Global conversations
The G8 There are just a few days left before world leaders convene in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, on 17-18 June for the G8 Summit. It makes me recall my first job in the Foreign Office – G8 Desk Officer for our 2005 Presidency. Talk about the deep end – just eight months after starting, I found myself in a room with some of the most powerful world leaders! Deep … Read more »G8 2013: taxes, transparency and trade. What could be more exciting?
Guest Blog from Suzanne Carter, Climate Change Officer Many UK staff take a secondment into another government department over the course of their careers as civil servants but is there a way to replicate this exposure (on a smaller scale) for Locally Engaged Staff? My line manger thought it was at least worth a try! As the Consulate-General’s climate change officer, we had been asked to develop a new policy … Read more »WWF secondment helping develop new policy area
I have just returned from a visit to South Africa’s Eastern Cape – one of the three provinces we cover from the Consulate-General in Cape Town (the Western and Northern Capes are the other two provinces). As well as Port Elizabeth and East London, I visited the rural towns of Craddock, Bedford and Graaf-Reinet, talking to various people along the way (something I really enjoy about my work – the … Read more »Prevention of Gender Based Violence
As you may remember, though I’m based at the Consulate-General in Cape Town, I’m also accredited as the Deputy High Commissioner in Namibia (to support our team there). The historic visit this week by Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba to South Africa presented me with a rare chance to mix the two roles. On Tuesday (6 November) I attended the President’s address to South Africa’s Parliament. It was received with thunderous … Read more »President Pohamba visits South Africa
A guest blog by Michelle Atkinson, 2nd Secretary Political & Projects at the British High Commission in Harare On 10 October 2012, I attended a civil society event hosted by ZACRO to celebrate the World Day against the Death Penalty. It is a day for us all to pause and ask ourselves; is there still a place for the death penalty in twenty-first century? As a “Generation X” child in … Read more »World Day against the Death Penalty
Guestblog by Tatenda Goredema, Communications and Political Officer. I am standing in this month for Simon who has graciously granted me the opportunity to make a one-time guest appearance. I work at the Consulate as Communications and Political officer. Cape Town is the seat of South Africa’s Parliament and no amount of verbose writing could aptly capture how glad I am that it is. There are few more beautiful cities … Read more »View from a local staffer
It’s been a dreary old winter in Cape Town – lots of rain and wind. It’s probably not what the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow was expecting on his recent visit to the South African Parliament (which, incidentally, for historical reasons is based here, rather than the country’s capital city, Pretoria). The weather meant that we had to juggle the Speaker’s programme a bit e.g. … Read more »Cape Town winter
I love my job – traveling the world, meeting new people, supporting UKPLC amongst other activities. But even when this involves living in a place like Cape Town, I really do miss home – especially when we’ve just put on one of the best Olympics of all time. I watched the games with great pride, from the spectacular Opening Ceremony to the succession of medals won by our athletes across … Read more »Promoting the UK
I last blogged from Windhoek, Namibia, where I was covering for our High Commissioner Marianne Young. I’m now back on my more usual perch as Deputy Consul General, Cape Town. I thought I’d update you on what we’ve been doing in Cape Town recently to promote the UK and the GREAT campaign. (It’s no secret that promotion of the UK in all spheres, whether commercial, cultural or political, is pretty … Read more »Celebrating UK sport and royalty in South Africa