Roger Williamson, Visiting Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, writes: Day three of the ‘New challenges, new partners, a new UN development system?’ conference, was a day of taking stock and preliminary conclusions. Some of the off-the-record conversations remind me of the old Soviet joke about work culture and the implicit contract in a planned economy. “They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work”. It seems … Read more »Between incremental change and big vision
A big, argumentative UN family?
Roger Williamson, Visiting Fellow, Institute of Development Studies , University of Sussex, writes: On day two of the ‘New challenges, new partners, a new UN development system?’ conference, the UN family is behaving like a family – a big argumentative family. Nothing new there, then. You didn’t choose them, you can’t leave them, you know them too well, but do they get on your nerves. You choose your friends, but … Read more »A big, argumentative UN family?
UN systems and its interventions
Vikas Nath, Associate Director, The FUNDS Project, Toronto writes: On day one of the New challenges, new partners, a new UN development system? conference, there has been a gradual fragmentation of the UN systems and its interventions. There are too many governance structures: some are overlapping and others are far from reality. The issue is also that of incoherence between the agenda setting functions and results delivery mechanisms of the UN, and … Read more »UN systems and its interventions
China: forty years on and a new chapter opens…
From Iain Ferguson in Beijing As Ambassador Sebastian Wood recalled, opening the first Wilton Park conference to be run in China, it was on this very day, in 1972 that Britain established full diplomatic relations, at Ambassadorial level, with the People’s Republic of China. “Our relationship is better, stronger and bigger than ever before in the history of our two countries, said Li Jingtian, Executive Vice President of the Central … Read more »China: forty years on and a new chapter opens…
First steps in China
Iain Ferguson, Chair of the Wilton Park Board, writes: Every journey, however long, starts with a first step and, on Monday, Wilton Park took its first step in China. We started with meetings at the Embassy and its key staff who have helped us develop this first China conference. Sebastian Wood, our Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China stressed the importance of this meeting, held with the Communist Party … Read more »First steps in China
When common interest no longer reflects shared values
Richard Burge, Chief Executive writes: I have been watching Lord Paddy Ashdown’s TED talk on current global change. He says that the lesson of history is not to underestimate (and to be prepared for) the turmoil that will be caused and the blood spilt as a result. He reflects on a short extract from the prophetic and sad poem “A Shropshire Lad” by A E Houseman “On the idle hill … Read more »When common interest no longer reflects shared values
Cast aside despondency – two reasons to celebrate 2012
Richard Burge, Chief Executive, writes: I have been struck by how unremittingly morose most New Year blogs and messages have been. Even good news has been tempered. It is as if we feel too guilty to look forward with joy. So this brief post bucks the trend. I want to talk about two events without gloom and from a totally (and frankly unrepentantly) positive viewpoint. 2012 is the 200th anniversary … Read more »Cast aside despondency – two reasons to celebrate 2012
Arms Trade Treaty and Armistice at Wilton Park
Richard Burge, Chief Executive, writes: The church at Wilton Park – St Mary’s – has been a sacred place for nearly a thousand years. The worn brass image of a local crusader knight lies silently near the tiny war memorial that records the sacrifice of local parishioners in the First World War. Twelve men including two pairs of brothers from a community that has never numbered above a few hundred. … Read more »Arms Trade Treaty and Armistice at Wilton Park
Nobel Peace Prize 2011: our work with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee
You will no doubt already know that three great individuals shared this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The award was in recognition of their “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work”. Wilton Park’s own work to engender open dialogue on the important and urgent matters in which these winners are involved has unsurprisingly crossed paths with two of this year’s … Read more »Nobel Peace Prize 2011: our work with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee
Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC)
Dr Mark Smith, Programme Director writes: In December, the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), the worlds main institution for fighting the use of disease as a weapon, will convene in Geneva for its Seventh Review Conference. In common with the other WMD regimes, the BTWC has these reviews on a five-yearly basis, meaning that once every half-decade over a hundred states will come together to assess progress and make … Read more »Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC)