3-4 October 2011 - Manchester

The Foreign Policy Centre is hosting a programme of five fringe events at this year's Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Please click below to download the flyer. There is no need to pre-register, however attendees WILL need Conference accreditation to attend all but one of the events.

Download Foreign Policy Centre events - Conservative Party Conference (130 kilobyte PDF)

25-28 September 2011 - Liverpool

The Foreign Policy Centre is hosting a programme of three fringe events at this year's Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. Please click below to download the flyer. There is no need to pre-register, however attendees WILL need Conference accreditation, as all FPC events are taking place inside secure Conference venues.

Download Foreign Policy Centre events - Labour Party Conference 2011 (100 kilobyte PDF)

18-20 September 2011 - Birmingham

The Foreign Policy Centre is hosting a programme of four fringe events at this year's Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Birmingham. Please click below to download the flyer. The events are open to all and there is no need to pre-register or to obtain Conference accreditation.

Download Foreign Policy Centre events - Liberal Democrat Conference (110 kilobyte PDF)

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Background

In July 2011 the Foreign Policy Centre in partnership with Plan UK hosted a roundtable discussion forum at the House of Commons. While marking the launch of a Plan UK publication entitled "Breaking Vows: Early and Forced Marriage and Girls' Education", the event aimed to explore how policy-makers across UK Government departments might strengthen national and global alliances (and networks) to increase the political priority given to the issue of child and forced marriage.

Participants

The event brought together a diverse range of participants from the worlds of politics, academia, government, the media, community-based organisations and international NGOs. Organisations represented included: Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, Commonwealth Secretariat, Dawson Cornwell (law firm), Forced Marriage Unit (FMU)- Foreign Office, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Plan UK, UK Government Equalities Office, BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) and BBC WST 'Afghan Woman's Hour' radio programme, Karma Nirvana, Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD), BBC Radio 4's 'The World Tonight', 4 Paper Buildings - Chambers of Jonathan Cohen QC, House of Lords, The Elders, Demos and the Foreign Policy Centre.

Focus

The forum focused on three principal themes. The first, examined how best to promote prevention and mitigate the impact of child and forced marriage, the second assessed how to provide support to victims and those at risk to escape and rebuild their lives and finally, an exploration of the broader development impact of prioritising the eradication of child and forced marriage as part of the UK's wider foreign policy engagement.

The Plan UK report can be accessed at:

http://www.plan-uk.org/resources/documents/Breaking-Vows-Early-and-Forced-Marriage-and-Girls-Education/

Summary recommendations

A summary report of the recommendations that came out of this roundtable can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.

Download Summary Recommendations - Child & Forced Marriage Roundtable (150 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Tuesday 12 July 2011

Time: 4.00-6.00pm

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

Speakers:

• Mark Lancaster MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for International Development
• Sheelagh Stewart, Director of the UK Government's Stabilisation Unit
• Prof Rosemary Hollis, Professor of Middle East Policy Studies & Director, Olive Tree Scholarship Programme, City University
• Richard Miller, CEO, ActionAid UK & International Director for Human Security, ActionAid International
• Hugh Ward, Head of Capability, Saab Training Systems UK

Chair: Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, The Daily Telegraph

2011 has witnessed an unprecedented public demand for political transformation. As the world watches events unfold, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa are in a turbulent state of transition. From Tunisia to Egypt and from Yemen to Libya and Syria, the outcomes of these widespread social movements have yet to take real shape. They continue to undergo a process of evolution that has so far been neither accurately defined nor confidently articulated. In addition, there are the ongoing challenges of fragile states such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan, where efforts to build peace, stability and prosperity have been misjudged or thwarted. What is clear however, is that ordinary people are beginning to voice their own demands for change, peace and stability. In this context, the task of developing a coherent foreign and development policy which identifies and supports local solutions to promote peacebuilding and long-term stability has alarming urgency.

This forthcoming FPC event supported by Saab seeks to explore some of the many different elements involved in reconstruction, building peace and promoting stability in states affected by conflict. It aims to draw on a variety of different strategies, perspectives and country-specific examples. The aim will be to highlight the complexity and diversity of approaches that are necessary to address the challenges of conflict and instability.

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

Download FPC & Saab invitation - Which path to peace? (150 kilobyte PDF)

Monday 28 March 2011

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) roundtable

Speakers included:

• Henry Bellingham MP, UK Minister for Africa, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• H.E. Abdulkareem H. Jama, Minister of Information, Posts & Telecommunications, Somalia
• Dr Louis Kasekende, Deputy Governor, Bank of Uganda
• Mahesh Mishra, Private Sector Development Adviser, Investment & Finance Team, Department for International Development (DfID)
• Michael Ward, Head of Commercial Diplomacy Taskforce, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
• Lanre Akinola, Associate Editor, This is Africa, Financial Times Ltd
• Funmilayo Omogbenigun, General Manger, Corporate Communications, MTN Nigeria
• Adela Klirova, Public Policy Executive, Emerging Markets, Vodafone Group External Affairs
• Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa, Chief Director (Permanent Secretary), Ministry of Communications, Ghana
• Quan Le, Associate Director, PwC
• Susie Lonie, Co-Creator, M-PESA, Vodacom
• Eric Coffie, Head, M-Commerce, Airtel Africa
• Ireti Samuel-Ogbu, Managing Director, Cash Management Head, Africa, Citigroup
• Tomasz Smilowicz, Managing Director, Global Head of Mobile Solutions, Citi Global Transaction Services
• Abdirashid Duale, British Somali entrepreneur and CEO, Dahabshiil (one of Africa's largest money transfer agencies)
• Shaygan Kheradpir, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Global Retail Banking Division, Barclays
• Sally Axworthy, Head of Department for East Africa, Great Lakes and Strategy, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
• NneNne Iwuji-Eme, Head of Great Lakes Section, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)

This event explored how the success of mobile banking in countries such as South Africa and Kenya might be scaled up and replicated in other economies such as Ghana and Nigeria, where mobile phone penetration is good but markets hold great potential for further expansion. The event also examined those economies where mobile phone penetration is low and where technological innovation could provide limitless opportunities to rapidly bridge the development gap. In particular, the event sought to establish concrete recommendations for how to maximise the development impact of mobile banking services by creating an enabling and robust regulatory climate and competitive environment which promotes accessibility and for mobile banking service users, while developing a healthy investment climate to attract both domestic and foreign investors.

The event brought together approximately 50 participants from business and enterprise across the banking and telecommunications sectors, both in the UK and from Africa, as well as representatives from the UK and African governments and agencies (including regulators), as well as other key stakeholders.

Please see the links below for the concept note and speaker presentations.

Download Concept note - The African growth revolution? (180 kilobyte PDF)

The summary report and recommendations from the FPC and UK Foreign Office's 'The African growth revolution? Mobile banking in a global age' conference.

Download Summary Report- Recommendations (130 kilobyte PDF)

Monday 28 March 2011

Please click below for Funmi Omogbenigun's presentation (General Manager, Corporate Communications, MTN Nigeria)

Download Funmi Omogbenigun's presentation (460 kilobyte PDF)

Monday 28 March 2011

Please click below for Adela Klirova's presentation (Public Policy Executive, Emerging Markets, Vodafone Group External Affairs)

Download Adela Klirova's presentation (850 kilobyte PDF)

Monday 28 March 2011

PLease click below for Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa's presentation (Chief Director (Permanent Secretary), Ministry of Communications, Ghana)

Download Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa's presentation (3.76 megabyte PDF)

Monday 28 March 2011

Please click below for Ireti Samuel-Ogbu and Tomasz Smilowicz's presentation (Managing Director, Cash Management, Africa, Citigroup and Managing Director, Global Head of Mobile Solutions, Citi Global Transaction Services)

Download Ireti Samuel-Ogbu and Tomasz Smilowicz's presentation (440 kilobyte PDF)

Monday 28 March 2011

Please click below for a presentation on The Challenges of Replicating and Scaling Up Mobile Banking Services

Download The Challenges of Replicating & Scaling Up Mobile Banking (1.54 megabyte PDF)

Monday 28 March 2011

Please click below for Abdirashid Duale's presentation (British Somali entrepreneur and CEO, Dahabshiil, one of Africa's largest money transfer agencies)

Download Abdirashid Duale's presentation (700 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Monday 7 March 2011

Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Venue: Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Speakers:

• Elay Ershad — Member of Parliament, Afghanistan
• Shinkai Karokhail — Member of Parliament, Afghanistan
• Dr Habiba Sarabi — Governor of Bamyan Province, Afghanistan (the first female Afghan Governor)
• Asila Wardak — Director of Human Rights and Gender, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan

Closing remarks:

• Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP, Deputy Labour Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development

Chair: Martha Kearney, Presenter, The World at One, BBC Radio 4

2011 is the centenary of International Women's Day (8 March). To mark it's 100th anniversary, the Foreign Policy Centre, in partnership with ActionAid, is hosting an event to explore some of the local challenges to and opportunities for promoting women's rights in Afghanistan and beyond, in today's global age of uncertainty.

This is an invitation only event and invitations are not transferrable. For more information, please email: events@fpc.org.uk

Download Women in Afghanistan & beyond: What have we achieved…? (160 kilobyte PDF)

Tuesday 30 November, 10.30am - 5.15pm

With a networking lunch, followed by a drinks reception

Venue: Vintner's Hall, Upper Thames St, London EC4V 3BG

This Foreign Policy Centre and Barclays conference, held in association with City of London, will explore how expanding the reach and scope of banking and financial services across Africa can support enterprise and innovation for development and secure greater financial inclusion.

Speakers will include:

• Stephen O'Brien MP, International Development Minister
• Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce MP, Chair, International Development Committee
• Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Ghana
• Ashok Vaswani, CEO, Barclays Africa
• Mark Boleat, Deputy Policy Chairman, City of London
• Gibril Faal, Chair, AFFORD & Director, GK Partners
• Chris West, Director, Shell Foundation
• Patrick Smith, Editor, Africa Confidential
• Alison Evans, Director, Overseas Development Institute
• Dr Stephen Spratt, Institute for Development Studies (IDS)
• And many more (see programme below for details)

Survey

If you attended this conference, please fill in a feedback form to let us know your thoughts on its content, organisation and the impact it will have on your work. Many thanks!

Please download either the Word or PDF version below, fill it in and email back to: anna.owen[at]fpc.org.uk

• Word Document
• PDF file

Download Conference programme (100 kilobyte PDF)

Chris West, Director of the Shell Foundation

Download Chris West's presentation (470 kilobyte PDF)

Barclay O'Brien, AYANI Consultants & Opportunity International

Download Barclay O'Brien's presentation (410 kilobyte PDF)

Vaness Erogbogbo, Independent Consultant

Download Vanessa Erogbogbo's presentation (210 kilobyte PDF)

Mark Henstridge, Acting Executive Director, International Growth Centre

Download Mark Henstridge's presentation (530 kilobyte PDF)

DATE: Thursday 18 November 2010

TIME: 7.00-9.00pm (with a drinks reception to start)

VENUE: Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, Westminster, London SW1A 2LW (use public entrance on Victoria Embankment)

Speaker: Dr Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank

Chair: Prof Paul Collier, University of Oxford

In an age of unprecedented national austerity and global insecurity, the global balance of power has shifted from a unipolar to an increasingly multipolar world order, where new global centres of power compete for influence and resources. This transition however, has yet to take real shape and is continuing to undergo a process of evolution that has so far been neither accurately defined, nor confidently articulated. In light of this, could Africa be on the cusp of a long-awaited turning point? How best can African economies and societies navigate through these uncertain times? What does the future hold for a continent juxtaposed with some of the world's fastest growing economies on the one hand, yet on the other, burdened with what appears to be some of the most intractable global development challenges, all of which amplify the state of inequality and poverty across this vast continent?

At this FPC and Citi event, Prof Paul Collier will pose these and other questions to Dr Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank. This will be followed by an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and make comments.

We expect demand to be high for this event. If you would like to attend, please RSVP as soon as possible by email to: events@fpc.org.uk

Download event flyer (230 kilobyte PDF)

19-21 September, Liverpool

The Foreign Policy Centre will be hosting a programme of five fringe events at this year's Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Liverpool, with speakers including: Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce MP, Tim Farron MP and Andrew Duff MEP, amongst others. Please see the flyer below for more detailed information about speakers, themes and venues. The events are open to all and there is no need to pre-register.

Download FPC Fringe Programme - Liberal Democrat Party Conference (150 kilobyte PDF)

26-29 September, Manchester

The Foreign Policy Centre will be hosting a programme of four fringe events at this year's Labour Party Conference in Manchester, with speakers including: Gareth Thomas MP, Shadow DfID Minister; Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow DECC Minister; and Rt Hon Lord Paul Boateng, amongst others. Please see the flyer below for further details about speakers, themes and venues. The events are open to all (though some venues may need Conference accreditation - please check the flyer) and there is no need to pre-register.

Download FPC Fringe Programme - Labour Party Conference 2010 (130 kilobyte PDF)

3-5 October, Birmingham

The Foreign Policy Centre will be hosting five fringe events at this year's Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, with speakers including: Lord Jonathan Marland, DECC Minister and Stephen O'Brien MP, DfID Minister, amongst others. Please see the flyer below for further details of speakers, themes and venues. The events are open to all (though some venues may need Conference accreditation - please check the flyer). There is no need to pre-register.

Download FPC Fringe Programme - Conservative Party Conference 2010 (150 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Tuesday 16 March

Time: 12.00-1.30PM

Venue: Committee Room 18, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA (use Cromwell Green visitors' entrance)

Speaker: His Royal Highness Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi, King of the Royal Bafokeng Nation, South Africa

Chair: Rt Hon Paul Boateng, Former British High Commissioner to South Africa

2010 represents a momentous year for the Republic of South Africa. It is marked by the twentieth anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela and the ambassadorial role the country will play as it becomes the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup. Beyond the fanfare and euphoria of these important historic events, what significant legacies does this provide as a launch pad to continue to build ongoing transformation and renewal domestically and across the wider continent? What is the impact of ancient African tribes and nations whose cultures, customs and values have had a longstanding role in shaping local governance and community advocacy? How do these ancient traditions co-exist in South Africa's young democracy? In an FPC public lecture to be addressed by His Royal Highness Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi, King of the Royal Bafokeng Nation in South Africa, these and many other issues will be explored.

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

Download Invitation: Governance and leadership in Africa - Tue 16 Mar (220 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Saturday 13 June at 11.15am

Venue: Institute of Education, London

Speakers:

• Richard Howitt MEP, Labour MEP for the East of England
• John Evans, General Secretary, Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• Claire Melamed, Head of Policy Coordination, ActionAid
• Mark Ashurst, Director, Africa Research Institute

This year's Compass National and Robin Cook Memorial Conference took place on Saturday 13 June at the Institute of Education and was themed around building a new political and economic settlement for the 21st century with democracy, equality and sustainability at its heart. The key purpose of the event was to make the case that there can be 'No Turning Back' to the failed ideas of the free market consensus.

The Foreign Policy Centre hosted a break-out session entitled 'Tax justice: The missing link in the fight against poverty?'

Date: Tuesday 5 May 2009, 6.00-8.00pm

Venue: Committee Room 11, Palace of Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

Speaker: Ivan Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development

Chair: Stephen Twigg, Director, Foreign Policy Centre

The Foreign Policy Centre, with the support of Abbott, hosted a series of three expert roundtable discussions during 2008, to discuss and identify concrete and practical ways in which the lives of African women and girls affected by HIV & AIDS could be transformed. The areas of discussion and analysis included: building sustainable healthcare systems, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and child survival, and overcoming stigma and discrimination.

This event acted as the launch for a new FPC report which brings together the discussions and conclusions from all three roundtables, and provided an opportunity to discuss the findings. Ivan Lewis MP, the DFID Minister provided a keynote speech and contributions were also supplied by some of the roundtable participants.

The report can be found at: http://fpc.org.uk/fsblob/1042.pdf

Download Ivan Lewis MP - Keynote speech (30 kilobyte PDF)

The Foreign Policy Centre, with the support of Abbott UK, has hosted a series of roundtable discussions to identify concrete and practical ways in which the lives of African women and girls affected by HIV/AIDS can be transformed. The areas of discussion and analysis included: building sustainable healthcare systems, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and child survival, and stigma and discrimination.

If you would like more information about this project, or would like to receive a copy of the final report when it is published in spring 2009, please email: events@fpc.org.uk

Download Concept note - 'Women & children first' (60 kilobyte PDF)

The FPC and the Open University's International Development and Innovation, Knowledge and Development Centres, in partnership with Lovells, hosted a one-day conference on Friday 21 November which explored the impact of commodities on development in Africa and China. The event sought to illuminate the complex and intricate relationships that constitute the ever-evolving engagement between the People's Republic of China and the continent of Africa. Energy, minerals and agricultural commodities provided a unique and topical framework through which to explore emerging Africa-China relations.

If you would like to receive a copy of the Conference report when it is published in spring 2009, please send your details by email to: events@fpc.org.uk.

Read more…

Download Conference programme & Concept note - 'Going for Growth' (120 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Thursday 6 November, 6.00-7.30pm

Venue: Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament, Victoria Embankment, London SW1A 2LW

Speakers:

Conor Foley, author, journalist & humanitarian aid worker

Rt Hon Dr Denis MacShane MP, former Minister for Europe

Oliver Kamm, Leader Writer, The Times

Chair: James Darcy, Director of Programmes, Humanitarian Policy Group, Overseas Development Institute

At this Foreign Policy Centre and Verso event, humanitarian aid worker Conor Foley outlined the thesis of his new book, 'The Thin Blue Line: How Humanitarianism Went to War', and Rt Hon Dr Denis MacShane MP and Oliver Kamm of The Times presented their responses to it.

The idea that we should 'do something' to help those suffering in far-off places is the main impulse driving those who care about human rights. Yet from Kosovo to Iraq, military interventions have gone disastrously wrong.

In his ground-breaking new book, Conor Foley explores how the doctrine of humanitarian intervention has been used to allow states to invade other nations in the name of human rights. Drawing on his own experience of working in over a dozen conflict and post-conflict zones, Foley shows how the growing influence of international law has been used to over-ride the sovereignty of the poorest countries in the world.

Download 'The Thin Blue Line' - Conor Foley book launch & discussion (110 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Wednesday 7th May 2008, 3-5pm

Speakers:

•Salvatore Gabola, Director of Global Stakeholder Relations, The Coca-Cola Company

•Liza Lort-Phillips, Associate Director, Corporate Citizenship

•Graham Baxter, Director,Responsible Business Solutions International Business Leaders Forum(IBLF)

•Sumi Dhanarajan, Co-head,Private Sector Team, Policy Department Oxfam

The Foreign Policy Centre, in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain, presented the third seminar in the 'CSR in Emerging Markets' series on Wed 7 May at Portcullis House. The seminar examined CSR in emerging markets with a focus on marketplace practices, including issues such as consumer relations, ethical trade and responsible investment, and wealth creation. The speakers explored these themes from both business and civil society perspectives.

This event was held in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain

Download Invitation (90 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Thursday 8 May, 4.00-6.00pm

Keynote Speaker: Hon Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Discussant: Femi Longe, Co-founder, Africa++ (a network that helps people in the diaspora connect with Africa's development)

Chair: Hugh Bayley MP, Member of the International Development Select Committee and Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group on Africa

In a public lecture hosted by the Foreign Policy Centre in partnership with the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD), the Hon Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of the House of Representatives, explored the future of governance and democracy promotion in Nigeria.

While Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, it is by far the continent's largest fledgling democracy. The 2007 presidential and legislative elections were widely perceived to be the most flawed in the country's history. Initially, when President Umaru Yar'Adua was nominated by his predecessor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, there was much speculation that Obasanjo intended to retain the reins of power using the somewhat anonymous governor of Katsina State as an instrument to advance his own political agenda. Today however, Yar'Adua is increasingly regarded as an enthusiastic supporter of 'better government' as a vehicle for tackling the structural constraints that are impeding Nigeria's development, such as the chronic power crisis.

Questions that were explored during this event included: Is President Yar'Adua simply seeking to build his own legitimacy? Can the Nigerian National Assembly effectively shape legislation and adequately monitor and challenge the executive on behalf of the Nigerian people? Is the Nigerian government being distracted from the business of pursuing an ambitious reform agenda? Does democracy have a future in the Nigerian political power struggle?

Download Invitation (50 kilobyte PDF)

Date: Monday 10th March 2008, 3pm to 5pm

Venue: Grimond Room, Portcullis House, Bridge Street, London, SW1A 2LW

Speakers:

• Salvatore Gabola, Director of Worldwide Stakeholder Relations, The Coca-Cola Company
• Daniel Graymore, Team Leader, Business Alliance Team, Department for International Development
• Daniel Litvin, Director, Critical Resource Strategy & Analysis
• Stephen Twigg (Chair), Director, The Foreign Policy Centre

About this event:

At this event, the Foreign Policy Centre launched a major project on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in emerging markets in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain. The project will explore the role of multinational corporations' CSR practices in emerging markets in the areas of labour standards, marketplace practices, and the environment. With an initial background paper, this launch seminar reviewed recent trends in multinationals' CSR practices, defined the latest debate on CSR, and established the context for the following three seminars which will form part of this project.

This event was held in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain.

Download the initial background paper (140 kilobyte PDF)

'The Empire Strikes Flak: Powerful Companies and Political Backlash' by Daniel Litvin (presented to Harvard Business School colloquium)

Download Daniel Litvin's paper (100 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

Thursday 19 April 2007

Time: from 15:00 - 18:00

Speakers:

Sam Gurney, Trade Union Congress (TUC)

Beverley Mirando, Nestlé

Sarojini Ganju Thakur, Commonwealth Secretariat

Chair: Dr Peter Hough, Middlesex University

Venue:

P8, Pascal building, Middlesex University, Queensway, Enfield, Middlesex EN3 4SA

The seminar will be followed by a reception

Due to a limited number of places, please RSVP to Josephine Osikena.

Email: Josephine.osikena[at]fpc.org.uk

Tel: +44 (0)20 7729 7566

This is the second event in the FPC seminar series which aims to explore the role played by business in international development. The forums hope to identify constructive ways in which civil society together with the private sector can forge more effective links to make globalisation work for the poor.

Why trade matters

The event will explore how women can best tackle the challenges and maximise the opportunities trade liberalisation presents. Focusing on agriculture, it will also examine how business and enterprise can support and develop small-scale female producers helping them fully participate in trade at a global, regional and local level. The seminar also hopes to identify ways in which trade can be used as a vehicle to promote gender equality and female empowerment. The event series has been sponsored by Nestlé.

Download the invitation (70 kilobyte PDF)

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Time: 4.00-6.00 pm

Venue: Committee Room 19, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

The Foreign Policy Centre and Never Again cordially invite you to a discussion on:

Will China Help Prevent or Provoke Conflict in Africa?

Speakers:

• Stephanie T. Kleine-Ahlbrandt, International Affairs Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York
• Patrick Smith, Editor, Africa Confidential

The Theme

After 50 years of independent rule and Western development practice, people in Africa grapple still with the threats, legacies and realities of violent conflict. Will China's unique approach to development offer new solutions or further complicate local and international tensions? Will China's growing investment in the continent encourage African nations to become independent parties to the world trade regime? Will China's investment strengthen African national economies? How will China's involvement influence good governance, human rights and civil society in African countries? What drives China's Africa policy? This seminar will explore the implications of China's increasing assertiveness in Africa, what this means for African governments and citizens, and for the West which has traditionally played a key role in the region.

The speakers

Stephanie T. Kleine-Ahlbrandt is Programme Manager and Officer-in-Charge, Asia Division, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2006). She is responsible for human rights and technical cooperation on administration of justice with the government of the People's Republic of China. She is currently on sabbatical and is an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, researching the human rights implications of China's deepening engagement with the African continent.

Patrick Smith is editor of Africa Confidential, the world's leading fortnightly bulletin on Africa.

Due to a limited number of places please RSVP to Feng Zhang at:

Feng.Zhang[at]fpc.org.uk or call at +44 (0)20 7729 7566; +44 (0) 78 0976 4855.

Speakers:

Gareth Thomas MP, DFID Minister

Emanuele Lobina, University of Greenwich

Norah Odwesso, Diageo Africa

Chair: Malcolm Bruce MP, Chair, International Development Committee

Date: Wednesday 7 March, 2007

Time: 4pm to 6pm

Venue: Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Bridge Street, London SW1A 2LW (PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE)

About this event:

Universal access to water and sanitation represents an urgent global priority. Currently, 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water, 2.4 billion people do not have basic sanitation and 6,000 children die daily because of water-related diseases. Over 300 million of these people live in Africa.

UN member states have committed to halving the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015. At present however, many countries are set to fail. Meeting this goal means getting water to an extra 440,000 people every day, every week, every year for the next 10 years, at an annual cost of US$ 11.3 billion. This requires strong political and financial support for practical solutions.

This seminar will explore how governments, multilateral agencies, civil society, the private sector and local stakeholders can forge better partnerships to improve access to water and sanitation for the most vulnerable in Africa. The event is being sponsored by Diageo.

Download Gareth Thomas's Speech (30 kilobyte PDF)

An ODI, Foreign Policy Centre and APGOOD Event

Global Challenges: Europe's Role

Keynote Speaker: Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Thursday 1st February, 1.00 – 2.30PM

Committee Room 10, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA (please use St Stephen's entrance) PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE

At this joint ODI, Foreign Policy Centre and All Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development (APGOOD) event, Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, Minister for Europe will speak about the role Europe can play in addressing today's major global challenges.

The Minister would like his speech to focus on the thoughts of the audience in this respect and to this end, you are invited to submit your own thoughts here in response to the following questions:

1. Which three main global challenges are especially suited for a Europe-wide response?

2. What three main strengths and three main weaknesses will determine whether the EU is or is not able to deliver a good response?

3. What does the UK and wider European development/external relations community have to do differently to make sure the weaknesses are overcome?

All feedback received in response to these questions will be passed to the Minister's office in advance of the event and his speech will endeavour to address the major themes which emerge.

If you would like to attend, please click here to register your place and submit your thoughts on the Minister's questions: http://www.odi.org.uk/speeches/apgood/international_development/1stFeb07/form.html

Please note that the deadline for submitting feedback is 12.00NOON on Thursday 18th January. Submissions received after then will not be passed to the Minister's office, although you will still be able to register for the meeting until 48 hours before the event.

Download Geoff Hoon's speech (30 kilobyte PDF)

Sponsored by Hill & Knowlton

Thursday 30 November, 3.30pm to 7pm

Venue: Hill & Knowlton, 20 Soho Square, London W1A 1PR

The Foreign Policy Centre recently hosted a seminar and reception entitled: "Redefining Multilateralism: The Commonwealth as a Catalyst for Change?" The event was addressed by John Battle MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development and Rt Hon Donald McKinnon, Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

This spring the Prime Minister made a series of landmark speeches on foreign policy, one of which was hosted by the Foreign Policy Centre in March. You may recall that in his third speech held at Georgetown University, Washington DC in May 2006 the Prime Minister suggested that:

"There is a "hopeless mismatch" between the global challenges we face and the global institutions available to confront them,[…] now is the moment for reconciliation in the international community around a unifying agenda for global action."

Today there are a number of obstacles to promoting international co-operation. From the indefinite suspension of the Doha Development Round, to developing a reformed United Nations system which meets the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. We witness the crisis in the International Monetary Fund and the growing irrelevance of the Work Bank in meeting today's global development concerns. The seminar explored how the world's second largest international association can best position itself to advocate a response commensurate with the global threat to multilateralism.

The Commonwealth holds a unique position in today's global institutional architecture, with a membership of 53 states, comprising over 1.8 billion inhabitants (or 33 per cent of the world's population). Economically, the Commonwealth has annual GDP growth rate of approximately 7%, including thirteen of the fastest growing world economies. Through this seminar we hope to identify how the Commonwealth can best provoke change by redefining multilateralism.

The event was kindly sponsored by Hill and Knowlton and was held at their offices at 20 Soho Square, London W1A 1PR.

Download speeches from the event - John Battle MP and Don McKinnon (80 kilobyte PDF)

The Labour Party Conference in Manchester is set to run from Sunday 24th until Thursday 28th September. The FPC will be holding a number of events inside the secure zone of Labour Party Conference.

If you would like to know more, please contact us on 020 7729 7566 or email Diane Fisher on diane.fisher[at]fpc.org.uk.

To download the events programme, please click here:

Download FPC Fringe Events at Labour Conference 2006 (110 kilobyte PDF)

Monday 24 July 2006, 6.00pm to 8.00pm

Venue: Committee Room 16, House of Commons, Westminster, SW1A 0AA (Access via St Stephen's entrance)

The Foreign Policy Centre will host an event to discuss viable prospects for state building and peace in Somalia. The country has witnessed renewed violence surrounding the Union of Islamic Courts' takeover of Mogadishu, confirming that the solution to the world's perennial 'failed state' remains far from clear. Kofi Annan this week called for a "comprehensive, workable and verifiable ceasefire and a programme of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration" of armed groups - but attempts at peacebuilding and state reconstruction have been inchoate and of doubtful success. George Bush at the same time voices concerns that Somalia is becoming an "al-Qaeda safe haven". As 'failed state' meets the 'war on terror', defining and responding to Somalia is now of critical importance.

Host:

Kerry McCarthy MP

Speakers:

Rt Hon Alun Michael MP

Dr Stig Hansen, Bath University

Awale Kullame, Civil Rights Campaigner

Desmond Curran, Department for International Development (TBC)

Amina Ali, Political Researcher, House of Lords

Karin Christiansen, Overseas Development Institute

Chair:

Philip Fiske de Gouveia, Foreign Policy Centre

Please RSVP to Laura Kyrke-Smith: pubdip[at]fpc.org.uk

T +44 20 7388 6662 or F +44 20 7388 8896

Please note that places at the seminar are limited

Please allow additional time for routine security checks upon arrival at the Palace of Westminster

Tuesday 27 June 2006, 6.00-8.00pm

Venue: Committee Room 16, House of Commons, SW1

The Foreign Policy Centre, in partnership with the Baluchistan Rights Movement is hosting a seminar on the Baluchistan province in Pakistan, entitled 'Baluchistan at the Crossroads'.

This will provide an introduction to this area, for both experts and non-experts alike. For those not familiar with the region, Baluchistan crosses the states of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran and in some ways is the 'Kurdistan of Central Asia'.

This seminar will cover a number of important issues: the tense relationship between the Baluch people and the central government; human rights issues; the use of natural resources; security and terrorism issues; and the activities of the Pakistan army in the region. Baluchistan is a crucial element to Britain's relations with Pakistan and the Pakistani community in the UK. Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan in Pakistan is a known hideout for Al-Qaeda operatives, including the now captured Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Speakers include:

Frederic Grare, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Husain Haqqani, Boston University

Senator Sana Baloch, from Baluchistan

Mr Mehran Baloch, from the Baluchistan Rights Movement

Ryszard Czarnecki MEP

Hugh Barnes, Director of Democracy and Conflict, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Read the full report of the seminar here:

http://fpc.org.uk/articles/369

Places are limited, so please RSVP to alex.bigham[at]fpc.org.uk

In association with Coca-Cola Great Britain

Date: Wednesday 16 July 2008, 3.00-5.00pm

Speakers:

•Jeff Seabright, Vice President, Environment and Water Resources, The Coca-Cola Company

•Jon Hobbs, Lead Policy Analyst - Environmental Assessment and Mining & Development, Policy and Research Division, Department for International Development (DFID)

•Dax Lovegrove, Head of Business and Industry Relations, WWF-UK

Co-chairs: Baroness Margaret Jay and Stephen Twigg, FPC Director

This Foreign Policy Centre event, in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain, formed the final part of the 'CSR in Emerging Markets: The Role of MNCs' series. The event examined CSR in emerging markets with a focus on environmental sustainability, including exploring the linkages between and impact of multinational business practices on the environment, as well as the latest developments in CSR policies which relate to protecting the environment. The speakers presented business, government and civil society perspectives on these themes.

This event was held in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain.

Dax Lovegrove's presentation

Download the report (320 kilobyte PDF)

FPC & Clifford Chance

The FPC and Clifford Chance recently hosted the following guest speakers:

HE Dr AGUINALDO JAIME, Deputy Prime Minister of Angola & HE Rt Hon DONALD MCKINNON, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat

The rule of law and access to justice are vital to Africa's economic and social development. However, the challenge of reform is enormous due to the complex reality of each sovereign state. This seminar explored important thematic developments in rule of law reform across the continent, taking a local, national and regional focus.

The FPC research project, Courting Justice: Rule of Law Reform in Africa, was launched at a high level roundtable to be hosted by Clifford Chance. The programme will culminate in an autumn lecture by the Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP as well as the publication of a pamphlet which will include a collection of short essays by distinguished writers.

Other speakers included:

Dr Kofi Oteng Kufuor, University of East London

Dr Fareda Banda, School of Oriental and African Studies

Dr Chaloka Beyani, London School of Economics and Political Science

Laure-Hélène Piron, Department for International Development (DFID)

16th March 2006

FPC launches Latin America work with seminar on sustainable development

Stephen Twigg, Director of the Foreign Policy Centre, chaired 'Enterprise in Emerging Economies - Who Can Deliver Sustainable Development?', a round-table discussion launching what the FPC hopes to be the first in a series of events and publications on Latin America.

The seminar was attended by a number of figures from the private, public and NGO sectors. Among the speakers were HE Mr Luis Solari Tudela, Peruvian Ambassador to the UK; Paul Bulcke, Nestlé's Executive Vice President for the Americas; and Thiago de Aragão, a Brazilian political analyst and the FPC's new Latin America Research Associate.

31 October 2005

The FPC hosted a seminar on Democracy and Human Rights in Nigeria at the House of Commons, on Monday 31 October 2005. The main speakers at the event were Olisa Agbakoba, a senior Human Rights lawyer, Boma Ozobia a senior maritime lawyer specialising in the oil and gas sector, Rotimi Sankore, a distinguished journalist and Human Rights Campaigner and Sir Stephen Wall, former adviser to the Prime Minister on foreign affairs. The meeting was chaired by Malcolm Bruce MP, Chair of the International Development Select Committee.

"Nigeria is like a limited liability company owned by 120 million shareholders. The company's shareholders elect the company's employees at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Tasks are shared among the elected employees and tenure of office is established with a provision for re-election, based on performance, at the next AGM. The dilemma in Nigeria is that the elected employees have stolen the electoral process. They do not want to go. How will the shareholders reclaim their company?"

Olisa Agbakoba

In advance of an informal meeting of EU Development Ministers (24-25 October 2005, hosted by Rt Hon. Hilary Benn MP), the Foreign Policy Centre, the Royal Institute of International Relations (Brussels) and the Commonwealth Secretariat held a one day conference on Monday 10th October 2005 that created an 'action plan' to help donor countries better target their policy priorities for EU development assistance to Africa.

This one day conference took three cross-cutting and distinct perspectives of the problems confronting African development which have all too often been overlooked or misunderstood:

• land reform;
• a political understanding of conflict prevention; and
• promoting African centres of excellence

The key-note speaker was Malcolm Bruce MP, Chair of the International Development Select Committee. He said: "Let's tackle AIDS and other health issues as practically as we can. Let's provide education and build infrastructure. Let's take responsibility for controlling the anarchic and destructive trade in small arms and let us tackle corruption at both ends of the spectrum." A copy of speech is available from the link below.

Download Speech by Malcolm Bruce MP (30 kilobyte PDF)

On 4th November 2004 the FPC hosted an event chaired by Christopher Lockwood, Asia editor of the Economist, on the future of democracy in Indonesia. Three prominent Indonesian public figures, Wiryono Sastrohandoyo, Yuli Ismartono, and Franz Winarta, discussed the economic and institutional challenges facing the new president, Susilo Yudhoyono.

• Read the FPC Policy Brief

On 30th June 2004, the Foreign Policy Centre held its Annual Democracy and Development Programme Lecture with Larry Diamond, one of the world's leading thinkers on democratisation and good governance promotion.

Download the report (180 kilobyte PDF)

On March 29, the Barrow Cadbury Trust and The Foreign Policy Centre hosted a Global Exchange Forum conference on 'Social Capital: A Policy Tool for North and South?'. The conference brought together some of the luminaries on social capital and related debates from the North and the South, including: Professor Anthony Giddens; Matilde Ribeiro, Minister for Race Equality (Brazil); Maxine Molyneux, Institute of Latin American Studies; Anthony Heath, Oxford University; Jean Pierre Voyer, Policy Research Initiative (Canada); Michael Woolcock, World Bank; Raja Dharmapala, Dharmavedi Institute (Sri Lanka); David Halpern, Prime Minister's Strategy Unit.

The aim of the conference was to improve channels of communications and create networks between Northern and Southern policymaking communities, both inside and outside of government. It explored ways in which social capital has been understood in different contexts and how it has been applied in key areas of policy. In particular, it focused on three areas: the empowerment of women, managing communities under stress and improving race relations.

• Click here to read the conference report