Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin said:

The UK has been following closely the past week’s events in Ethiopia. We share outgoing Prime Minister Hailemariam’s view that this is a concerning time for a country that is our friend and our partner. We welcome the commitment to an orderly process of political change in line with the constitution, as well as his repeated support for a continued reform process.

Against that backdrop we are, however, concerned and disappointed by the decision to impose a new State of Emergency. It sends a discouraging signal to the international community and foreign investors. We strongly hope that the announcement does not signal a reversal in Ethiopia’s recent moves towards reform, and that it will be in place for as short a time as possible. In implementing the State of Emergency, we urge the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that human rights and the constitution are respected. Widespread use of detention powers and internet blockages should be avoided.

We call on the Government to ensure a rapid, peaceful, transparent and constitutional transition to a new leadership that continues and accelerates the reform process. The UK is a long-term friend of Ethiopia and we continue to stand ready to support a purposeful and progressive reform agenda.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin on Twitter @hbaldwin

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Chair of the VisitEngland Advisory Board, Nigel has served a four year term as a Board Member of VisitEngland during a time of major change for the organisation. Nigel has made a significant contribution to VisitEngland, including the establishment of the Discover England Fund and the outsourcing of the Quality Assurance Schemes to the AA. He has also served on the Audit Committee of the British Tourism Authority.

Nigel is an experienced Non-Executive Director with a portfolio spanning the public, private and charitable sectors. He sits on two PLC board and is a Trustee of the EY Foundation and the Polka Theatre for Children. Nigel was formerly the Managing Partner Markets for EY in the UK & Ireland, responsible for major clients, including hospitality and leisure businesses.

The role is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Nigel has declared no such political activity.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) facility in London today (Monday 19 February) to see illegally traded wildlife products seized by the Met Police before they could be sold on the black market in the UK.

Many of the cases the WCU deals with involve cross-border smuggling and require police collaboration with international agencies, underlining the need for greater international cooperation to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

The Foreign Secretary saw items seized in successful WCU operations. This includes the recent Abbas Allawi case, where Met Police raided a Watford property using trained search dogs and found wildlife goods with a street value of over £1 million stashed in his attic.

The Foreign Secretary was shown items including seven rhino horns weighing over 16kg, and dozens of raw ivory tusks and carved ivory specimens as well as animal trophies including a stuffed lion’s head and tiger skins. He heard how there is online demand for primates, including severed monkey hands turned into trinkets and monkey skulls.

During the visit the Foreign Secretary said:

When we think of the illegal wildlife trade, the slaughter of elephants, rhinos and other species teetering on the brink of extinction, we think of Africa, Asia and distant countries where some think this acceptable. We rarely associate this crime with our own shores. To say I was angry to see the haul of ivory, rhino horns, animal furs and other items in the gross menagerie of seized illegal animal products in London is an understatement.

This is not just a crime taking place overseas. Criminal lowlifes operate right here in the UK and the Met Police and other forces are working to stop them in their tracks. Criminal gangs trafficking wildlife across UK borders will not be permitted to operate with impunity, but this requires a global effort, tackling both the supply and demand of this odious trade.

We will not let up our efforts to ensure that future generations can share our planet with rhinos and elephants and that the criminals who seek to harm them face justice.

The Foreign Secretary also learned about a new technique for taking fingerprints from ivory. The technique was tested on ivory from the WCU facility from previous seizures, and it increases the chances of building a legal case against perpetrators.

This follows on from the Foreign Secretary’s recent visit to Asia where he viewed illegally trafficked ivory and pangolin scales seized by Thai customs.

In October the UK will host an international conference on the illegal wildlife trade, bringing together global leaders to work to end wildlife crime.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

A technical consultation on the Trade Secrets Directive has launched. We are seeking views on the draft Regulations which will bring the Directive into UK law.

A trade secret is a form of confidential business information that can give a business a competitive edge in the market. The government believes it is important businesses are able to protect their trade secrets. This is because they can be of great commercial value.

The EU Trade Secrets Directive was adopted on 8 June 2016 and came into force on 5 July 2016. It sets out minimum standards for measures, procedures and remedies that should be available in the unlawful acquisition, use or disclosure of trade secrets. It includes a definition of a trade secret and provisions for protecting confidential information during legal proceedings.

The UK has a strong and well established legal framework that allows for the effective enforcement of trade secrets. As a result, a number of provisions in the Directive already exist in UK law. The changes proposed relate primarily to procedural matters in the courts. They are intended to provide clarity, transparency and consistency across the UK’s various jurisdictions.

Responses should be sent to enforcement@ipo.gov.uk by 16 March.

Tuesday, 27 March, 2018

featuring

Professor Chris Fox

Director of the Policy and Evaluation Research Unit I Manchester Metropolitan University

Please see the attached flyer for further details and how to book.

Outcomes-based Commissioning: Learning from Payment by Results and Social Impact Bonds (seminar flyer)

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