Marianne Young

Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

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21st October 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

Making the Commonwealth count

Queen Elizabeth II has arrived in Australia for this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting. She will be joined by head of states from across the organisation’s diverse membership, including President Pohamba and a sizeable Namibian delegation, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Trade & Investment. A key focus of this year’s event […]

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13th October 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

The joys of pap in Namibia

It is international Blog Action Day (BAD) 2011 this Sunday 16 October and the topic for this year is food. Last year the FCO took an active part in this event and is encouraging its bloggers around the world to contribute to the food theme from our unique international and local perspectives. Having only been […]

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21st September 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

Managing the liquid of life in a desert land: British assistance to Namibia

Namibian guides like to pose the following question to first time visitors here: what do you do if you fall into a river in Namibia? Answer: stand up and dust yourself down. But sadly water, or more normally the lack of it, is not always a laughing matter here. Namibia is the most arid country […]

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13th September 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

Social Namibia – sharing ideas on digital direction

Social networking is a global phenomenon that no one working in media or communications can ignore.  There have been a host of international events this year in which social media have played a significant part.  From the Arab Spring to the Tsunami in Japan, ‘digital diplomacy’ (as the UK Foreign Office calls it) has not […]

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6th September 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

The Olympic message goes north

Bright lights in the north: spreading the Olympic message in northern Namibia and learning more about Ovamboland. It is always incredibly uplifting to address a school of young African learners. Pupils have generally walked miles each way to attend classes. They take their studies seriously – and they always have plenty of answers when you […]

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25th August 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

Taking care in Namibia

One of the more marvellous traits of human kind is how communities pull together to support each other during times of crisis. We have seen wonderful examples of this in the aftermath of the recent vandalism and arson attacks in London and elsewhere in the UK. Whole communities have mobilised themselves using the same social […]

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5th August 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

London 2012 Olympic Games: one year to go and Namibia is raring…

The final 12 month countdown to the greatest show on earth has now started. London 2012 will explode into action in the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, on 27 July next year.The preparations are all on track. The Park’s construction is now 88% complete and set to provide a spectacular showcase for the very […]

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25th July 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

UK mapping in Namibia

Driving back through the stunning Waterberg region of central Namibia on Friday afternoon, it struck me what a broad range of British activities I had been involved with during the week. I travelled out of Windhoek for the day to visit two groups of young British students working on school community projects with UK educational […]

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6th July 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

Windhoek calling

Welcome to my first blog. I am the new British High Commissioner Designate to the Republic of Namibia. ‘Designate’ because I have just arrived in Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, and am waiting to present my credentials from my head of state, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to the Namibian Head of State, President Pohamba, to confirm […]

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About Marianne Young

Marianne Young is the current British High Commissioner to the Republic of Namibia. She arrived in Windhoek in June 2011 and presented her credentials to the President of the Republic of…

Marianne Young is the current British High Commissioner to the
Republic of Namibia. She arrived in Windhoek in June 2011 and presented
her credentials to the President of the Republic of Namibia on 3rd
August.
Mrs Young joined the FCO in 2001 following a career in international
journalism, including time spent running an Asian maritime press office
in Singapore and a traineeship on the UK’s Times newspaper.
Her first role in the FCO was as a Press Officer in News Department,
after which she went on to be Head of the Great Lakes Section in Africa
Directorate and then Head of the East Africa & Horn Section.
In 2005, she became the first Head of Communications for the Engaging with the Islamic World Group.
She moved to the British High Commission in Pretoria in February 2007
and served as the Head of the External Political Section and Deputy
High Commissioner to the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland.
Mrs Young moved across to the British High Commission in Windhoek in
June 2011, and presented her credentials to the President of the
Republic of Namibia on 3rd August 2011.
On her appointment as British High Commissioner to the Republic of Namibia, Mrs Young said:
“I am honoured and delighted to be appointed Her Majesty’s High
Commissioner to Namibia. I look forward to working to strengthen the
many commercial, political and cultural ties between our two countries,
and to help the many British nationals who holiday there. My family and I
are particularly thrilled to be remaining in southern Africa – and to
have the opportunity to explore this beautiful country further and
discover more about its people and culture.”
Curriculum vitae

Full name:
Marianne Young

Married to:
Barry Young

Children:
Two daughters and one son

 
June 2011
Windhoek, British High Commissioner

2007 – 2011
 
Pretoria, Head of External Political Section and DHC for the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland

2005 – 2006
FCO, Head of Communications, Engaging with the Islamic World Group

2004 – 2005
FCO, Head of East Africa & Horn Section, Africa Directorate

3/2003 – 8/2003
FCO, Head of Great Lakes Section, Africa Directorate

2002 – 2003
FCO, Press Officer, Press Office

2001 – 2002
FCO, Departmental Report Editor, Press Office

2001
Joined FCO

2000-2001
Senior Correspondent, Fairplay Group, UK

1995-2000
Staff Editor and then Asia Editor, Fairplay Group Singapore

1994-1995
Graduate Trainee at The Times newspaper, UK

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