FCO REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR THE FALKLANDS

 

A Report for FIBS By Corina Bishop (CB) 21/01/05

 

Governor Howard Pearce (HP) has recently returned from a series of conferences in the UK.  I asked him to explain about the business he’s been on.

 

HP:  I went back to London for the Leadership Conference held by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  This is only the second such conference.  It brings together all of our Heads of Mission – that’s to say all of our ambassadors, high commissioners and Governors from around the world to talk about key issues and the management of the FCO and its key strategies and corporate governance. 

 

It was a two-day conference, which was addressed, in fact, by video, by both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary.  The Foreign Secretary himself had hoped to be there but because of the appalling tsunami tragedy, he, himself, was travelling at the time in South East Asia.  But it was an opportunity to meet my colleagues from all around the world.  Obviously at an event of this kind one does a lot of networking in the margins.  But also to get together with the senior management at the Foreign Office to talk about the FCO’s strategic priorities and key issues. 

 

One of the issues, obviously, that we have to discuss was how we handle crisis management.  The tsunami placed very heavy demands, indeed, on the FCO and its ability to respond to such a crisis.  I think the general consensus was that the FCO had done so very rapidly and effectively but it does raise a number of questions about how we handle natural disasters of that kind.

 

One of the eight strategic priorities set by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has, of course, been the governance of the Overseas Territories.  I was able to get together with my fellow Governors to talk about some of the issues connected with that.

 

CB:  You then went on to the annual meeting the South Georgia Liaison Committee.  Who is involved with that?

 

HP:  It’s a tripartite group involving the Foreign Office, British Antarctic Survey and the Government of South Georgia.  And, we meet once a year, normally in January, and one year we meet in London.  The next year, we meet in Stanley.  The next meeting will be in January 2006 here in Stanley, hosted by the Government of South Georgia.

 

The purpose of that meeting is to review the management of the Memorandum of Understanding, which we have agreed between the Foreign Office, British Antarctic Survey and the Government of South Georgia, primarily to look at the work, which the British Antarctic Survey are carrying out in South Georgia for us and a number of related management issues.  It’s an extremely useful exchange.  Nothing particularly exciting emerges from it.  That’s good news, really, because it means that our arrangements are working pretty well.

 

CB:  And, a final piece of business that you attended to – you actually met with Bill Rammell as well, didn’t you?

 

HP:  That’s right.  Many may recall that Bill Rammell visited the Falkland Islands in November of 2003.  He’s the Minister of the Foreign Office responsible for the Overseas Territories.  Amongst other things, he covers a large slice of the world.  But he takes a very close interest in the work of the Overseas Territories.  And, a number of Councillors got to know him quite well.  And, I try and take the opportunity to see him whenever I am in London.  He takes a particularly close interest in the Falklands and Falklands business.  That’s something which I very much welcome.  He’s a very good friend of the Islands. 

 

We were able to review the situation in the Islands, to talk about current issues.  Again, nothing of particular note emerged from that meeting, other than to say that we continue to have Bill Rammell’s very strong support.  And, that is something which should be continuing encouragement to us all.