Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 14 December 2022.

Ambassador Barbara Woodward delivered a statement to the UN Economic and Social Council.

Madam President, thank you.

The death of Mahsa Amini was a shocking reminder of the repression facing women and girls in Iran. Since her death, the Iranian people’s message has been clear: they will no longer tolerate violence and oppression at the hands of their own government.

The people of Iran demand that women and girls’ rights be respected, and so do we.

That’s why the UK will vote in favour of the resolution to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women.

Let me expand on that in three points:

First, the Commission on the Status of Women is the world’s main body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality. In recent weeks, Iran has tightened its oppression of women and girls. Its actions are inconsistent with the objectives of the Commission and are incompatible with membership.

Second, the severity of Iran’s brutal and disproportionate state-sponsored use of force against protesters calling for “Woman, Life, Freedom” over the past several weeks have appalled the world. Here at the UN, we cannot sit by and allow the violence that led to the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini to continue with impunity.

Third, instead of engaging with the international community, the Iranian government has responded by deepening its violent oppression. 350 people have died, including over 60 children; 14,000 people have been arrested; and Iran has begun executing people for exercising their right to peaceful assembly.

So we urge every ECOSOC member to vote yes on this resolution: vote yes to remove Iran from CSW, vote yes to ensure accountability for Iran’s actions, and vote yes to support women and girls – like Mahsa – in Iran. The UK will vote in solidarity with them.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 December 2022.

Leaders from Viet Nam, the United Kingdom and the European Union have today announced an ambitious new Just Energy Transition Partnership.

Leaders from Viet Nam and the International Partners Group, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, Italy, Canada, Japan, Norway and Denmark have today (14 December) agreed a bold Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The Partnership will support Viet Nam to deliver on its ambitious Net Zero 2050 goal, accelerate the peaking of its greenhouse gas emissions and transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy.

The JETP will mobilise an initial $15.5 billion of public and private finance over the next three to five years to support Viet Nam’s green transition.

The Partnership will support Viet Nam in working towards a number of ambitious new targets:

• Bringing forward the projected peaking date for all greenhouse gas emissions in Viet Nam from 2035 to 2030.
• Reducing peak annual power sector emissions by up to 30 percent, from 240 megatons to 170 megatons, and bringing forward the peaking date by five years to 2030.
• Limiting Viet Nam’s peak coal capacity to 30.2 gigawatts down from a current planning figure of 37 gigawatts.
• Accelerating the adoption of renewables so that renewable energy accounts for at least 47 percent of electricity generation by 2030, up from the current planned generation share of 36 per cent.

The successful delivery of these ambitious targets will result in around 500 megatons (0.5 billion tonnes) of emissions saved by 2035.

Initial contributions to the Viet Nam JETP include $7.75 billion in pledges from the IPG together with the Asian Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation. This is supported by a commitment to work to mobilise and facilitate a matching $7.75 billion in private investment from an initial set of private financial institutions coordinated by the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), including Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Macquarie Group, Mizuho Financial Group, MUFG, Prudential PLC, Shinhan Financial Group, SMBC Group, Standard Chartered.

Over the next 12 months, Viet Nam will work with the support of partner countries to develop and adopt the Viet Nam JETP Resource Mobilisation Plan, which will enable the implementation of the JETP funding and strategy.

Viet Nam is the third country to launch a JETP, following the successful launch of the South Africa JETP at COP26 and the Indonesia JETP at this year’s G20 Leaders’ summit. As a rapidly growing economy, Viet Nam’s JETP will demonstrate that economic growth can be decoupled from fossil fuel energy consumption.

The Viet Nam JETP builds on the UK-launched G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which aims to narrow the infrastructure investment gap in developing countries. G7 leaders agreed in June 2022 to move forward in negotiations with several countries on JETPs, which are a core delivery mechanism of the PGII.

Ensuring the transition away from fossil fuels is ‘just’ lies at the centre of the JETP. A just transition will not only help Viet Nam meet climate goals but also secure a resilient and prosperous future for its people, reducing the impacts of pollution and supporting economic growth and new jobs. It is vital that the whole civil society is involved in the green transition at all stages and no one is left behind.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

The JETP model is a game changer in the fight against climate change – using international aid to unlock billions of dollars of private finance.

Viet Nam is a dynamic, emerging economy at the heart of South East Asia. The investment we are making today means the country can cut its emissions while simultaneously creating new jobs and growth.

Together we will deliver a cleaner, greener future for Viet Nam and our planet.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said:

I am delighted that we have sealed a new Just Energy Transition Partnership with Viet Nam during this important week for EU-ASEAN relations. With investments from international partners, Viet Nam can boost renewable energies and enhance its energy security and autonomy. We will help Viet Nam to start reducing its greenhouse gas emissions five years earlier than planned, and dramatically reduce its coal power use. This Partnership will help Viet Nam to build a 21st century power sector, energising its economic growth and bringing environmental and health benefits to its citizens.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said:

Just Energy Transition Partnerships are a model for how contributors can work together with partners like Viet Nam to take action towards cleaner sources of energy. Canada will continue to be a committed partner for the clean energy transition and coal phase-out in Viet Nam, which is in all our best interest for an inclusive, clean energy future in the Indo-Pacific region”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said:

France and the European Union are pursuing their strong commitment to climate change mitigation by supporting the acceleration of a just energy transition in Vietnam. France’s contribution, which is part of a long-standing bilateral cooperation, will support energy planning, capacity building and grid development, in parallel with the development of renewable energy. Our collective contribution must support Vietnam’s commitment to a sustainable development trajectory, phasing out coal, in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. This partnership must implement a just transition that involves and benefits civil society.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said:

The JETP with Viet Nam will support ambitious climate targets and a substantial increase of renewable energies by 2030 as a joint effort to keep 1.5 °C in reach. The Partnership is about working hand in hand with Viet Nam to make sure that the necessary transition will be just and inclusive. Germany will actively support Viet Nam in achieving the newly set goals.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Fumio said:

Japan has been supporting Viet Nam‘s decarbonization through renewable energy-related projects and welcomes Viet Nam‘s ambition to further accelerate just energy transition towards net zero by 2050. Japan is proud to be a member of the Just Energy Transition Partnership, which will promote support for low emission and climate resilient development in Viet Nam, in coordination with partner countries, and with further private sector engagement.

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said:

Norway is proud to be part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership and support Viet Nam’s effort to speed up the energy transition. We believe this can mobilize much needed private capital to accelerate the ambitious transition from coal to renewable energy.

President of the United States, Joe Biden said:

Today, Viet Nam has demonstrated leadership in charting an ambitious clean energy transition that will deliver long-term energy security. The United States is proud to be a partner in this effort. Viet Nam’s historic commitment will catalyze investment and economic growth and create tremendous opportunity for the Vietnamese people, while advancing the fight against the global climate crisis.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said:

With today’s agreement, Viet Nam is pioneering a new framework of collaboration to deliver a fair, inclusive energy transition towards renewables. These Partnerships are a crucial tool to unlock the emissions cuts our world needs in the 2020s.

We need all hands on deck to realize an energy transition that is global, sustainable, just, inclusive and equitable. The United Nations stands ready to continue supporting these Partnerships and all other cooperative efforts.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 December 2022.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, gave a statement during the USA’s 15th WTO Trade Policy Review.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 December 2022.

Ian Stubbs (UK delegation to the OSCE) thanks Belgium as OSCE FSC chair for focusing on Russia’s unprovoked, barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Thank you, Mr Chair. I would like to start by thanking you for your stewardship over the past trimester, and your dedicated team who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) has remained relevant and able to fulfil its mandate during these extraordinarily challenging times.

It is absolutely right that this Forum has focused on Russia’s unprovoked, barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Russia has attempted to break the foundations of European security, violating the UN Charter and flagrantly disregarding the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force. Under Belgian leadership this trimester, we have shown that these principles and this Forum matter, and that we will stand up to defend both.

Mr Chair, the Security Dialogues conducted under your chairpersonship focused different thematic lenses on Ukraine. On Children and Armed Conflict, we discussed the harrowing impact that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had on Ukraine’s 7.5 million children – on their health, education, family life and futures. On Women, Peace and Security, we saw how Ukrainian women have constituted a large majority of the victims of the heinous atrocities committed by the Russian Forces. And how they have been instrumental across the breadth of humanitarian, political, and security efforts in the defence of their country – a sad reminder of the need for full, equal and meaningful participation of women during and after conflicts to achieve better outcomes.

Mr Chair, it is nearly 300 days since the world watched in horror as Russia conducted its attack on Ukraine. Since 24 February, we have seen the extraordinary determination of the Ukrainian people as they defend their homeland. With support from their partners, Ukraine has shown that agility, ingenuity, mission command, and effective operational and tactical planning can have a devastating effect against a so-called super power.

In response, we have seen an out-manoeuvred and frustrated Russian military unleash horrendous amounts of violence on civilians and critical national infrastructure. We have watched Russia resort to blunt edged attrition to reduce entire cities, towns and villages they could not take to rubble. We have watched Putin and his military leadership attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to deprive families of shelter, light, and heat this winter. These actions are a great moral stain upon the Russian military, and one which will never be forgotten.

Here in Vienna, we have watched our Russian colleagues use this Forum as a mouthpiece to try to justify the unjustifiable. Despite their privileged ability to watch uncensored news from around the world, they have perpetuated a campaign of lies, threats and propaganda. They have concocted increasingly ridiculous false claims and made allegations of an epic scale, which do not stand up to the scantest of scrutiny. They have shattered the trust and belief that all of us in this room seek a secure and stable region and work in good faith to achieve it.

In the face of Russia’s lies, we have highlighted the truth:

That Putin made a grave miscalculation when he chose to invade a sovereign neighbour.

That Putin and his Generals have sent thousands of Russia’s own citizens to their deaths, poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly led. Mobilising amateurs and convicts to the battlefield to provide numbers and mass in place of fighters and effective leadership.

That the persistent and institutional poor decision making by the Kremlin is having a terrible impact on the Russian people – needless deaths; grieving families; discontent; and isolation. Millions of young Russians will bear the cost for years to come for an invasion they did not choose, nor vote for.

Mr Chair, no one can deny the Belarusian regime is an active supporter of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. However, Russia is increasingly attempting to use Belarus to distract from its own failures. We call on the Belarusian regime to recognise this, desist from supporting Russia’s attempts to stoke further instability in the region and stop its support of Russia’s illegal invasion, which itself constitutes a breach of international law.

Mr Chair, we hope that your focus and approach to the FSC this trimester will be a legacy that continues. The UK looks forward to working with the incoming Bosnia and Herzegovina Chair in what will continue to be a challenging period for the FSC, the OSCE and European Security writ large.

However, none of it measures against the challenges our Ukrainian friends face as they fight for their homeland in a war they did not choose and against an enemy who has demonstrated a disregard for international law, sovereignty, and human rights. This must remain at the forefront of our minds and efforts throughout the winter and into the next trimester. The UK and the international community will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 December 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on South Sudan.

Thank you President, and thank you also to SRSG Haysom and our briefers for their updates.

I welcome the update from the Permanent Representative of Gabon. I also welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of South Sudan in our meeting today.

President, I will make three broad points:

First, four months have now passed since South Sudan’s Government announced a two-year extension and subsequent roadmap to implement the peace agreement ––progress remains woefully slow.

The United Kingdom welcomes the passing of the constitution-making bill, as well as the continued graduation of the Necessary Unified Forces.
Such progress is long overdue and we urge the Government to capitalise on this momentum and meet the remaining benchmarks within their agreed timelines. This is essential in order for free and fair elections to take place before the end of the agreement.

Second, the need for Government action to protect their civilians is no clearer than in Upper Nile State; there, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.

The United Kingdom condemns these attacks on civilians. We are gravely concerned by the potential implications of this conflict for the already severely overcrowded Protection of Civilian site in Malakal and on the wider peace in South Sudan.

We call on the Government to protect civilians and create the conditions for an inclusive dialogue to stop the violence.Military intervention must not aggravate existing tensions or pose additional risk to civilians.

We also reiterate our call for the Government of South Sudan to immediately remove obstructions, and address violence against humanitarian workers and civilians.

Third, the situation in Upper Nile and rising levels of insecurity across South Sudan, require an urgent response from the international community to help save lives.

The United Kingdom commends the efforts of UNMISS to provide protection to civilians and its coordination with South Sudan.

A coherent, whole of UN approach across humanitarian, development and peace priorities is needed and we endorse the Secretary General’s encouragement for the Government and partners to apply a similar endeavour.

In closing, President, the United Kingdom remains committed to the South Sudanese people’s quest for peace, prosperity and democracy. We once again call on the leadership to deliver real change for its people. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 December 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UNFPA Humanitarian Action 2023 Overview.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 December 2022.

UK announces a new package of sanctions in response to Russia’s continued strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

• Sanctions targeted at high-level Russian officials for their roles in the Russian military and its inhumane, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine
• Commanders of military units implicated in missile strikes on Ukrainian cities among those sanctioned
• Designations also focus on Iranian businessmen and a military official involved in the production and/or supply of military drones used to carry out attacks.

The UK has today (13th December) announced a new package of 16 sanctions targeting senior Russian commanders for their involvement in the Russian military, and Iranian businessmen and officials involved in the production and/or supply of drones to the Kremlin.

The announcement comes as Russia steps up its campaign of terror against Ukraine, striking at crucial energy infrastructure and plunging its people into the dark and freezing cold of winter.

Twelve senior commanders of Russian military forces, including units implicated in attacks on Ukrainian cities, have been sanctioned. Major General Robert Baranov, identified by a Bellingcat investigation as the commander of a unit responsible for programming and targeting Russian cruise missiles, is among those targeted.

More than 6,000 Ukrainian civilians are estimated to have died since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, primarily as a result of Russian missile and artillery strikes. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law – those responsible must be held to account.

Iranian-manufactured drones have played a central role in these evil attacks on civilians. On 9 December, the US released information showing Iran has become one of Russia’s top military backers, sending hundreds of drones to Russia in violation of its international legal obligations, which have been used to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill civilians.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK stands with Ukraine. Russian forces’ calculated attacks on cities and innocent civilians in Ukraine will not go unanswered.

The Iranian regime is increasingly isolated in the face of deafening calls for change from its own people and is striking sordid deals with Putin in a desperate attempt to survive.

Putin wants to break Ukraine’s spirit, but he will not succeed. Ukraine will win, and Ukraine will rebuild.

The Iranian regime’s brutal repression of its own people and the threat it poses in the Middle East have left Iran isolated internationally and in desperate need of support from Putin. Today’s sanctions include individuals facilitating the production of these drones, including the co-owner and Managing Director of MADO, the company responsible for manufacturing engines for the drones which have been used by Russia in Ukraine.

UK sanctions are taking the wheels off the Russian war machine and forcing its military to compromise on vital weaponry and equipment. Defence Intelligence reports suggest that Russian armed forces are struggling to replenish their missile reserves, while they are increasingly forced to rely on second rate drones supplied by Iran to keep up their inhumane bombardments of the Ukrainian people.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

Statement by Chanaka Wickremasinghe, UK Legal Adviser at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Thank you Mr President,

Let me start by welcoming President Gatti Santana to the Council for the first time – we are confident that she will be an excellent leader for the Court. We also would like to thank the President and Prosecutor Brammertz for their reports and informative briefings today. It is clear that under their stewardship the Mechanism will continue to play an essential role in ending impunity and implementing international justice.

Their briefings demonstrate that this is a good opportunity to look forward to the Mechanism’s future.

First, this summer we will see the conclusion of the final appeal relating to the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. The final decision in the Stanišić and Franko Simatović case is a defining moment and one of which the Court should be proud.

Second, we note that Félicien Kabuga’s trial is progressing on schedule and is due to conclude with judgement in 2024. His trial is a testament to the international community’s continuing dedication to accountability for the genocide against the Tutsi.

And third, we are pleased to see the efforts that the Mechanism is making to be agile and downsize in line with the tasks that it now has, including by looking for new headquarters in The Hague and by reducing its presence in the Western Balkans. We look forward to collaborating closely with the Mechanism and to all colleagues on the Council to ensure the Mechanism remains efficient, while securing its critical legacy.

But while there are positives for the future, we have continuing concerns.

It is high time that Serbia arrested and transferred Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta to the Mechanism following years of requests, considerations and discussion.

Separately, while the Mechanism continues to engage in important work to assist with justice at the national level in the Western Balkans, the blocking of cooperation by some in the region represents a critical and growing risk to meaningful reconciliation and long-term stability. This has direct implications for achieving justice for victims and we call on all States to meet their obligations and increase their efforts to provide justice for these heinous crimes.

And finally, we are saddened to see that glorification of war criminals and the denial of genocide continue. This is unacceptable and it increases the suffering of the victims. The United Kingdom condemns such denial and glorification in all its forms and calls on all Member States to do so.

While we regret these continuing issues, they serve as an important reminder that the work and legacy of the Mechanism remain as important as ever.

Before closing, Madam President, I would just like to say a word in answer to the concerns raised by our colleague from Russia. Let me assure the colleagues on the Council that Mr Karadžić is treated exactly the same as other convicted prisoners, with the same rights, privileges, and restrictions. He is not being mistreated in any way. Whilst his access to certain telephone contacts with certain members of his family and wider circle were temporarily suspended, those controls were legal and in line with prison service policy and were intended to prevent his continued abuse of that access, and to protect the victims of his crimes.

We also understand that despite Russia’s concerns, Mr Karadžić himself has raised no complaint. We consider that these types of spurious complaints are an attempt by Mr Karadžić’s supporters deliberately to undermine the Mechanism, the UK as the enforcing state, and also the victims and survivors of his terrible crimes.

Thank you Madam President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

The recipients, considered among the most accomplished undergraduate university students and recent graduates in the United States, were chosen following an intense selection process.

Washington, DC (12 December 2022) – The 40 winners of the 2023 Marshall Scholarships have been unveiled today by the British Government. The recipients, considered among the most accomplished undergraduate university students and recent graduates in the United States, were chosen following an intense selection process. The 2023 class will begin graduate studies at universities across the United Kingdom next year, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the scholarship.

The incoming class are the latest cohort of the seven decades-long program created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a thank you to former US Secretary of State General George Marshall and the US for assistance under the Marshall Plan. Since that time, the British Government has provided scholarships for over 2,200 Americans, many of whom have gone on to play leading roles addressing global challenges facing society. Marshall Scholars currently sit on the US Supreme Court, serve in local, state and federal governments, and have played key roles in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s class includes accomplished authors, astrophysicists, human rights advocates and COVID-19 researchers among other disciplines. 85% of the 2023 class intend to pursue public service careers in the US following their time in the UK, including representatives from the US Military Academy and US Air Force Academy who will take up active duty service upon completion of their studies.

“Whether it is the War in Ukraine or global challenges from the effects of Climate Change, Marshall Scholars continue to work to help address global issues head on,” said Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States. “The British Government is excited to support these future leaders of American society as they begin the next stage of their lives studying at some of the UK’s top academic institutions.”

“Marshall Scholars continue to embody the spirit of the scholarship’s namesake in their commitment to making the world a better place. They are powerful advocates for excellence and progress in an impressive range of disciplines.” said John Raine, Chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.

The program received 951 applications from candidates representing academic institutions across the United States. Of the 32 US universities represented, over a third are state or public universities and military service academies. The University of North Dakota, Pitzer College (CA) and Wayne State University (MI) will send Marshall Scholars to the UK for the first time ever. Morehouse College (GA) – one of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States – received its first scholarship award since 1996. Wabash College (IN) will send a Marshall Scholar to the UK for the first time in over three decades.

The program is principally funded by the British Government, but also benefits from generous support through partnership arrangements with world-leading British academic institutions, allowing winners to pursue graduate degrees in almost any academic subject at any university in the UK. The 2022 class will take up their studies at 21 different institutions across the UK starting next September, ranging from London institutions such as King’s College London to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

The scholarship program also continues to receive generous support from the Association of Marshall Scholars (AMS), the official alumni organisation of the Marshall Scholarship. The British Schools & Universities Foundation (BUSF) also provides generous support and funds for a scholarship.

The full list of 2023 winners are:

Recipient	US University
Abdelhamid Arbab	Princeton University
Dominic Arzadon	Pitzer College
Rachel Chae	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Chen	Yale University
Daniel Chen	University of Washington – Seattle
Assata Davis	Rutgers University
Carson Eckhard	University of Pennsylvania
Beatrix Frissell	University of Montana – Missoula
Bayan Galal	Yale University
Kyrolos Georgey	United States Air Force Academy
Hannah Gillespie	University of Notre Dame
Cyril Gilman	Columbia University
Alexis Harrell	SUNY – Buffalo
Clare Heinbaugh	College of William & Mary
Ricky Holder	University of Chicago
Alex Hu	Yale University
Sihao Huang	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lauren Jarvis	Baylor University
Kyra Jasper	Stanford University
Sarah Kane	University of Pennsylvania
Aaron Keathley	Wayne State University
Grace Kim	Harvard University
Amy Krimm	University of Pennsylvania
Laura Lewis	California Institute of Technology
Sarah Marze	University of Connecticut
Sydney Menne	University of North Dakota
Natalie Moss	University of Georgia
Nathan Mudrak	Johns Hopkins University
Katie Pascavis	Arizona State University
George Antony Pratt	Morehouse College
Max Pushkin	Brown University
Maggie Sardino	Syracuse University
Kavya Shah	Harvard University
Cooper Smith	Wabash College
Banks Stamp	University of Alabama – Birmingham
Rose Summers	University of Colorado – Boulder
Aristotle Vainikos	Harvard University
Marley Wait	United States Military Academy
Lauren Wilkes	University of Georgia
Samara Zuckerbrod	University of Texas – Austin

About the Marshall Scholarship

Named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the Marshall Scholarship Program began in 1953 as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the United States for the assistance that the UK received after World War II under the Marshall Plan. Since that time, it has remained uniquely positioned among national scholarships for its prestige and scope: offering talented young Americans the chance to study any academic subject at UK universities of their choice for up to 3 years. This has given rise to an unprecedented breadth of expertise in almost every academic field, producing numerous university presidents, six Pulitzer Prize winners, one Nobel Laureate, fourteen MacArthur Fellows, two-academy-Award nominees, two US Supreme Court Justices and a NASA Astronaut.

With over 2,200 scholarships awarded to date, Marshall Scholars are leading the conversation and direction of some of the most critical issues of our time. Notable winners of the scholarship include:

• Supreme Court Associate Justices Stephen Breyer and Neil Gorsuch
• William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
• Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Anne Applebaum, Tom Friedman, Jeffrey Gettleman and Dan Yergin
• Dr. Dan Barouch, Leading COVID-19 vaccine researcher and William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
• Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, White House National Security Council
• Reid Hoffman, Philanthropist and founder of social networking platform LinkedIn
• Lisa Cook, Economist and currently the first African-American woman and first person of color to sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
• Anne McClain, NASA Astronaut who served aboard the International Space Station in 2018
• Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State for the State of Michigan
• Roger Tsien, 2008 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry
• Ray Dolby, Founder of Dolby Laboratories and 1997 winner of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
• Rebecca F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War book trilogy

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

Mr Darren Welch has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union in succession to Dr Alastair McPhail CMG OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Welch will take up his appointment during January 2023.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Darren John Welch

Married to: Lucille Welch

Children: 2

Year	Role
2021 to present	FCDO, Director of Global Health
2018 to 2020	Department for International Development (DFID), Director of Policy
2017 to 2018	DFID, Director of Strategy
2016 to 2017	DFID, Head, Migration and Modern Slavery Department
2015 to 2016	Home Office, International Team Leader, Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme
2011 to 2015	Brussels, United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union, Counsellor for Development, Trade, Africa, Asia and The Americas
2008 to 2011	DFID Tanzania, Head of Office
2007 to 2008	DFID, Head, Information and Community Partnerships Department
2003 to 2007	DAI Consulting, Deputy Director for Governance Reform
2000 to 2002	Government of Bermuda, Senior Consultant
1998 to 2000	Cabinet Office, Performance and Innovation Unit (later the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit)