role of culture in counteracting negative images and stereotypes about the Arab and Muslim world. With this in mind, the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC), in association with the Middle East Centre for Culture and Development (MECCAD), organised a two-day programme of meetings and presentations (5-6 December) to explore 'nation-branding', and therefore the role that states, cities and regions can play in engaging culture in the task of international image building.

A seminar was held at the British Council on 10 March 2005 to discuss current prevalent issues in British Diplomacy

The speakers were:

Sir David Green

Director-General, British Council (chair)

Mark Leonard

Director of Foreign Policy, CER

Martin Rose

Director, Counterpoint

The event marked the launch of a major new Foreign Policy Centre publication, British Public Diplomacy in the 'Age of Schisms' by Mark Leonard and Andrew Small of the FPC with Martin Rose of Counterpoint, British Council. It argues that Britain needs a radical rethink of its public diplomacy strategy to bridge the deepening global divisions over the future of the political and economic order.

The pamphlet calls for an end to short-term image-centred campaigns like "Cool Britannia" in the 1990s and a new approach to how Britain communicates with publics abroad. The focus should be on building long-term trust and a closer integration of public diplomacy with actual policy.

To celebrate the Dutch presidency of the EU, the Foreign Policy Centre joined forces with AMO and the internationally renowned architect Rem Koolhaas to create an exhibition in Brussels entitled the Image of Europe.

Held under the joint sponsorship of the Dutch Presidency and the European Commission, the exhibition presented how the idea of Europe has evolved over the last 50 years and was displayed in one of the city's main squares for several months. The project was part of an initiative under the Dutch presidency better to communicate the idea of Europe to its citizens, exploring how Europe is perceived through words and symbols and encouraging debate about the future of Europe.

• Read the Guardian article