[unable to retrieve full-text content]Detailed information about the work that GAD actuaries undertake and their role in providing analysis and commentary on complex financial problems involving risk and uncertainty.

This meeting in Kumasi, a first of many across Ghana, will be co-chaired by the British High Commissioner to Ghana H.E. Iain Walker and the Honourable Osei Assibey Antwi, the Mayor of Kumasi. The UK and Ghana government both recognise the importance of regional perspectives from around Ghana including the Ashanti region to feed into the work of the wider UK-Ghana Business Council.

The forum will prioritise infrastructure, agriculture/agro-processing and industrialisation and explore opportunities in these sectors for the UK to do more in Kumasi and the Ashanti region.

The UK has already made a significant impact in the Ashanti region, most recently the modernisation and expansion of Kumasi Market, the expansion of Kumasi airport and construction of Bekwai Hospital – all supported by £130 million worth of UK Export Finance.

During the two-day visit to Kumasi, the British High Commissioner will pay a courtesy call on His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace to discuss the outcomes of the UKGBC Regional Forum and to identify areas of further collaboration.

The High Commissioner and his delegation will visit Guinness Ghana, a long-term UK investor and a leading employer in Kumasi, which is using more Ghanaian raw materials in its manufacturing lines.

Speaking ahead of the regional forum, the British High Commissioner to Ghana His Excellency Iain Walker said:

I am delighted to co-host the first UKGBC Regional Forum alongside the Mayor of Kumasi. It is exciting to know that less than a year since the launch of the UK-Ghana Business Council with His Excellency Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, we are taking practical steps to expand our engagement from government–to-government, to the regional and municipal level. Kumasi is often referred to as Ghana’s second city. My goal is to support its ambition to become a leading industrial hub in the region and to ensure that the historic Anglo-Ashanti relationship is delivering prosperity within the region for generations to come”.

The Mayor of Kumasi Honourable Osei Assiby Antwi said:

Hosting the first UK-Ghana Business Council regional Forum in Kumasi is an excellent opportunity for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. The city of Kumasi and its adjoining municipalities are endowed with numerous viable investment opportunities. The Assembly, thus, sees this forum as a platform to project its potential investment avenues to woo prospective investors from the international community to invest and partner the city to develop “Ghana Beyond Aid”.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Foreign Office responds to the death of Capitan Rafael Acosta Arévalo, a Venezuelan Naval Officer, who died while in the custody in Venezuela.

Thank you, Mr President,

The UK thanks the Commission of Inquiry for their update and we very much appreciate their efforts to investigate under challenging circumstances.

Their report contains disturbing instances of human rights violations, including summary execution, enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, sexual violence, and violations of civil liberties. It also makes clear that the culture of impunity only encourages further violations.
We underline that an end to human right violations is vital to the stability and prosperity of both Burundi and the region, accompanied by an inclusive dialogue between parties and free, fair and transparent elections Mr President, It is not too late to enable free and fair elections in 2020. We call upon the Government to remove its restrictions on political space and to end the violations committed against Burundians. Any action taken by the Government must be in line with the spirit of the Arusha Accords.

Freedom of expression is a key enabler of free, fair and transparent elections in 2020. We are therefore disappointed that the Government of Burundi revoked the BBC’s operating license. We call on the Government to engage with the BBC to reinstate their operating licence and to commit, more broadly, to enabling an independent media environment within Burundi.

Furthermore, we are particularly concerned by the repression of civil society and a very limited political space, which does not bode well for inclusive elections.

We would welcome the views of the Commission of Inquiry on the risk of violence and further human rights violations in the run up to the 2020 elections, and the measures Burundi and the international community should take to mitigate these.

Thank you, Mr President.

The second Polish-British Business, Trade and Investment Forum took place on June 27-28 in Warsaw, under the lead theme “Building Clean Growth Together”. Participants of the Forum attended a series of workshops and expert discussions on clean growth, offshore energy, e-mobility and green finance, as well as on Polish-British trade relations.

The Forum was attended and opened by Minister of Investment at the Department for International Trade, Graham Stuart. The Minister encouraged participants of the Forum to explore the economic benefits of clean growth, and said:

The Department for International Trade wants to encourage more British companies to come to Poland, because it is the fastest growing major economy in Europe, and we’re also encouraging Polish companies to invest in the UK […]

Polish companies are doing well, their economy’s growing fast, and they are building their confidence and capability. If they want to go global, the best place to come is to the UK.

One of the highlights of the Forum was an announcement that UK sustainable technology firm Johnson Matthey will soon open a new facility in the Polish city of Konin. A letter of intent was presented by Peter Dickson, eLNO Operations Director at Johnson Matthey, and Polish Minister of Entrepreneurship and Technology, Jadwiga Emilewicz.

The factory will produce eLNO, a next generation cathode material for batteries with high energy density. New batteries based on this technology will enable a step forward in battery electric vehicle performance and contribute to the development of electro-mobility in Poland.

The Polish-British Business, Trade and Investment (BTI) Forum is a unique platform for Polish and British businesses to connect with a broad range of potential partners, clients and investors, and to hear from experts and analysts about the latest trends and challenges in Polish-British trade relations.

The forum was called for by the Prime Ministers of both countries at the UK-Poland intergovernmental consultations in December 2017. The first edition of the Forum brought together over 200 high-level representatives from both countries, who participated in a variety of sessions dedicated to business trends and opportunities in the UK and Poland.

This year’s Forum focused on the topic of clean growth, under the lead theme “Building Clean Growth Together”. The UK remains committed to domestic and international efforts to tackle climate change, and cooperation between the UK and Poland on matters related to clean growth is closer than ever. The two countries have recently launched a global initiative for fostering zero-emission transport, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP24, held in December 2018 in Poland.