The Diplomatic Dispatch

REFLECTIONS OF A TWITTER VIRGIN….

May 23rd, 2013 by Paul Johnston

I confess to having been reluctant to embrace Twitter.

But I confess myself a bit of a convert. The great TV critic Clive James once said about “Dallas”, “I came to mock but I stayed to pray”.

I wouldn’t go that far, but I have found my first two weeks on Twitter (@hmapauljohnston) both fun and informative.

It’s been particularly exciting and rewarding to be followed by, favourited by and indeed re-tweeted by, Ministers, journalists, fellow diplomats and people with real jobs!

If Twitter is, with apologies to Pirandello, 140 characters in search of an author, this blog is thus an author in search of more “followers”.

I don’t really like the word “followers”, with its somewhat Messianic overtones, but I would be very happy if any of my blog readers wanted to be shall we say, correspondents, too on Twitter!

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UK and Sweden sign Defence MOU

April 19th, 2013 by Paul Johnston

Yesterday in London, Swedish Defence Minister Karen Enström and the UK Minister for International Security Strategy, Dr Andrew Murrison signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the UK and Sweden for Military Exercises and Training.

The main purpose of the MOU is to define the legal status of military personnel of one country when invited to participate in military training in the other. This enables mutual participation in the type of training that is required to develop interoperability, and aids sharing of knowledge and experience.

Over recent years the Swedish military has become more involved in international coalition operations, including in Kosovo, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Libya – often alongside UK forces.

Although there has always been a strong equipment and R&D-based defence relationship between our two countries, working alongside one another on expeditionary operations has also reinforced our mutual respect for each other’s respective capabilities.

The signing of this MOU is a statement of our joint commitment to that relationship and lays the foundation for the development of cooperation in a post-ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) era.

Special guest blog by:

Wing Commander Donald Turnbull, Defence Attaché to Sweden & Finland

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A MEMORY OF LADY THATCHER

April 19th, 2013 by Paul Johnston

As I prepared for an interview on ExpressenTV on the night of Lady Thatcher’s funeral, I read through the entries in the Embassy’s condolence book. Many Ambassadors, representing countries from across the world had come to the Embassy to pay their tributes, as had members of the British community and Swedish citizens.

What struck me was the strong personal impression Margaret Thatcher’s life and work had made on the lives of many people across the globe.

I was still at primary school when she became Prime Minister, and already working in the government service when she resigned. She made the political weather in Britain for well over a decade.

I never had the chance to meet her, but recall one, perhaps characteristic, anecdote, from a trip she made to the Paris Embassy, when I was working there in 1998.

She was staying in Paris the night of an England-Argentina match in the World Cup. England lost, controversially, on penalties, after David Beckham was sent off.

A colleague was dispatched to report the result to the Iron Lady.

“I’m afraid, Lady Thatcher, that England lost against Argentina tonight”, he timidly said.

“Never mind, dear boy, we won back the Falklands”, was the Lady’s memorable response!

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Tags: ambassador, paul johnston, Thatcher
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Human Rights and Democracy Report

April 17th, 2013 by Paul Johnston

This year it will be 65 years since the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Open any newspaper or news website today and you find depressingly many and varied examples of continuing breaches of those universal rights in countries around the world.

Advancing respect for universal human rights is a priority for UK, and EU, foreign policy. For that reason, every year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes a Human Rights Report. The Report covers our global human rights priorities and countries of concern. On 15 April our Foreign Secretary William Hague launched the FCO Human Rights and Democracy Report 2012.

If you follow the Embassy on Twitter or Facebook or read my last blog you will know how the UK as G8 President is prioritising the issue of tackling rape and sexual violence in conflict. This year there is a new section on the Preventing of Sexual Violence Initiative in the Report.

At the launch event the Foreign Secretary was joined by two guest speakers; Dr Ahmed Shaheed, Human Rights Council special Rapporteur on Iran, who shared his insight into the work of the UN and Madeleine Rees from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and a member of the PSVI steering board spoke more widely about the violence against women, including sexual violence.

We want to know what you think too. On the FCO’s Human Rights and Democracy homepage you can submit your comments on this important issue.

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Tags: human rights, human rights and democracy report, Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, PSVI
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Voting for a Greener Future

April 16th, 2013 by Paul Johnston

Today, an important vote is taking place in the European Parliament. The British Government has asked all British MEPs to vote for a more competitive EU by supporting a higher price on carbon emissions.

A well-functioning market, where it is more expensive to produce carbon emissions is crucial for green growth, and for the UK, Sweden, and all other EU member states. The EU’s Trading Emissions scheme helps drive European innovation and competitiveness by incentivising the green economy with its green technologies and low-carbon investments.

Globally, in 2010-11, the green economy (low carbon and environmental goods and services) was valued at around £3.3 trillion, having grown by 3.7% from the previous year despite the economic slowdown. The global market is projected to continue to grow by around 4% over the next four years. A green economy is needed to create new jobs and reach new export markets. China’s Five Year Plan 2011-15 that invests $1.5 trillion (5% of GDP) in strategic new green industries clearly signals the green economy is the way of the future.

Europe needs to be able to compete with countries such as China, in this sector. A higher price for emissions would make this easier. It would benefit Europe – especially Sweden, who has a leading position in green technologies.

We also need a strong price signal that prevents us from being able to lock into a system based on old-fashioned fossil fuels.

Unfortunately, there is now a surplus in the market which has resulted in a very low price on emissions, reducing the incentive to innovate.

The European Commission has therefore suggested a temporary reduction in the number of emission allowances, with them being placed back into the system at a later date. By back-loading these emissions allowances, fewer will be available in the short-term, thereby driving up the price.

Although the UK generally agrees that market interference should be kept to a minimum, the current low price and market volatility put the smooth functioning and liquidity of the market at risk. The proposed one-off intervention would help to restore confidence in the market, before longer-term reforms to strengthen the system can be brought in.

Failure to agree back-loading will mean that the EU carbon price is likely to remain consistently low in the medium-term, potentially impacting market investors’ confidence and ability to invest in future low carbon technologies. An agreement now would minimise uncertainty and distortions, and promote investment. That’s why the British Government is encouraging MEPs from all countries and parties to support it.

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Tags: ambassador, carbon, emissions, EU, Europe
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Threats Old and New

April 12th, 2013 by Paul Johnston

This week, Foreign Ministers from the Group of Eight (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, US and Russia) met in London. They looked at a wide range of issues, including the situation in the Middle East (specifically Syria and Iran), Africa, DPRK and climate change.

Two particular issues they addressed illustrate that diplomacy has a role to play in tackling threats as old as warfare is and as new as today’s and tomorrow’s technology.

As G8 President, the UK has prioritised the issue of rape and sexual violence in conflict. The Government has announced £10 million in extra funding to tackle this scourge. Other G8 countries also announced new commitments.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has been working with the UN and NGOs on this, including UNHCR special envoy, Angelina Jolie. Attending the G8, she said:

Rape is not a women’s issue, or a humanitarian issue, it is a global issue and it belongs here at the top table of international decision-making”.

The UK aims to address the culture of impunity for those who use rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. G8 leadership, along with the UN and EU, will, we hope, give new impetus to efforts to end one of the most devastating aspects of modern warfare and address one of the main reasons why it is so difficult for communities to come back together after conflict.

A very different type of threat comes from the cyber domain. G8 Ministers looked at the question of cyber security, specifically how to best balance security considerations with freedom of expression online. The UK and Sweden have worked closely on this, including at a joint event with Nordic and Baltic partners in January. But there is still a great deal of work to be done internationally to build countries’ capacity to minimise and combat cyber threats.

Earlier this week, William Hague announced a new Global Centre for Cyber-Security Capacity Building at Oxford University that will work bilaterally with countries on capacity-building projects.

Click here to read more about the outcome of the G8 Ministerial and the UK’s overall objectives for our Presidency this year.

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Tags: angelina jolie, G8, paul johnston, Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, William Hague
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Iron, Ice and Innovation

March 28th, 2013 by Paul Johnston

This job takes me to a range of interesting places but it is not often in the space of a few hours that I end up 500 metres underground and then in a bedroom five degrees below freezing!

Such was my contrasting experience on my visit to Kiruna this week. As guest of LKAB, which produces over 90% of all the iron ore mined in Europe, I visited the Kiruna mine and saw the combination of high technology and innovation that produces almost 30 million tons of iron ore every year. Part of the town of Kiruna will soon be moved a few kilometres to the east as a result of the need to continue the huge mining enterprise in the town.

Later that same day I was privileged to visit the fantastic Ice Hotel just outside Kiruna. It was amazing to see so many beautiful sculptures in ice, by designers from around the world include the UK.

It struck me that here was a town being partially dismantled and moved to cope with the demands of industry, and here was a hotel made out of ephemeral products, which will disappear entirely in a few months time only to be recreated in another form at the end of the year.

It made me focus on the importance of change and innovation. That was also a theme of the second day of my trip to Kiruna where the local municipality and small business association introduced me to a range of impressive small companies operating in Kiruna with products as diverse as toilet paper holders for the disabled, space tourism, the removal of toxic sewage and pills to treat plaque in dogs, cats and humans! We hope some business opportunities to and from the UK will arise from the contacts that happened in Kiruna.

A few photos from my time in Kiruna can be found here.

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Tags: ambassador, hma, ice hotel, innovation, Kiruna, LKAB, mining, paul johnston
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Earth Hour

March 23rd, 2013 by Paul Johnston

Earth hour will take place tonight at 8.30pm. Hundreds of millions of people will turn off their lights for one hour, on the same night, all across the world in a huge, symbolic show of support. The whole of the UK government, and especially the FCO and its embassies around the world, will also mark the hour in various ways across the world.

Why? The economy of course!

There are huge benefits to gain if we act on climate change – other than, of course, the main one of leaving our planet habitable for our next generation.

Globally, in 2010-11, the green economy (low carbon and environmental goods and services) was valued at around £3.3 trillion, having grown by 3.7% from the previous year despite the economic slowdown. The global market is projected to continue to grow by around 4% for the next four years. HSBC estimates that the low carbon energy market could triple to $2.2 trillion by 2020. Saving the planet therefore makes economic as well as moral sense.

But at the same time, doing nothing costs us as well.

Lord Stern, author of the landmark 2006 study on the economics of climate change, recently said he had underestimated the risks and we were heading towards a 4 or 5 degrees Celsius increase in global temperature by the end of the century.

The implications could be severe.

That is why the UK is working so hard to fight climate change by ensuring we get a new and better Kyoto deal, and that the EU takes more action on climate change. We need the South East Asian economies as well as the European economies to grow to get out of this global economic downturn.

But, to return to the theme of earth hour, shutting down appliances, rather than leaving them on could save us all a lot of money in the long term. For example, if all FCO office equipment in the UK were left on out-of-hours this would waste £560,000 per year and emit 3,400 tonnes of CO2 per year -the equivalent of driving a medium petrol car around the equator 393 times.

As the Swedes say “Många bäckar små, blir till en stor å (Swedish proverb that roughly translates to ”Many small brooks form a big river”).

So do think about turning off the lights and appliances for an hour on Saturday – it does all add up!

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A budget for business and growth

March 22nd, 2013 by Paul Johnston

20 March, as well as being the Spring Equinox, was budget day in the UK.

As in other European countries, the UK economy has been affected by the chill of the eurozone’s problem and the long winter of the international financial crisis.

Against this backdrop, our government has announced several new measures to stimulate recovery. More details on the HM Treasury website.

Taxation

• Reduction in the main rate of corporation tax (currently 24%) by an additional 1% to 20% by April 2015, the joint lowest rate in the G20.

• Simplifying the corporation tax system to a single rate.

• Boosting innovation by increasing R & D tax credits and reducing corporation tax rate on profits from patents to 10%

Infrastructure

• Plans to increase spending on infrastructure by £3bn a year by 2015.

• Implement Lord Heseltine’s recommendations including the creation of a single local growth fund, to attract international investment.

• £1.6bn to support investment in 11 key sectors through the new industrial strategies from the Department for Business.

• Investing £5.4bn in new housing schemes to encourage buyers and increase access to mortgages, and support the UK’s construction sector.

Energy

• To take forward two Carbon Capture Storage projects to the detailing planning and design stage. This represents the next step in the £1 billion CCS commercialisation programme.

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Tags: budget, CCS, energy, growth
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Farewell to Princess Lilian

March 19th, 2013 by Paul Johnston

It was an honour to attend the beautiful and moving funeral service for Princess Lilian, at Slottskyrkan on Saturday.

It was a service with a strong British flavour, with the Palace Choir singing Vaughan Williams’ For All the Saints and a wonderful choral arrangement of Parry’s Jerusalem.

The congregation sang Abide with Me (in English) and Amazing Grace (in Swedish). At the end a lone piper played Auld Lang Syne in the hushed chapel.

Representatives of the British community, including from societies of which Princess Lilian was patron, were invited to the service. Many more lined the streets of central Stockholm, with many thousands of Swedes, as the cortege made its way to the Royal burial ground north of the city. It’s clear the Princess had a special place in the hearts of people in Sweden.

Unlike my predecessors I never had the privilege of meeting Princess Lilian, but, like others, I have been moved by the story of her and Prince Bertil’s life together.

She clearly meant a great deal to many in the British community here and we plan a memorial service at the English Church in due course.

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