A break from Covid19.

I joined @foreignoffice 30 years ago today.

L: Berlin 1990. Indie singer-songwriter mood. Lots of hair.

R: Toronto 2020. Dad mood. Less hair & attempting a WFH beard.

A on an accidental career, lessons for diplomats & the Covid19 world ... 1/

‘90-‘93. 1st job. Clerk. Defence. Talk in ‘90 of Cold War peace dividend & no military ops outside of NATO area.

End ‘93? Gulf War; humanitarian ops in N Iraq, Western Balkans & supported UN ops.

Lesson: Be flexible to events & grow capability & capacity quickly. 2/

‘93-‘94. Cyphers & comms. 8 posts in 18 months. From big - Moscow, Islamabad, Nairobi - to small - Belmopan - & multilateral - Geneva.

Lesson: Know how your organization works & your colleagues, junior & senior. You are one team in one world & rely on each other to succeed. 3/

‘94-‘96. UKREP Brussels. Assistant Press Officer & Institutions covering . Negotiation. comitology, TEU, briefing journalists, & more.

Lesson: Facts matter as does process & knowledge. Master your brief, talk to journalists & support independent media. 4/

‘96-‘97. Sarajevo. 3rd Secretary everything & working amid the fog of post war politics.

Lesson: Never underestimate human cruelty & the importance of justice. Talking to bad people is sometimes needed, but values matter. Know your limits. 5/

‘97-‘00. @UKUN_NewYork! Negotiating again. Iraq, Libya, Kosovo & more. Last time on UNSC.

Lesson: Jaw Jaw better than war war. Relationships matter, especially with those with whom you disagree. A diplomat without their capital’s confidence is not credible. 6/

‘00-‘03. London. then Head , & war criminals team. Fall of Milosevic, war criminals to The Hague, closer - regional relations.

Lesson: Focussed transatlantic multilateral diplomacy gets stuff done but has consequences. Recommend @Itwitius Shadowplay for more 7/

‘03-‘05. Stockholm. Head of Politics & Economics. Important mature bilateral political, military, economic, & cultural partner with vision.

Lesson: A different pace. Keep an eye on the long term (10-20 year) timeline as much as the inbox. Invest in your development. 8/

‘05-‘08. Various London roles from Deputy Head Iraq Directorate to Home Office secondment.

Lesson. Global Affairs are local affairs: Immigration, CT, economic, EU, tariffs. Get out of the Foreign Ministry, see it from another side, & be more relevant as a result. 9/

‘08-‘09. Helmand. . 12 months with troops & civilians. Life changing experience helping Afghans build a better Afghanistan.

Lesson: Life is precious, the smallest decisions can have the largest consequences. Friends & family matter. Stay in touch. 10/

‘10-‘14. Miami. First Head of Post role. Haiti earthquake support, Mt. Eyjafjallajökull eruption & consular response, business development, counter narcotics work.

Lesson: Leadership is lonely. Find support with peers & trusted friends. Be kind. @SusanOwens_FCO 11/

‘14-‘20. Toronto. Business, Brexit, Invictus Games, GREAT, Climate Change, relations & a global pandemic.

Lesson: Be yourself & use your position for good. It’s taken 30 years for me to accept the former & I have got the most fulfilment from the latter. 12/

And now? 5 thoughts:

1st. Every day sees Governments do the most extraordinary - and necessary - things to protect public health. The short term implications - lives & jobs lost, increased debt (personal, private sector & Govt) - are apparent.
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2nd. The long term structural implications for local & global economies & the future of work are less known. Covid19 has accelerated everything from disruptive technology - I type from my new office/home - to public policy eg Universal Basic Income. 14/

3rd. My career has covered rapid globalization. Governments who were chafing at that & taking restrictive measures - visas, tarrifs - will be tempted to go further & be less dependent on one global supplier. Consumers may want a return to more local sourced goods. 15/

4th. Our global cooperation mechanisms are more important than ever. As two medium sized economic powers dependent on multilateralism, there is a role for & to shape the global response to Covid19 through G7, G20, UN, Commonwealth & more. 16/

5th. Diplomats matter in a digital world. We get some stick. But this week diplomats have worked 24/7 to get nationals home & delivery of vital medical equipment to the NHS. Proud of what my colleagues are doing. 17/

Final thought. I joined at 18. Come from working class family. Didn’t go to university. Never thought I’d get to this level.

Lesson. Make the most of opportunities that come your way, make a difference & have fun while doing so. You get one shot at this! End.

PS. I am an accidental diplomat. If any of this resonates, then follow @TFletcher @SimonFraser00 @CER_IanBond @blais_louise @paulknott11 @StephanieCarvin @rolandparis @SlaughterAM who write more eloquently and independently than I can in my current role. for listening.