Changes to the Board of NS&I announced

News story

HM Treasury can announce today that Nina Hingorani-Crain has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Board of National Savings & Investments (NS&I).

Nina has had a diverse 25-year career, with high profile roles in the corporate, public, regulatory and charity sectors. Her executive career has largely been in financial services and includes 10 years advising UK and global financial services organisations, followed by 10 years in senior roles at the UK’s financial regulator, including as Chief of Staff and Principal Private Secretary to the Chair during the global financial crisis. After leading the establishment of the Financial Conduct Authority, since 2015 Nina has focused on a Non-Executive career and is currently on the Board of the Charity Commission for England & Wales, a London mental and community health NHS Foundation Trust, and the National Residential Landlords Association.

Nina’s three-year term began on 1 November 2021.

Further information

The appointment of Nina Hingorani-Crain was regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) and a fair and open competition has occurred.

Nina Hingorani-Crain has confirmed that she has not engaged in any political activity in the past five years.

Non-Executive members of NS&I’s Board ensure a sound strategy is in place to meet the organisation’s remit of raising cost-effective debt financing for the government. They also act as an external source of advice, have oversight of risk control and ensure NS&I’s links with its outsourcing partner, Atos, remain open and transparent.

NS&I is one of the largest savings organisations in the UK, offering a range of savings and investments. All products offer 100% capital security because NS&I is backed by HM Treasury.

Published 4 November 2021



Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities: UK response

Thank you Madam Chair.

I would like to welcome you to your new role and thank you, Ambassador Hasani, for setting out so clearly your Office’s programmatic work and recent performance. The UK shares your vision of a peaceful, democratic and prosperous OSCE region, based on market economies, free trade and economic co-operation.

As you note, limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic forced your office to continue the implementation of activities online and in blended formats. We all hope that the situation with the pandemic will improve significantly in 2022, and the delivery of activities will switch back to in-person where it needs to. That said, your preparedness to continue making use of digital tools when necessary, and to learn lessons from the pandemic on where activity can be delivered remotely, in an effective and efficient way, is welcome.

I would like to pick out 3 areas of your Office’s work for special mention.

First, it is right that your Office recognises the rapid transition to renewable sources of energy – a transition that will only hasten as emissions in the global power sector continue to rise. As we speak the transformation of the energy sector is being discussed at COP26 in Glasgow; I’d also note that renewables capacity expanded by 82% in 2020; and wind and solar are now cheaper than new coal and gas in two-thirds of the world. I am pleased that your Office will offer to help participating States keep pace with this transition.

Second, I agree with your assessment that we need to explore new opportunities for engagement in those areas of shared interest which are widely perceived to have a significant impact on our common security. This is particularly true in the case of climate change. We have heard through the Economic and Environmental Committee, and your Office’s work on transboundary river basins, the potential that collaboration in this area has to bring states together and improve neighbourly relations. I hope your work will be further empowered through a new decision on climate and security.

Thirdly, I commend you for your work on anti-corruption. The fight against corruption is a fight against a pernicious and persistent crime. A crime that impedes prosperity, denies justice, and threatens global security. Corrupt actors will always look for innovative ways to exploit the public purse, and the OCEEA can play an important role in helping States stay alert to where our weaknesses are.

More broadly, we welcome your Office’s efforts on women’s economic empowerment. As we seek to find agreement on a new commitment on this topic, it is right that we recognise the importance to our societies. If our prosperity is to be maximised, and able to act as effectively as possible against the threat of instability and conflict, the economic potential of all members of society must be realised. Beyond the gains for economic growth, gender equality can reduce poverty and foster a more equitable distribution of income – all elements that can prevent conflict.

Finally, we welcome your appreciation of the need to avoid duplication and maximise the effectiveness of your limited resources. Your approach to coordination as well as your focus on delivering tangible outcomes, will help to ensure the Office maximises impact and efficiency.

Thank you.



Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities: UK response

Thank you Madam Chair.

I would like to welcome you to your new role and thank you, Ambassador Hasani, for setting out so clearly your Office’s programmatic work and recent performance. The UK shares your vision of a peaceful, democratic and prosperous OSCE region, based on market economies, free trade and economic co-operation.

As you note, limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic forced your office to continue the implementation of activities online and in blended formats. We all hope that the situation with the pandemic will improve significantly in 2022, and the delivery of activities will switch back to in-person where it needs to. That said, your preparedness to continue making use of digital tools when necessary, and to learn lessons from the pandemic on where activity can be delivered remotely, in an effective and efficient way, is welcome.

I would like to pick out 3 areas of your Office’s work for special mention.

First, it is right that your Office recognises the rapid transition to renewable sources of energy – a transition that will only hasten as emissions in the global power sector continue to rise. As we speak the transformation of the energy sector is being discussed at COP26 in Glasgow; I’d also note that renewables capacity expanded by 82% in 2020; and wind and solar are now cheaper than new coal and gas in two-thirds of the world. I am pleased that your Office will offer to help participating States keep pace with this transition.

Second, I agree with your assessment that we need to explore new opportunities for engagement in those areas of shared interest which are widely perceived to have a significant impact on our common security. This is particularly true in the case of climate change. We have heard through the Economic and Environmental Committee, and your Office’s work on transboundary river basins, the potential that collaboration in this area has to bring states together and improve neighbourly relations. I hope your work will be further empowered through a new decision on climate and security.

Thirdly, I commend you for your work on anti-corruption. The fight against corruption is a fight against a pernicious and persistent crime. A crime that impedes prosperity, denies justice, and threatens global security. Corrupt actors will always look for innovative ways to exploit the public purse, and the OCEEA can play an important role in helping States stay alert to where our weaknesses are.

More broadly, we welcome your Office’s efforts on women’s economic empowerment. As we seek to find agreement on a new commitment on this topic, it is right that we recognise the importance to our societies. If our prosperity is to be maximised, and able to act as effectively as possible against the threat of instability and conflict, the economic potential of all members of society must be realised. Beyond the gains for economic growth, gender equality can reduce poverty and foster a more equitable distribution of income – all elements that can prevent conflict.

Finally, we welcome your appreciation of the need to avoid duplication and maximise the effectiveness of your limited resources. Your approach to coordination as well as your focus on delivering tangible outcomes, will help to ensure the Office maximises impact and efficiency.

Thank you.



39th Universal Periodic Review of human rights: UK statement on Papua New Guinea

World news story

The UK delivered the statement on Papua New Guinea at the 39th Session of Universal Periodic Review (UPR), sharing recommendations to improve their human rights record.

Thank you, Madam President.

The United Kingdom commends Papua New Guinea on its efforts to tackle corruption, in particular the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the passing of the Whistleblower Act. The United Kingdom also welcomes Papua New Guinea’s increased focus on tackling gender-based violence, including through the work of the Special Parliamentary Committee. Tackling violence will be an important element, alongside freedom of assembly and expression, in delivering peaceful and credible national elections in June 2022.

We recommend that Papua New Guinea:

  • Ratify and implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 2000;

  • Increase funding and resources to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including training for police to identify and investigate cases;

  • Develop policies and practices to increase women and girls’ participation in society and political life, and in decision making processes on issues that affect them.

Thank you.

Published 4 November 2021



Report by OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities: UK response

Thank you Madam Chair. I’d like to join others in welcoming Ambassador Abdrakhmanov to the Permanent Council and thank you for your comprehensive report.

The UK is a strong supporter of your institution, which plays a vital role in early warning and conflict prevention in the case of tensions related to national minorities. We fully support your mandate and your institution’s autonomy. We encourage all participating States to fully cooperate with you and your staff to enable you to fulfil this mandate, as well as to make good use of your advice and the extensive examples of good practice compiled by your office. This means not only engaging with you to raise concerns about the actions of others, but also engaging positively with your requests for visits and suggestions and recommendations stemming from them.

We were pleased to hear that despite some continuing challenges from the pandemic, you have been able to conduct several in person visits to participating States and that you have enjoyed a high degree of constructive cooperation during these visits.

We welcome the fact that these in-person country visits have allowed you to engage not only with government representatives from participating States, but also community representatives belonging to national minorities, such as your meeting with Crimean Tatar representatives during your trip to Ukraine. While we acknowledge that challenges to travel remain due to the ongoing pandemic, it is important that you are able to travel freely throughout the entire OSCE region, including to areas affected by conflict and illegal annexation. We were also pleased to hear several practical examples of how you have provided advice to participating States developing legislation, regulation or action strategies relating to national minorities, and how your office has devised projects to help support the implementation of such strategies. Your work over the past year to foster contacts between institutions with similar mandates in the OSCE region is also valuable.

We continue to appreciate the thematic guidelines produced by your office, as well as your events and programmatic work to raise awareness of these guidelines. We look forward to marking the 15th anniversary of the 2006 Recommendations on Policing in Multi-ethnic Societies and to hearing about good practices and shared experiences on mainstreaming gender in policing in diverse societies.

Women belonging to national minorities can often face multiple and compounding forms of discrimination. Taking into account the needs and circumstances of different genders will also help us achieve more effective conflict prevention and more effective programme interventions. We were therefore very interested to hear about continuing progress in your plans to conduct comprehensive research into the intersectionality between gender and national minorities this year, in cooperation with the OSCE Senior Gender Adviser. We are particularly grateful for the information you shared in your written report about the pilot study in Ukraine and the upcoming expert meeting to take place in the Hofburg, which we are pleased to hear will also provide an opportunity for interested delegations to meet the team informally and discuss your work.

We also continue to stress the importance of gender mainstreaming in all aspects of your work, including country visits, preparation of guidelines and recommendations and implementation of projects. We were therefore grateful for the information you provided about the positive impact that your office’s support to the Central Asian Education Programme has had on enrolment of girls from national minorities in higher education programmes. We welcome the fact that as part of the next phase of the Programme, the gender impact will be studied more closely to develop strategies that encourage young people, especially girls, to stay in school.

In conclusion, allow me to thank you and your dedicated team for all your work and wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Thank you very much.