23rd February 2006

Power belongs to the people, but not in Uganda

JOSEPHINE OSIKENA, Director of Democracy and Development at the Foreign Policy Centre, today said:

"The wave of Ugandan elections will be anything but free and fair. Why should they be? Regrettably, President Yoweri Museveni appears to have lost all respect for the ballot box and, for the most part, the election results have been predetermined. Voters have either been scared off by violence and intimidation or they have become completely apathetic."

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16th January 2006

STEPHEN TWIGG, Director of the Foreign Policy Centre today said:

"Libya, not Iraq is the model for dealing with Iran, and bringing about a solution to the country's nuclear ambitions.

"The current coverage in the media of the crisis over Iran's moves to resume research and development of nuclear fuel is in danger of being portrayed in the same light as the build-up to the war with Iraq. While Iran's move to resume nuclear fuel research is a worrying development, there is still the opportunity for a diplomatic solution to the current crisis."

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21 October 2005

"Post-secondary education in Africa must be the focus for EU" – former Schools Minister

STEPHEN TWIGG, Director of the Foreign Policy Centre, and a former Minister for School Standards today said:

"Thanks to G8 leaders, over the next 5 years the EU has $100 billion to spend on African Development. On Monday and Tuesday, Hilary Benn will meet with his EU counterparts to discuss how that money is spent. I urge those Ministers to read the Foreign Policy Centre's action plan, "Leeds Manifesto; How to Spend $100 billion for Africa" and give a new focus to investing in post-secondary education in Africa.

"We must see education in the round – it is not just about books for school-children, but it is a means for people of all ages to escape poverty. Post-secondary education in Africa must be the focus for the EU.

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20 October 2005

The FPC hosted a keynote address by Rt Hon ALAN JOHNSON MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on British priorities for the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference followed by addresses from John Hilary, War on Want, and Professor Sherman Robinson, Institute of Development Studies (IDS). The event was chaired by Stephen Twigg, the Foreign Policy Centre's Director.

This seminar, organised by the Foreign Policy Centre, focussed on the British Government's trade and development agenda during its EU Presidency and in the run-up to the WTO Ministerial Conference in December, covering issues such as international trade reform, debt cancellation and aid spending.

A copy of Alan Johnson's speech is attached

Download the press release (40 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

10 October 2005

Blair must sign convention on corruption - Twigg

At a major conference in London today, members of the diplomatic community, the African Diaspora, NGOs and international donors sent a strong message on corruption and developing best practice to the Prime Minister and the International Development Secretary ahead of the meeting of EU Development Ministers in Leeds on 24/25 October.

STEPHEN TWIGG, Director of the Foreign Policy Centre, said:

"The UK must send a strong message to corrupt governments by signing the UN convention on corruption immediately. The Prime Minister must use Britain's Presidency of the EU to encourage other member states to do likewise. Corruption and poor governance siphons off aid from the people that need it most.

Download Press release - UN convention on corruption (30 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)