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Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of UK in Holy See

30th September 2014

The Holy See and the Commonwealth

Flags of the Commonwealth flying in Horse Guards, London. Commonwealth Day 2014
Flags of the Commonwealth flying in Horse Guards, London. Commonwealth Day 2014
Flags of the Commonwealth flying in Horse Guards, London. Commonwealth Day 2014

The Commonwealth and the Holy See represent the two largest soft power networks in the world today. The Commonwealth with its 53 countries, 2.2bn citizens, and common values as expressed in its Charter focused on democracy, equitable economic development, good governance, young people, human rights, and social progress. The Holy See as the central governance of a global Catholic network of 1.2 billion people, its work based on the values of the Gospel – human dignity, family, respect, the importance of young and old, reaching out to the poor and those on ‘the periphery’.

There should be real synergies. Pope Francis is focused on mission to the world beyond Europe. The Commonwealth Secretary General has called on the organisation to raise its global profile. However, it  appears that the two organisations do not know each other, and have little formal or even informal contact across their networks. Yet over 140 million Commonwealth citizens are Catholic, there are resident Papal ambassadors in many Commonwealth countries, and around a fifth of the voting members of the College of Cardinals are from Commonwealth countries, as well as many important senior Holy See officials.

Seven Commonwealth countries have resident embassies to the Holy See (the UK, Ghana, Australia, Cyprus, Cameroon, Nigeria and Canada). Together, we have decided that we could do more. Although there may be historical reasons for the lack of mutual engagement, there is also so much common ground. Both are ‘transversal’ organisations, cutting across ethnicity, gender, social and class divisions, age, national borders, and political affiliation. Both are people-focused, with especial concern for the most vulnerable. And both seek to promote the common good through universal values via education, culture, dialogue and encounter across coalitions and partnerships. The Commonwealth’s own consensual governance style is also an attractive model of decision-making for the Holy See.

This commonality was confirmed by this week’s UN General Assembly in New York. After a joint meeting, Commonwealth heads of government issued a statement about the post-2015 international development agenda. Their conclusions align closely with Holy See views.

We believe that it’s about time the two networks started to know each other better.

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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