David Miliband

Goldstone

The Gaza conflict at the start of the year shocked and polarised opinion.  This week in New York we considered the Goldstone report.  Some say it is flawed and to be dismissed out of hand.  Some that the issues it raises are so serious we must endorse it.  I agree with both analyses, but disagree with both conclusions.  

The report is flawed but the issues grave.  Hamas rockets fired indiscriminately at Israeli citizens seriously violate international law.  Hamas should reject such actions and release Gilad Shalit.  But Israel should also see that their investigations so far have failed to convince not just dyed in the wool opponents, but those genuinely committed to Israel's security, that it has addressed some serious allegations.  We worked hard before the vote at the UN in New York yesterday to reach a consensus on calling for independent investigations.  In the end we had to abstain, with France and forty two others,  because voting for would have meant endorsing the report and ignoring its flaws.  But the issues are serious and the parties should address them.  

Posted at 16:53 06 November 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[0]

African Union agreement on internally displaced persons

It’s extraordinary that there are over 11 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa. The African Union statement  highlights the problem across at least 20 African states where people are currently internally displaced. Now we need to turn the words into action and help these displaced people.

Posted at 16:28 06 November 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[0]

Waziristan

Gideon Rachman of the FT says the Pakistan Army’s action in Waziristan is the most important thing happening in the world at the moment.

This article by Anatol Lieven focuses on the key points. The links between the insurgency of West Pakistan and East Afghanistan are key to the future of both countries. And the links of government and population in each country - and the loyalty government commands – the essential resource for the future.

Posted at 13:32 06 November 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[0]

Chatham House awards Brazil’s Lula

I am sorry I am not in London this week to meet President Lula when he receives the Chatham House Prize, awarded annually to the statesperson deemed by Chatham House members to have made the most significant contribution to improving international relations in the previous year. President Lula's leadership of Brazil, domestically and internationally, has been remarkable.

Brazil has made itself a key player on a range of international issues, bridging traditional North-South and East-West divides with policies and approaches of humanity and rationality. (I’m biased, I suppose, because the Foreign Minister Celso Amorim was a student of my dad’s.) In the run up to the Copenhagen climate summit we will need Brazil more than ever. Here is President Lula’s UN speech: http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/pdf/BR_en.pdf

Posted at 10:36 06 November 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[0]

British Council's 75th birthday

The British Council celebrated its 75th birthday yesterday. Through the aftermath of war; the end of Empire; the chill of the Cold War and the rise of Al Qaeda, the Council has upheld the values of democratic governance and debate, delivering a service of intercultural relations which is much admired (and still being copied) around the world. Last year alone, the Council engaged face to face with 13.2 million people and reached 221 million.

In 1936 The British Council’s Chairman William Tyrrell defined the Council’s role as "removing misunderstanding and promoting understanding”. Today, public diplomacy is arguably more important than ever. Citizens are more literate  and more informed.  They are connected to the outside world through trade, media and travel;  more able to communicate with each other, to organise, to hold power to account, and to exert influence over political decision making. This is not just true in established democracies - public opinion also constrains more authoritarian leaders.

So if we are to promote our values and influence our world in the 21st century, we must renew our soft power. The British Council, alongside other organisations such as the BBC World Service, have a central role to play in people-to-people diplomacy and I wish them many happy returns!

Posted at 10:05 06 November 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[0]

Moscow Thoughts

I've now finished my Moscow programme. You can see my press conference with FM Lavrov here.  We have reviewed difficult issues in bilateral relations, and discussed the whole range of international challenges on which Britain and Russia have a responsibility to work together as Permanent Members of the UN Security Council. I met NGOs, human rights defenders, businesses, politicians (and ex-politicians - President Gorbachev). And I met my remarkable great-great aunt/second cousin twice removed, Sofia.

I wanted my visit to add drive and depth to British/Russian relations. That does not mean ignoring difficult issues; but it can't mean taking out one's frustration about those issues by neglecting opportunities for joint work.

The best hope for the sort of Russia we want is serious and principled engagement. The statements we signed on Afghanistan, nuclear disarmament and non proliferation, and the Middle East show how much we have in common. We need to work together on Iran.  We have a thriving trade and investment relationship which our two governments have a strong interest in promoting. Peter Mandelson and Deputy PM Kudrin will be co-chairing our bilateral steering committee on trade and investment in London later this week.

It’s best not to have illusions. The Russians don't. Their history warns against it. But we need each other, so we’d better make it work. Today we are a step forward from yesterday.

Posted at 17:04 03 November 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]

Visiting Moscow

I will be visiting Moscow on Sunday and Monday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.   This is the first full bilateral visit to Russia by a British Foreign Secretary for five years and forms part of a continuing political dialogue with Moscow - shortly after my visit Peter Mandelson will be hosting Deputy Prime Minister Kudrin in London for the bilateral Steering Committee on Trade and Investment.

We don't always see eye to eye with Russia, but we share the same global challenges and it is important that we work on them together.  And as we are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and members of the G8 and G20, there is a wide range of questions where, by working together, we really can make a difference.  

The wealth of people-to-people contacts and the dynamic business links which have grown between Britain and Russia over the last twenty years make political engagement all the more important. While I am in Moscow  I will be meeting representatives of  Russian civil society  -  I look forward to hearing what they have to  tell  me about the issues which matter to them. 

Posted at 16:13 30 October 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[6]

More than a Facelift

You might have noticed that the look of the Foreign Office website has changed. Actually, it’s more than just a facelift. There is now more focus on top global issues, with information offered in one and place in different, more engaging ways. There is also easier access to key Foreign Office services and information.

This is important because it reflects our commitment to clearly inform and genuinely engage on foreign policy, and to use the web to make a difference on important global issues.

Look out for changes in the design of this blog soon…

Posted at 13:07 30 October 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

Climate Finance

There are now less than 40 days to go before Copenhagen. The four degree map my brother Ed and I launched last week underlines the urgent need for a deal to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees.

So far, the EU has done its bit, showing commendable leadership in driving progress towards such a deal.  The 20-20-20 deal, the conditional offer to shift to 30% emissions reduction targets, and diplomatic initiatives to encourage global action, have all contributed. And we have shown -reflecting the argument that I made in my speech on Europe at IISS on Monday - that by working through the EU, Britain can have a bigger impact than acting alone. The UK can act to address its own emissions, but as part of the EU, we can ensure others reduce theirs too.  Britain’s percentage of global carbon emissions is 2%; the EU’s is 14%.

But the deal we need is by no means guaranteed. Today, the Prime Minister and I are meeting European leaders at the October European Council to iron out the EU’s position.  Climate finance - the framework and funding to encourage developing countries to join a global deal - will be central to discussions.  

An ambitious climate finance offer from the EU is what we need to reach a two degree deal, and the October European Council is the opportunity for the EU to demonstrate the role it can play as a global actor.

Now, more than ever, the EU needs to come together.

Posted at 09:56 30 October 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

Climate Change – Believe the Science

An article in the Huffington Post reports on a recent poll – apparently only 57% of Americans think there is solid evidence that the world is getting warmer – down 20% from three years ago.

This is alarming. We need to do more to make sure people – and governments – know the science behind climate change. Hence the map we commissioned from the Hadley Centre, launched at the Science Museum last week.

The article argues that some of this drop is explained by people’s preoccupation with economic issues. This could well be true. But it is a false dichotomy. If we don’t solve the problems of climate change today; the depression of tomorrow – once the full economic effects kick in – would eclipse the current recession.

Lord Stern has said that the economic effects of climate change could cost us more than two world wars and the great depression combined. We must heed such warnings, we must listen to the science, and we must ensure that the Copenhagen Summit heralds an ambitious global deal to limit temperature rises to two degrees.

Posted at 14:26 29 October 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[4]