David Miliband

Pakistani Youth: Democracy or Dictatorship

The British Council sponsored debate on Pakistani radio suggests that the old (European) attractions of dictators making the trains run on time dies hard.

Posted at 18:57 09 July 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[6]

UNSG Visit to Burma

Ban Ki Moon deserves credit for not taking no for an answer from the Burmese authorities. He refused to postpone his visit  - a visit that he promised to make when he visited the country at the time of Cyclone Nargis to discuss political and economic reform. Ban's closing speech was clear and definitive - the regime's refusal to engage properly was reprehensible.

The easy course would have been to be put off. Now he will report to the Security Council and every member will need to decide how much they care about the refusal of the regime to accept basic international norms. The temptation is to say no visit should go ahead without pre-promising of the results. But sometimes it is worth the risk. This is one such case.

Posted at 12:35 07 July 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

Irish Eyes Smiling

As I explained on Irish radio yesterday the deal secured by Ireland at the European council for a decision in respect of legal guarantees about the Lisbon Treaty, to be followed by the annexing of the decision to a future European treaty, is a win-win - good for Ireland and good for the rest of Europe. All parties there except Sinn Fein support a yes vote in the referendum now planned for early October. But no one is taking anything for granted.

The guarantees address concerns about tax, abortion and defence - and assure that the Lisbon Treaty does not affect Irish practice. My impression is that Irish voters are going to give them a good look. The fact that every country will keep a commissioner is also relevant. I can't tell the Irish how to vote. I can say there was a good deal in Brussels.

Posted at 17:47 02 July 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

CULTURE BINDS - AND DIVIDES - IN IRAN

It is excellent that the Iranian authorities have come to an agreement with Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, for the loan of key artefacts for the BM's exhibition Shah Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.  I remember discussing the proposed exhibition when it was a twinkle in Neil's eye at a dinner for leading UK museums with James Purnell, then Culture Secretary, in 2007. 

All the more pity that in the same week the British Council should have announced that it has been forced by the regime's harassment of local staff to suspend its operations in Iran . The BC operates in 110 countries representing Britain not the British government.  I deeply regret this move and raised it with Iranian Speaker Larijani when I met him in Munich on Saturday.

Posted at 16:19 09 February 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[12]

United for UNICEF

It is rare for Arsenal supporters to admit it, but Sir Alex Ferguson put on a completely star performance at Cedar Mount High school yesterday. He and I were there celebrating and publicising the British Council's work to link British schools to the rest of the world  - in this case to China and Tanzania. 

Sir Alex spoke about the importance of broadening horizons - and the ability of sport to unite people across the globe.  The United for UNICEF partnership channels the commitment and pull of star players for socially responsible ends.

Posted at 18:26 23 January 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[0]

Congo: Setting the record straight

Friday's Guardian led with a piece saying the UK blocked the sending of an EU bridging force to Congo. This is inaccurate. As both Mark Malloch - Brown and I have clearly stated, we are not blocking action; we are instead arguing for coherent international military presences in DR Congo.

The UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1843, authorising 3,000 more personnel for MONUC, the UN Force which currently consists of 17,000 soldiers.  We have been lobbying potential troop contributors, offering planning support, and have put  forward a candidate for the position of Deputy Force Commander.

At the Foreign Ministers' meeting at the European Council an important intervention was made by Louis Michel, the Development Commissioner. Speaking from Congo on the phone, he reported the views of both the UN Secretary General's special envoy, Olusegun Obasanjo and the Conglese President , Joseph Kabila. They think that the political process is gaining ground, and that a separate EU force is unnecessary.

We will continue to play a lead role in the multilateral efforts to bring peace and security to the DRC.  That means being consistent and clear in our actions.  We should stop seeing the UN and the EU as alternatives.  They should be mutually reinforcing. 

Posted at 17:35 15 December 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[4]

Buyers' Remorse

The European Council will be remembered for the confidence of the European proposals for global financial regulation. We are not going to argue about where credit belongs for their creation: suffice to say they are ideas with which we are more than comfortable.

But the Council has set the scene for a very serious discussion between now and December about how the EU is to meet the ambitious climate change goals that were agreed in March 2007. There is no question that some of those who have doubts about the climate change agenda, or still don't believe in the economics of climate change after Nicholas Stern's report, are getting buyers' remorse about the March 2007 deal. But what is their argument?

Surely not that we can avoid making decisions in December. By then a new US President will be giving indications of how he plans to handle this issue. We cannot end up in a situation where Europe does not have a climate change position and America does. Nor that we should revisit the targets (no one actually suggested this at this Council).

Nor, on the other side, that there does not need to be proper recognition in the final package of the particular situations of different countries or the need for cost effectiveness in the way the climate agenda is pursued.

In the event this was early sparring. But stick to the targets and it doesn't matter that much how they are hit - more energy efficiency, more renewables, more nuclear, they all count towards a low carbon agenda.

Posted at 17:18 16 October 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]

UNGA Re-Cap 2: Middle East

The Security Council addressed the Middle East in special session on Friday morning.  My speech is here.    Settlements are one obstacle to a two state solution, but so are Hamas rockets.  And the unspeakable language of President Ahmadinejad about Jews in his speech to the General Assembly on Monday does nothing to help create an atmosphere of trust between Israelis and Palestinians.

Posted at 10:36 01 October 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[5]

Thankfully...August is over

It must be a western conceit to think that just because we are on holiday in August there should be fewer crises in foreign policy. Sure enough, August is usually full of crises: coups, scares etc. We go on holiday; we jet back from holiday. Why do we even think that two weeks could go by without a problem?

This year has proved no different. And the Georgia crisis is a real crisis. The European Council meets today in emergency session for the first time since September 11 2001. Over 100,000 Georgian refugees have joined the 200,000-plus left over from the civil wars of the early 1990s. That is reason enough to say there is a crisis.

But the rupture in international norms is more significant. As recently as April, Russia supported a UN Resolution affirming the territorial integrity of Georgia. Today it is occupying and recognising two breakaway states. Talk about unilateral use of force without UN cover ...

Many people have made the point that "we" need Russia - if not for gas then over Iran or Afghanistan. This is true. But Russia needs "us" too. As Fareed Zakaria cleverly points out in Newsweek, Russia's actions in Georgia are a potentially serious strategic blunder: Europe has been united by Russian action; trans-Atlanticism revived; and China alienated. Not a clever day's work.

I do not celebrate this breach. Russia's integration into global economics and politics is actually the best hope for a country losing population at Russia's rate.

Europe and America have not rushed thoughtlessly into action. We will be deliberate and effective in choosing the right ways to react to Russia's actions. In the short term we support democratic and sovereign countries, starting with Georgia, which need economic and political help. In due course we will raise the costs to Russia of such behaviour.

This isn't about winning or losing, as the Russian Foreign Minister pointed out in the FT two weeks ago. What we want to see is Russia on a different course, not Russia ground down. A weak Russia is as little in our interests as an aggressive one.

Posted at 21:51 01 September 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[27]

Mediation or pressure?

The vote at the UN yesterday on Zimbabwe was not a North/South split - after all Burkino Faso voted for the resolution. But it did reveal, in the use of the veto by Russia and China, two different ways of thinking about the exercise of responsibility in the modern world.

The argument at one level was about whether to give mediation "longer". But how much longer? And how much more suffering in the interim?

But there is a more fundamental point - or two actually. First, since when does pressure on a regime that has been flagrant in its abuse of human rights and democratic standards undermine mediation? Surely it brings home much more clearly that the world is determined to tilt the balance away from a government that has forfeited international respect? But second, the argument of China and Russia was that the Security Council had no business "interfering" in a national issue. But the crisis in Zimbabwe has gone way beyond that - not least through three million plus refugees caught up in the violence fleeing to South Africa (see above "If your neighbour's house is on fire" of 8 July).

The Russian and Chinese vetoes have shielded Robert Mugabe and 13 of his top supporters from international pressure. Their preferred route of mediation will have the chance to prove itself - too late for too many but no one will be happier than I if I wake up one day soon and find that this route has delivered a government that respects the March 29 election result.

Meanwhile the governments of western and other democracies should have no regrets about bringing into the open a vital debate. The alternative is for the threat of veto to mean we all clam up and pretend that there is no disagreement. That is not real diplomacy.

Posted at 18:19 12 July 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[8]

Talking Transatlantic

Congratulations to the British Council for their TN2020 initiative. I met some of the first 50 fellows from around Europe and the US at the New America Foundation today. Their job is simple: to re-energise the transatlantic relationship. The polling on the website (eg 57% of Americans have a positive or very positive view of the EU) shows that the well of common values is deep. The network intends between now and 2020 to become 1000 strong. After the second world war Anglo-German cultural and other links filled a void. The transatlantic relationship needs nurturing too. Digging deep into the US, and Canada, I hope it has similar success.

Posted at 10:53 22 May 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[0]

British Council (in Spain)

I was surprised to be told that the biggest British Council operation was in Spain. Why? I asked. The answer is interesting: not financial profligacy but a huge (and self-financing) demand for its English language service. 40,000 kids are in bilingual secondary education, often in partnership with the BC. This history is interesting: the BC opened in 1940 under Franco and provided an outlet to the world. The investment then and throughout the Franco era in cultural diplomacy is paying off.

Posted at 13:53 06 May 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[4]

Foreign Office goes to China

The Times and FT have reported on the initiative to send our five ambassadors from permanent Security Council countries plus UN and EU ambassadors to China for two days of talks. The readouts I have had are very positive – seeing the world through Chinese eyes opens our own eyes, and the meetings with government, party and civil society figures gave a unique chance to engage on big current issues (including Tibet) but also the long term relationship between China and the rest of the world. It is rare for Foreign Office Ambassadors to get enough time to talk to each other, but to do so from a different perspective is a very welcome first.

Posted at 10:35 01 May 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

Thank you Burkina Faso

For becoming the eighth country on the UN Security Council to recognise Kosovo.

Posted at 16:16 28 April 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

Climate Cool

I promised to provide a link to the British Council China website where the debate about the role of young people in tackling climate change is being developed.  My Q&A in Beijing was part of this.  Here is the link http://www.britishcouncil.org.cn/climatecool/en/

Posted at 16:58 03 March 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]