Jon Davies

CAIRO - A GREAT PLACE TO TALK ABOUT DIFFICULT ISSUES

Cairo is coming to the end of another busy working week. The different rhythm of Ramadan and the respite of the Eid holiday are an increasingly faint memory as the pace really gets going again here.

Cairo and Egypt more generally continue to show the ability to get people together to talk - something which the Egyptians themselves love to do (as do we Welsh....). The Embassy played host this week to one such example. We were delighted to have a team here from Chatham House for two days of discussion and debate about Egypt, and also to launch the first special edition of International Affairs to focus on North Africa.  It was also an opportunity for us to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Foreign Office's Chevening Scholarships, and to involve some of the thousand or so Egyptians who have been part of the Chevening project .

Meanwhile the non-governmental International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament was meeting here, under the Chairmanship of former Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan. From the initial informal readouts I heard last night, the forum had managed to bring together representatives from nations who sometimes find it difficult to talk in more formal surroundings. That shows, among other things, the positive power of civil society and NGOs.

They too have been a vital and positive element of the continuing progress towards an Arms Trade Treaty.  Having spent much of the week talking about conflict of one kind or another, but also the enormous opportunities in this and other regions if conflicts were resolved earlier or prevented, the logic for the Treaty seems ever clearer.

Finally, there's been quite a lot of reporting recently here about the violent behaviour of the so-called English Defence League. That behaviour has been condemned by our Government and many others. People in Britain want to work together to marginalise such extremist minorities, who do not represent the views of the majority who work hard to promote community cohesion and shared values. And what has been encouraging is to see the leadership demonstrated in urging young people not to respond with violence. People have the right to express their view in public. But this is a right that must be used responsibly, and it is unacceptable for protest to cross over into violence or intimidation.

Posted at 19:32 06 October 2009 by Jon Davies  |  Comments[0]

On screen in Ramadan

I have just about recovered from the nerve-wracking business of appearing on live television - in Arabic. Nile TV were kind enough to invite the Embassy on their programme "On the Shores of the Mediterranean". With the Ambassador away, that fell to me. There will be a link soon here if you want to see the result. As Arabic speakers will notice (a) Amal Roushdy, the interviewer, was gentle with me, (b) Hatem Seif el-Nasr, Egypt's Ambassador to London, was a far more eloquent exponent of the strength of UK-Egypt relations and (c) my Arabic is not as good as it should be - lessons restart tomorrow...

The next appearance on screen was during the Foreign Office's first "Virtual" Leadership Conference. This was the first time that we had used new web-conferencing technology on a large scale. Over 200 representatives from Embassies around the world and colleagues in London were involved. We heard and saw the Foreign Secretary deliver a keynote address, which included a reminder that a resolution to the Arab-Israel conflict and the Palestinian issue in particular was "at the heart of the British national interest". There were interactive discussions in regional breakout groups, and the ability to chat and message with those participating. All a lot greener and less disruptive than putting us all on planes back to London. Cheaper, too, which is just as well given the reminders of the current financial pressures, especially acute for an organisation working worldwide but with its budget set in sterling.

With all this and more going on, I have failed, as last year, to get immersed in any of the Ramadan TV series. But I have been able to enjoy some of the very Egyptian ways of marking Ramadan, as well as the unaccustomed quiet which descends on even the busiest parts of the city as the sun sets. I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and peaceful Eid.

Posted at 14:00 17 September 2009 by Jon Davies  |  Comments[0]

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Posted at 19:48 01 September 2009 by e-Media Global  |  Comments[0]

Getting a British visa – our service and standards

First chance for me to blog since returning from a holiday in the UK and Spain. It was good to catch up with family and friends. One of the tougher things about the diplomatic lifestyle is being away from loved ones, especially at the best of times or worst of times. So it was good to have a couple of weeks in Wales with my mother, with her recovering from a minor car accident - not great when you're in your 80s. And great for my kids to have time with their grandmother (in fact they're still in UK with their other granny, enjoying the cool weather there even if not everyone else is...).

Visiting family and friends is of course just one of the many reasons why people come to us for visas to enter the UK.  We're just past the peak of the annual summer peak of applications - and also the annual stories in the media and on the Net about the poor service offered by "European Embassies", and the occasional public tribute to good service. I wanted to look behind the headlines....

Every country looks to manage the flow of foreign nationals through its borders. One key element is "control", ie only letting in the right people, with a legitimate reason to visit, the means to support themselves while there, and the intention to leave at the end of their legitimate stay. But don't forget that we actively want to encourage people to come to Britain: for work or pleasure, for study or medical treatment and to increase their knowledge and so understanding of our country and our people. It is in our interests that the flow of people contiues. I think that all the above is just as true of Egypt and its own approach to people coming here.

We work hard to make sure that the visa operation here in Cairo achieves those objectives. Our Visa Application Centres in Cairo and Alexandria have been up and running for over two years now, operated on our behalf by the private company WorldBridge. The Cairo Centre is now bigger and better, and offers additional services such as a Business Class Lounge, application photographs, document copying. Applicants in Alexandria can now pay in cash and have their passport returned by courier.

Decisions on applications are still made here at the Embassy by our expert trained staff. It may surprise many to know that less than 8% of the thousands of applications here last year were refused, below the global average. We meet our self-imposed targets for how quickly applications are handled.

So more than 90% of straightforward applications are returned within 5 days of the application at our Centres(and many more quickly than that); and more than 90% of what we call non-straightforward applications are returned within 15 days.

But just as important as the statistics, we genuinely want any applicant to get an efficient, polite and professional service. We demand that from our own staff and from those working for our commercial partners WorldBridge. And we genuinely believe that we treat our customers fairly and consistently. That said, no-one is perfect. People make mistakes. IT sometimes fails. If there are examples where we genuinely fail to meet our standards, we want to know. The complaints procedures are with all the rest of the information people need at:

http://ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk/en/visas/

 
In return, I would also say that we expect applicants to treat our staff with the same respect they expect as customers. The Foreign Ministry is right to say that it will not accept the mistreatment of Egyptian nationals. We do not either. We realise that it is for some Egyptians a novel and unsettling experience to have to come in person to make an application, when in the past some would have had the luxury of sending someone to do that for them. All I would ask is that applicants trust our systems and our people, give them the (short) time they need to work - and then, for the huge majority of applicants, enjoy a great visit to Britain.

Posted at 18:23 18 August 2009 by Jon Davies  |  Comments[1]

Towards an Arms Trade Treaty

This time last week, virtually the whole city was focused on the speech by President Obama. I won't add to the praise already heaped on it. One of our focuses this week has been looking at how we (locally, but the UK more generally) can help deliver on an ambitious agenda which has a depth and breadth of support unprecedented in my time working in and on this region. From the challenge of violent extremism to the need for better education, the UK is already working closely with the Government and others here.

There are obviously areas where we don't wholly agree - yet - with partners like Egypt or the US. One where there is still a lot to discuss, and one of the FCO's priorities, is the proposal for an Arms Trade Treaty  Unregulated weapons prolong and worsen numerous conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, leading to appalling human suffering . The UK is committed to working not just with governments but with commercial enterprises, international organisations and the defence industry itself to come up with a legally binding agreement to help assess arms exports. But getting the right balance between transparent regulation and the legitimate defence and commercial needs of countries will be tough, hence our efforts to reach out and consult.  Let me know what your thoughts are.

If last week ended with the city fixated on Obama, this week it is concern about swine flu which dominates the chat. We are trying to ensure that British nationals here, and our own staff (Egyptian and British), get the right advice and support . Egypt is no stranger to the threat from "new" flus, with its own experience in fighting Avian Flu - good news at least in the sense it means the authorities are well aware of the challenge. Keep well.

Posted at 09:43 17 June 2009 by Jon Davies  |  Comments[5]

Egypt and Britain: A strong Partnership

Traditionally, the work of a diplomat was with other foreign ministries. While our work is nowadays much more diverse, the relationship with the diplomats of the host country is still crucial. That is particularly true when they are as experienced and as sharp as Egypt's. I also have to admit that the Ministry is perhaps a more welcoming place that our own 'HQ.' The door is always open for a discussion - even when we disagree. And the coffee is better (not to mention the still-exotic delight of fresh lemon juice with mint).

Our contacts with the Foreign Ministry reflect the breadth and depth of our relationship and our own work here. At a quick count, the subjects colleagues and I will have worked on with the Foreign Ministry over a two week period include: nuclear non-proliferation , consular access to British nationals , Palestinian reconciliation and the Peace Process , Kosovo , counter-terrorism , human rights , the safety and security of our Consulate-General in Alexandria, EU relations with (and funds for) Egypt , Sudan  . As with many aspects of life in Cairo, it's never quiet.

Good news on UK-Egypt trade as you can see elsewhere on the website   with UK exports up 11% in the first two months of this year, and Egyptian exports to the UK also up, despite the crisis. And driving with visiting family members to Ain Souhkna then Suez and back through the outskirts of Cairo was a reminder of the scale of construction here. Not all economies are shrinking...

Something else you might like to take a look at is the latest Gallup polling on British Muslims  It's a complex picture, but one thing which stood out for me is the strength of the attachment British Muslims feel to the UK. Interesting stuff.

Posted at 10:25 21 May 2009 by Jon Davies  |  Comments[2]

A train journey to Alexandria

A train journey to Alexandria has finally given me time to have a go at The Blog.  I’ve struggled to fit it in while in Cairo, the days as crowded as the city.  I’m going to join the Governor of Alexandria in opening the revamped Visa Application Centre: better services (like couriering passports back to their owners) and still good value for money compared to our Schengen competitors.  Interesting to see in my notes that the refusal rate for Egyptian applicants is under 10%, and half the global rate.

One task still looms for the weekend – our Country Business Plan.  I’m always struck when working on it just how many different things we are doing in Egypt – and with Egypt.

The British Council is a big part of that.  I’ll join their event on Cartoons (with Steve Bell of The Guardian) on Saturday; and then help open their Skills for Employability session on Sunday.  The whole partnership with Egypt on employment and skills is a real growth area.  Good to see the President telling his Government to make this even more of a priority in newspaper headlines.

One of Egypt’s papers, picked up at the station in the early hours, has Britain featuring in two of its front page stories.  Not all good news, as ever:  (false) allegations of collusion in torture.  Ironic, when we all know that improving the record of the security forces in this area and protecting human rights is an essential part of reducing extremism.

Nearly at Alex.  I’m always struck by just how different the city is from Cairo. Good to get a breath of fresh sea air, even if there are specks of rain in it.  Let’s hope someone can find an umbrella for the Governor…

Posted at 18:01 05 May 2009 by Jon Davies  |  Comments[1]