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Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of UK in Bolivia

23rd December 2010

Review of the year

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The end of the year is always a time for reflection. What did we do over the last year? What could we have done better? What will we try to achieve in the year ahead?

community policing2010 has been another busy year for Bolivian-British relations. We have had a number of visits in both directions, including Vice President Garcia Linera to London in November, and the British Government’s Climate Change Adviser, John Ashton, to La Paz in October. A bilateral drugs Memorandum of Understanding is under negotiation after the visit of Vice Minister for Social Defence, Felipe Caceres, in October. The British Embassy continued its high profile work on supporting the strengthening of citizen’s security and community policing, collaborating with the police in Santa Cruz, La Paz, El Alto, Oruro, Viacha, Cochabamba and Tarija, and promoting visits by senior policemen in both directions during the year (photo). We have worked closely with the Bolivian government on climate change, including through the provision via the World Bank of fund through the Pilot Programme on Climate Resilience to help Bolivia’s adaptation work. We look forward to continuing our close cooperation in this field in 2011.

I would also like to salute the energy and endeavours of British-linked NGO’s, who continue to manage programmes in support of Bolivia across a wide spectrum of sectors, from nature conservation to education and gender issues, but always ultimately focused on reducing poverty and improving lives. Oxfam UK, Care UK, Plan International, Christian Aid, CAFOD, WWF, HelpAge International

About Nigel Baker

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as…

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy in Havana, Cuba (2003-6) and then as British Ambassador in La Paz, Bolivia (2007-11). In July 2016, Nigel finished his posting, and is currently back in London.

As the first British Ambassador to the Holy See ever to have a blog, Nigel provided a regular window on what the Embassy and the Ambassador does. The blogs covered a wide range of issues, from Royal and Ministerial visits to Diplomacy and Faith, freedom of religion, human trafficking and climate change.

More on Nigel’s career

Nigel was based in London between 1998 and 2003. He spent two years on European Union issues (for the UK 1998 EU Presidency and on European Security and Defence questions), before crossing St James’s Park to work for three years as The Assistant Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. At St James’s Palace, Nigel worked on international issues, including the management of The Prince of Wales’s overseas visits and tours, on the Commonwealth, interfaith issues, the arts and international development.

Nigel spent much of the early part of his FCO career in Central Europe, after an initial stint as Desk Officer for the Maghreb countries in the Near East and North Africa department (1990-91). Between 1992 and 1996, Nigel served in the British embassies in Prague and Bratislava, the latter being created in 1993 after the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia into the separate Czech and Slovak Republics.

Nigel joined the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) in September 1989. Between 1996 and 1998 he took a two year academic sabbatical to research and write about themes in 18th century European history, being based in Verona but also researching in Cambridge, Paris and Naples. The research followed from Nigel’s time as a student at Cambridge (1985-88) where he read history and was awarded a First Class Honours degree, followed by his MA in 1992.

Before joining the Foreign Office, Nigel worked briefly for the Conservative Research Department in London at the time of the 1989 European election campaign.

Nigel married Alexandra (Sasha) in 1997. They have one son, Benjamin, born in Bolivia in September 2008.

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