11th December 2016 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
This week we celebrate the 68th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For the people of Yemen who have suffered during two years of war this must feel like an abstract and distant concept. Prior to the conflict Yemen was already one of the poorest countries in the region and now, as a […]
10th October 2016 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Today is World Day against the Death Penalty. With more than 50 years of positive experience of abolition in the UK, we believe that the death penalty neither deters, nor keeps people safer. It is error-prone, and its use in the modern world if often arbitrary and in breach of international standards. It also risks […]
9th June 2016 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
This week saw the start of the holy month of Ramadan. A time for reflection, for spending time with family and friends and for peace. However, this year many Yemenis will be spending Ramadan without adequate food, water, shelter, electricity and healthcare and fearing for the safety of their loved ones. This month, like the […]
3rd May 2016 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Today is World Press Freedom Day. This is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the importance of freedom of information and to pay tribute to those journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Of course advancing freedom of the press is a global issue, yet I’m struck by how […]
22nd December 2015 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
On Sunday 20 December, the first round of UN-brokered consultations on Yemen concluded in Switzerland. All parties at the talks agreed a Communiqué summarising the progress they made and committing to attend the next round of talks, which will begin on 14 January 2016. The international community was not invited by the UN to attend […]
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10th December 2015 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Today is Annual Human Rights Day. At a time when human rights, humanitarian issues, diversity and equality are very much in the news, and all topical but vexed issues in crisis-torn Yemen, I want to mark this day with some reflections on where we stand. Having children of my own, I am particularly mindful of […]
25th November 2015 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
As a male ambassador, I am not an obvious candidate to promote women’s rights. But the subject is close to my heart. I have spent my whole life with brilliant, accomplished women. These include my mother and sister, my wife, daughter and my female friends, colleagues, and professional contacts which included the many Yemeni women […]
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9th July 2015 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The people of Yemen have been suffering for too long. On 1 July the UN declared the crisis in Yemen to be a Level Three Emergency: a category reserved for the most severe, large scale and complex crises in the world. This highlights that the Yemeni people are in dire peril. Many civilians have died […]
21st June 2015 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Last Thursday saw the start of Ramadan: a time of consideration for all, and peace. Never have my thoughts been more with the people of Yemen, who are suffering greatly due to the ongoing conflict. I am writing this having just returned from the Yemen consultations in Geneva, where parties convened under the auspices of […]
12th March 2015 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
This is my first blog as the UK’s Ambassador to Yemen. Sadly, I am unable to be based in Yemen due to the security situation. But our work continues apace – currently from London, although I hope to be opening an office, outside Yemen but in the Middle East, soon. Today the Foreign and Commonwealth […]
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