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Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of FCDO Human Rights UK in Holy See

6th March 2012

International Women’s Day: Doing Something Practical

Sr Eugenia Bonetti, Counter-Trafficking Office, Italian Union of Major Superiors, pictured with Bishop Patrick Lynch, Chair for the Office for Migration Policy, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Human Trafficking Seminar, London 1 December 2011

One of the dangers of International “Days” is that they can generate a great deal of well-meaning talk, but little action. Sometimes they serve to raise public consciousness about an undeservedly forgotten issue or a neglected cause. But too often they come round on the annual calendar, and nothing much seems to change.

International Women’s Day is too important for that to happen. This Embassy’s contribution to the many concrete initiatives planned is to focus on a global problem that disproportionately impacts upon women: human trafficking, often called “modern day slavery”. The International Labour Organisation estimates that 2.4 million people are trafficked globally. According to the UN, 79% of trafficking is for sexual exploitation and 18% for forced labour. Overwhelmingly, women and girls are the victims, men the exploiters.

Human trafficking is a priority for the British government and the Holy See. I wrote last year about work being undertaken by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW). They will be holding a seminar in Rome in May, working with the Holy See, the Metropolitan Police, and other organisations, following a successful event in London on 1 December 2011. Sister Eugenia Bonetti runs the Counter-Trafficking Office in Rome, and is working to develop an extraordinary network of professionals, volunteers and religious sisters around the world to tackle the traffickers and protect the victims.

This 8 March, International Women’s Day, I shall be bringing Sister Eugenia together with Ambassadors of key countries (both sources  of supply and of demand) and Holy See officials to prepare for the May CBCEW conference, and explore ways in which our different authorities and networks can co-operate more practically and more efficiently to stop this trade in human lives in its tracks. There are no short cuts. But we hope to begin to make a real difference.

1 comment on “International Women’s Day: Doing Something Practical”

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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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cbcew eugenia bonetti human trafficking Women Women's day

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