Jim Murphy

Olympics

The Olympic medals table makes great viewing.  Team GB are third - thanks to the brilliance of so many UK sportsmen and women.  I stayed up and watched the womens marathon til after 3am and, while much of the drama was about Paula Radcliffe's run and Liz Yelling's fall, the real story was the FCO's Mara Yamauchi coming in a record 6th, equalling the best performance by a British woman.

But interestingly the table looks great from other countries too.In the US the table has been redefined and the US are top ahead of China by organising it according to total medals won rather than the number of golds. Given this would drop us to fourth, behind Russia, I'm not persuaded! Spare a thought too for the Slovenians who could also be top - if it were organised in medals won per capita.

It's also great to be ahead of France, Germany, Italy and every other European country! Barring a surge by one of these, we may well be number one in Europe.If so, I can genuinely look forward to the next time I meet ministers in Brussels.I will miss the games. Roll on 2012 and London.

Posted at 15:17 20 August 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[1]

Georgia Latest

I agree with Robert who commented on this blog on 17 August - he's right to question whether punishing "ordinary folk" in Russia through imposing visa restrictions is really an effective and logical response to Russia's deplorable actions in the last 2 weeks. The UK's visa policy is always to focus this kind of action on the people responsible rather than the general public - that's why we targetted tightened visa restrictions at Russian officials only in our disagreement over Litvinenko, and why we did not change our visa policy towards ordinary Russians then and why we won't change it now. But we do need to send clear messages to Russia about their behaviour.  As the Foreign Secretary said today in his article in the Times we can't disengage.  The right response is hard-headed engagement to make sure that Russia understands the consequences of its actions. As Russia has breached international norms, the international community needs to respond as one.  The UK has been intensively engaged in international negotiations, including through the EU, G7 OSCE, NATO and the UN, to ensure an appropriate, unified response.

I regret to say that even now the situation on the ground throughout Georgia remains fluid and fragile. Although the ceasefire is largely continuing to hold there are some reports of continuing violence and this must stop immediately. And there are still Russian forces well beyond Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We welcomed the Russian statement that withdrawal was beginning but there is no sign whatsoever of this happening on the ground. We now we need to see evidence on the ground that Russia is living up to the commitments it has made.

The Foreign Secretary has been in Brussels again today, this time for a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of NATO countries.  Some of you will have seen that he has been making these points strongly.  The UK continues to offer Georgia both practical and political support in the short term - for example through sending immediate humanitarian aid - and longer term as they continue with their reform processes. The Foreign Secretary is right now flying to Tbilisi to discuss with partners there what we can do to help, and to see the situation on the ground for himself.

Posted at 16:57 19 August 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[7]

Georgia Discussion in Brussels

I'm in Brussels discussing the situation in Georgia.  The 27 countries of the European Union were united in their grave concern about the recent developments.  Military actions are not a solution.  The war has led to heavy loss of life and inflicted widespread humanitarian suffering.

Foreign Ministers welcomed the EU mediation efforts and urged the parties to the conflict to respect the commitments they had made, starting with an effective ceasefire.  They reaffirmed that the European Union will work to support the observation mission on the ground, which is led by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and provide essential aid for the humanitarian situation.

The crucial thing now is to make sure that the ceasefire holds and the humanitarian suffering is addressed.  Then we need meaningful talks about the future and strong international supervision of the process.

Posted at 19:05 13 August 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[3]

Brits Abroad

News earlier this week about the number of UK holiday makers in Spain who are arrested each year.  I was on holiday in Costa Brava, an area of Spain that is remarkably British.  In fact there seem to be more Irish bars than there are in Ireland.  And I have to admit I didn't see any trouble at all.

But the figures are worrying.  British tourists abroad sometimes forget that if they break the laws of the country they are in they will face justice in the same way that a foreign tourist visiting the UK is subject to our laws when they are here.  Meg Munn is the Minister responsible for Consular Services in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  On Tuesday, she commented on the report and reminded Brits of some of the simple steps they can take to avoid problems when travelling overseas.  You can read these and get travel advice on our website .

Posted at 18:56 13 August 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]

Events in Georgia

The events in Georgia over the last 5 days have shocked me, people throughout the UK and the international community. Russia's use of force in a sovereign and democratic country is unacceptable and unjustifiable. The situation has been moving too fast to even blog about at times, and I have kept in touch daily with our Ambassador in Tbilisi to follow Russia's movements and motives, Georgia's response and the impact on the people in Georgia, including the 350 or so UK citizens who have been caught up in the violence. The  Prime Minister,  Foreign Secretary and I have  all  been involved in efforts with partners in the EU, NATO, G7, OSCE and UN to put pressure on Russia to end its actions, and David Miliband and I will both be in Brussels tomorrow at an emergency meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to discuss the situation and way forward.
 
Today, President Medvedev has said that Russia's forces will end their operations. We wait to see the evidence of this. I visited Georgia in May and met President Saakashvili and saw for myself the fragile situation on the ground - this has now been shattered. It is for Georgia and the international community to work together, building on the efforts of France and the OSCE, to return to the path towards peace in the region.

Posted at 18:26 12 August 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[9]

Serbia's ambassadors reinstated

You may have heard last week that the Serbian government has decided to reinstate its ambassadors who were withdrawn from the EU countries that recognised Kosovo's independence. This is good news. It is only by having regular contact that differences can be reconciled and relationships strengthened. This decision will allow us all to work together to achieve our shared objective - Serbia in the EU.

The new Serbian government has shown in the last week that facing up to the past is the only way for Serbia, and the region, to secure lasting peace and prosperity (see my blog on Karadzic arrest). I am pleased that the new government is seizing opportunities to move Serbia closer to the EU.

Of course there is still more for Serbia to do to fulfil its EU ambition and  I  hope they continue to progress with the same pragmatism and drive they have shown this week.

Posted at 10:05 29 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[4]

Karadzic arrest

I was really pleased to hear the news that Radovan Karadzic has been arrested in Serbia.  Karadzic has blood on his hands and the world is a better place now that he has been detained.  He organised the murder of thousands of innocent people in a vile campaign of ethnic cleansing.  We should congratulate the Serbian government for this achievement.  Having seen first hand the efforts to rebuild Bosnia after the terrible three way civil war, I think that this is an important step.

Posted at 12:38 23 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[8]

Public diplomacy - what do you think?

I took part on 21 July in a joint FCO/Chatham House seminar focused on the FCO publication on public diplomacy I launched recently in Washington “Engagement: Public Diplomacy in a Globalised World”. I want to drive forward the debate and the event was a part of this effort. With participants from business, NGOs, the media, civil society, government and academia, there was some pretty lively discussion. I want to hear what you think too. Comment on this blog to share your thoughts about the publication and I’ll come back to you in a few weeks with a round-up of where I think the debate has got to.

Posted at 11:29 22 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[3]

Challenging Anti-Semitism

I gave the inaugural lecture at the launch of the European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism in the House of Commons last night - a new think tank aiming to re-engage the academic debate on combatting anti-Semitism. There was lots of interest in my speech - you can read it in full here.

Posted at 12:46 15 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]

Changing relationships - the US, UK and EU

For those of you who have been following my visit to the US I thought I should post a quick blog on a second speech I gave. I spoke at the Brookings Institution this morning in Washington. The topic was about the evolution of the transatlantic agenda, and the vital role of public diplomacy in it. Click here to read it . Let me know what you think.

There was a good discussion about climate change, Russia, the media and cooperation between democracies. I enjoyed it and it was great of Brookings to host it. Its been a busy 24 hours for them with British politicians because my friend and UK Defence Secretary Des Browne spoke there yesterday. Click here to read his speech 

Posted at 14:52 12 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[3]

Engaging in D.C.

I officially launched the public diplomacy publication "Engagement" on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. last night. I spoke about why public diplomacy needs to change (easy: because the world is changing), and how we do that (harder: but it means engaging with and listening to the right people, in the right way, at the right time - as we develop policies and not just when we deliver them). Read my full speech online.

Congressman Payne, a member of the congressional Foreign Affairs Committee, kindly also spoke at the launch of the book and gave a fascinating snapshot of the shifts in public diplomacy trends in the USA and around the world since the phrase was coined in the 1960s. And he underlined the inclusivity of policy making in a globalised world that the book promotes. Let me know what you think - read it online.

Posted at 09:59 11 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[2]

Is climate change man made?

I thought I should post a second blog on my visit to Utah. I had lunch with the Mayor of Salt Lake City and the President of the Senate as well as other senior politicians. It was fascinating. I was in a minority in believing that climate change was indeed man made. Some of the politicians cited the various reports which claim that climate change is not new, and is simply the earth's natural cycle which repeats itself over time. These reports seem to have a real influence on them.

There were also concerns because Utah is more than 80% reliant on coal for its fuel. I explained that fossil fuel has an important future as long as we invest to make coal cleaner.

So in Britain the conversation has largely moved beyond the question of "is this a man made problem?" to trying to find the answer to "what do we do to repair our environment?"

But despite the strong leadership of Governor Huntsman some senior people in Utah are still sincerely and passionately debating the first question. While it is easy to criticise these views, it is more important to try to convince them of ours. Happy to hear your ideas on how it can be done.

Posted at 08:12 09 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[7]

Public Diplomacy and climate change on the west coast

I was in Los Angeles yesterday and I'm in Salt Lake City today as part of a visit to the USA to launch a book on public diplomacy. Academics, consultants, communicators, diplomats and myself have contributed essays about how governments need to revisit the idea of public diplomacy given the new context we're doing foreign policy in: the challenges of globalisation; the opportunities of new media and IT; and the power of publics and not just governments to deliver change. You can read the book online.

With the launch of the UK's consultation on renewable energy and France's aim to get a Europe wide agreement on renewables during the French Presidency of the EU (in the next 25 weeks), I'm also talking about climate change and low carbon in the west. In the spirit of a new kind of public diplomacy, I talked to policy influencers rather than policy makers in California - like the Climate Registry which is recording and tracking businesses' emissions before federal rules in the US require it - so they're making a difference now. And in Utah I met Governor Huntsman to compare the challenges faced by a state 98% dependent on fossil fuels, and to listen to their plans on how to reshape Utah's economy.

Posted at 22:44 08 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[0]

Violence at Pride parades

I was very upset to hear the reports of violence at the Pride parades in Prague, Riga and Sofia in the last few weeks, and also very disappointed that pressure from various sources meant the Pride parade in Moldova scheduled for May did not take place.   This was in marked contrast to the peaceful Pride held for the first time ever in Delhi on Sunday 29 June.

The FCO is committed to promoting equality and ending the discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people around the world and we've developed a program of skills and information for Embassies and diplomats to help achieve this. We look at where the UK can have a positive effect in providing information on the official British policy on gay rights and instructions in how to provide added value to equality and non-discrimination work. It covers a wide range of issues, from decriminalisation, sexual health, reproductive rights and health education to bilateral work with other countries.

Although we focus work in countries where homosexuality is criminalised, we also monitor the situation across Europe closely. The British Embassies in Warsaw and Riga, for example, were active in helping support and celebrate the diversity, equality and acceptance for all that the Pride events promote. We are also very active in international organisations in promoting our goal of equality for LGBT people in the enjoyment of human rights.

Posted at 12:36 03 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[3]

Chevening Reception

I'm finally getting the chance to blog about my visit to Edinburgh last week.  I attended one of our annual receptions for Chevening scholars, which are held all over the UK. 

I met a fascinating group of scholars from a wide range of countries studying at several different Scottish universities, plus one studying at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland.  The Chevening scholarship scheme is important for the FCO and for the UK because it brings to the UK the people who have been identified by our embassies and other overseas posts as the future opinion formers and leaders of their countries. 

All the people I met in Edinburgh showed that they have the spark to be the 'changemakers' and to lead their countries into the future.  So I send them all my best wishes: for their dissertations in the next few months; and in the longer term for a continuing relationship with the UK.

We will be changing funding in future years to redirect FCO resources into climate change efforts, so competition for places will be even keener, but we do want to do more to keep in touch with alumni through the new Chevening website (www.chevening.com).

Posted at 16:22 01 July 2008 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[0]