Myles Wickstead

Myles Wickstead CBE Vice Chair of Westminster Foundation for Democracy 's Board.

"Myles Wickstead was awarded a CBE for his work as the Head of the Secretariat to the Commission for Africa since it was formed by Prime Minister Tony Blair in February 2004.

"Myles has a long history of working in Africa. Between 1993-1997 he was Head of the British Department Division in Eastern Africa, based in Nairobi and from 2000-2004 Myles was based in Addis Ababa as British Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti (non-resident).

"Myles’ long career working in development also involved positions as Head of the European Community and Food Aid Department at the Overseas Development Administration (1990-1993); Coordinator of the 1997 British Government Development White Paper “Eliminating World Poverty”; and on the Executive Board of the Counsellor (Development) Washington (1997-2000)."

He was Head of Secretariat to the Commission for Africa from 2004 to 2005. Myles has been Visiting Professor (International Relations) at the Open University since the end of 2005.

"Myles Wickstead joined the One World Media board as Chair in 2009....

"Having left Government service in late 2005, Myles' portfolio now includes: Visiting Professor (International Relations) at the Open University; Senior Advisor to the Africa Unit (Association of Commonwealth Universities); Board Chair of CONCERN UK and Independent Vice-Chair of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; and Board member/Trustee of the Baring Foundation, the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), the University of Ulster UNESCO Centre, the Crown Agents Foundation, the Development Studies Association, the Comic Relief International Grants Committee, International Inspiration and the Advisory Council of Wilton Park.

"Myles has degrees from the Universities of St Andrews (MA First Class Honours) and Oxford (M.Litt), and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education by Leeds Met University in July 2009 in recognition of his work on Africa. In the New Years Honours 2006 he was appointed CBE."


 * Trustee, Baring Foundation
 * Visiting Program Director, Wilton Park

Recent articles and publications include

 * Wickstead M. (Forthcoming 2008) The Commission for Africa: A View Through the Prism of Networks in Networks of Influence, ed N. Woods, which looks at how the Commission for Africa was able to exercise influence not only through formal mechanisms but also through the informal networks of which its members were part.
 * Wickstead M. (January 2008) The Commission for Africa: Accomplishments and Unfinished Business in Financing Development: The G8 and UN Contribution eds. Michele Fratianni, John J. Kirton and Paolo Savona (ISBN 978-0-7546-4676-1), which reviews progress against the recommendations of the Commission for Africa Report and targets agreed at Gleneagles in 2005;
 * Wickstead M. (2007) Where to from here? in Biotechnology and Health: South Africa’s Aspirations in Health-Related Biotechnology eds. J. Chataway and J. Wilmot (2007) (ISBN 978-0-627-02700-0). Argues in favour of the Commission for Africa's focus on tertiary education and capacity-building in general, and the role of science and technology in particular;
 * Wickstead M. (2006) The Millennium Development Goals and Africa: A Response to Ian Taylor, The Round Table (Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 95, Issue 385, p.383-386. Argues for the importance and effectiveness of development assistance under the right circumstances;

Related Sourcewatch

 * British Ambassador Myles Wickstead - An Apologist for Apartheid Ethiopia, By: Sophia Tesfamariam; October 23, 2003