New envoy has Common goal

BRITISH diplomat Jo Lomas will take charge as the UK’s new Commonwealth envoy from next month, the government announced on Monday (6).

The Commonwealth has 54 member states, including India, with a secretariat headquartered in London.

Lomas, 50, will lead the UK’s work as chair-in-office to create a “fairer, safer, more sustainable and prosperous future” for the Commonwealth’s 2.4 billion people, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

She most recently served as the UK high commissioner to Rwanda, and was previously high commissioner to Namibia. Lomas will take over from Philip Parham on October 1.

“Jo is exceptionally wellqualified to drive this vital work forward. I look forward to working with her as we uphold the UK’s commitment to this unique family of nations,” said Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCDO minister of state for south Asia and the Commonwealth.

Lord Ahmed also paid tribute to Parham, who was in the post since the UK took over as chair-in-office at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in London in April 2018.

Parham played a “central role” in ensuring commitments from member states on “girls’ education, trade, the environment and other vital issues have been delivered”, Lord Ahmad said.

The FCDO said the UK has used its extended period as chair-in-office, due to the pandemic, to promote cooperation between Commonwealth members on key issues, including Covid, the climate crisis and access to quality education.

“As chair-in-office, the UK has worked with the Commonwealth’s other 53 members to tackle some of the biggest global challenges, from building back better from Covid-19 to tackling climate change,” Lord Ahmad said.