This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Avatar photo

Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of World Press Freedom Day

4th May 2011

World Press Freedom Day

On 3 May the United Nations, and journalists around the world, celebrate World Press Freedom Day. The day is celebrated every year to commemorate the fundamental principles of media freedom, to highlight long-standing and emerging threats to that freedom and to pay tribute to journalists and activists around the world who have risked their safety to advance the public’s access to news and information.

The last point is perhaps the most poignant. As we have seen recently here in Bolivia, and in the dangerous front line reporting by journalists in Libya, journalists suffer extraordinary pressure and, sometimes, pay the price of their lives for doing what they believe – bringing up to date and transparent information to the public, information that others would often prefer to be hidden.

Freedom of expression is fundamental to building and sustaining democracy. Citizens must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely, to challenge their governments and hold them to account, and to make informed decisions. As we have seen in the Middle East, governments need to respond to legitimate aspirations with reform and not repression. Encouraging an open and effective press and media serves to improve the environment for long term social, political and economic stability. A free and independent media may sometimes be awkward for governments. But that does not make journalists, bloggers and media organisations and individuals any less necessary to the strength of a free society.

Foreign Office Minister for human rights policy Jeremy Browne recorded a message for World Press Freedom Day 2011

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.

Follow Nigel

Tags

democracy freedom press

Links