Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos
Encyclopedia
Valerie Ann Amos, Baroness Amos, PC (born 13 March 1954) is the eighth and current UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
. Before her appointment to the UN, she had been British High Commissioner to Australia. She was made a Labour
life peer
in 1997 and served as Leader of the House of Lords
and Lord President of the Council
. When Amos was appointed Secretary of State for International Development
on 12 May 2003, following the resignation of Clare Short
, she became the first black woman to sit in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
. She left the Cabinet when Gordon Brown
became Prime Minister
. She was then nominated to become the European Union
Special Representative to the African Union
by Gordon Brown. In July 2010 Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
announced Baroness Amos' appointment to the role of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
(now Guyana
), and attended Bexley Technical High School for Girls (now Townley Grammar School for Girls
), Townley Road, Bexleyheath, where she was the first black deputy Head Girl. She then studied at the University of Warwick
, the University of Birmingham
and the University of East Anglia
, and was awarded an Honorary Professorship at Thames Valley University
in 1995 in recognition of her work on equality and social justice.
s of Lambeth
, Camden and Hackney, Amos became Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission
1989–94.
In 1995 Amos co-founded Amos Fraser Bernard and was an adviser to the South Africa
n Government on public service reform, human rights and employment equity.
, a non-executive Director
of the University College London Hospitals Trust
, a Trustee of Voluntary Services Overseas, Chair of the Afiya Trust, a director of Hampstead Theatre
and Chair of the Board of Governors of the Royal College of Nursing Institute.
in August 1997 as Baroness Amos, of Brondesbury
in the London Borough of Brent
. In the House of Lords
she was a co-opted member of the Select Committee on European Communities Sub-Committee F (Social Affairs, Education and Home Affairs) 1997-98.
, which meant that her tenure as Secretary of State for International Development lasted less than six months. Prior to her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development, Baroness Amos was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs on 11 June 2001, with responsibility for Africa
; Commonwealth
; Caribbean
; Overseas Territories; Consular Issues and FCO Personnel.
Baroness Amos was the principal spokesperson in the House of Lords on International Development as well as one of the Government's spokespersons in the House of Lords on Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. She was previously a Government Whip in the House of Lords from 1998 to 2001 and also a spokesperson on Social Security, International Development and Women's Issues.
On 17 February 2005, the British government nominated Baroness Amos to head the United Nations Development Programme
.
career diplomat Koen Vervaeke
instead. She was a member of the Committee on Commonwealth Membership
, which presented its report on potential changes in membership criteria for the Commonwealth of Nations
at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
in Kampala
, Uganda
.
On 8 October 2008 it was reported that Baroness Amos was to join the Football Association's management board for England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup
. This was described as a "surprise appointment", since she has no recorded interest in football (despite her interest in cricket) or any experience in similar work such as the 2012 Olympics bid.
On 4 July 2009 it was advised that Baroness Amos had been appointed British High Commissioner to Australia in succession to High Commissioner Helen Liddell
. The Baroness took up the position in October 2009.
in recognition of her "outstanding service to our society and her role as a model of leadership and success for women today." At the University of Birmingham Guild of Students
(where the Baroness studied), one of the committee rooms, The Amos Room, is named after her for her services to society. She was also awarded honourary degrees of Doctor of Laws from the University of Warwick
in 2000 and the University of Leicester
in 2006.
and talked about her love of the game with Jonathan Agnew
on Test Match Special
during the lunch break of the first day of the England v New Zealand test
at Old Trafford in May 2008.
After resigning from the cabinet, Baroness Amos took up a directorship with Travant Capital, a Nigerian private equity fund launched in 2007. In the House of Lords Register of Members Interests she lists this directorship as remunerated. At launch over one third of Travant’s first equity fund came from CDC (a government-owned plc). CDC's investment decisions are taken completely independently of external influences (including its shareholder) and the decision to invest in Travant by CDC was taken before Baroness Amos was appointed to the board of Travant.
Baroness Amos has never married and has no children.
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Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is a high level position in the United Nations that heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs....
. Before her appointment to the UN, she had been British High Commissioner to Australia. She was made a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in 1997 and served as Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
and Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. When Amos was appointed Secretary of State for International Development
Secretary of State for International Development
In the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for International Development is a Cabinet minister responsible for the Department for International Development and for promoting development overseas, particularly in the third world...
on 12 May 2003, following the resignation of Clare Short
Clare Short
Clare Short is a British politician, and a member of the Labour Party. She was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood from 1983 to 2010; for most of this period she was a Labour Party MP, but she resigned the party whip in 2006 and served the remainder of her term as an Independent. She...
, she became the first black woman to sit in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
. She left the Cabinet when Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. She was then nominated to become the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Special Representative to the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
by Gordon Brown. In July 2010 Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
announced Baroness Amos' appointment to the role of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Early life
Amos was born in British GuianaBritish Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
(now Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
), and attended Bexley Technical High School for Girls (now Townley Grammar School for Girls
Townley Grammar School for Girls
Townley Grammar School, normally referred to locally as Townley is a secondary grammar school for girls. It was previously known as Bexley Technical High School for Girls. And after that was known as Townley Grammar School For Girls, until 2010. It is located on Townley Road, Bexleyheath, in the...
), Townley Road, Bexleyheath, where she was the first black deputy Head Girl. She then studied at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
and the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
, and was awarded an Honorary Professorship at Thames Valley University
Thames Valley University
The University of West London is a public university based in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in Ealing and Brentford, London, and Reading, Berkshire....
in 1995 in recognition of her work on equality and social justice.
Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission
After working in Equal Opportunities, Training and Management Services in local government in the London boroughLondon borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
s of Lambeth
Lambeth London Borough Council
Lambeth London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Lambeth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London...
, Camden and Hackney, Amos became Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission
Equal Opportunities Commission
The Equal Opportunities Commission was an independent non-departmental public body, in the United Kingdom, which tackled sex discrimination and promoted gender equality...
1989–94.
In 1995 Amos co-founded Amos Fraser Bernard and was an adviser to the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Government on public service reform, human rights and employment equity.
Other positions
Amos has also been Deputy Chair of the Runnymede Trust from 1990–98, a Trustee of the Institute for Public Policy ResearchInstitute for Public Policy Research
The IPPR is the leading progressive think-tank in the UK. It produces research and policy ideas committed to upholding values of social justice, democratic reform and environmental sustainability. IPPR is based in London and IPPR North has branches in Newcastle and Manchester.It was founded in...
, a non-executive Director
Non-executive director
A non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
of the University College London Hospitals Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS foundation trust based in London, United Kingdom. It comprises the Eastman Dental Hospital, The Heart Hospital, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, the Royal London Hospital for...
, a Trustee of Voluntary Services Overseas, Chair of the Afiya Trust, a director of Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in the vicinity of Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. In 2009 it celebrates its 50 year anniversary.The original theatre was...
and Chair of the Board of Governors of the Royal College of Nursing Institute.
House of Lords
Amos was created a life peerLife peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in August 1997 as Baroness Amos, of Brondesbury
Brondesbury
Brondesbury is an area of Kilburn in London, England. It is shared between the boroughs of Brent and Camden.-Nearest places:* Kilburn* Willesden* Kensal Green* Cricklewood-Nearest tube stations:* Kilburn * West Hampstead...
in the London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
. In the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
she was a co-opted member of the Select Committee on European Communities Sub-Committee F (Social Affairs, Education and Home Affairs) 1997-98.
Leader of the House of Lords
Baroness Amos was made Leader of the House of Lords on 6 October 2003 following the death of Lord Williams of MostynGareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn
Gareth Wyn Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, PC, QC, was a Welsh barrister and Labour politician who was Leader of the House of Lords, Lord President of the Council and a member of the Cabinet at the time of his sudden death in 2003.Williams was born near Prestatyn, in North Wales, a son of...
, which meant that her tenure as Secretary of State for International Development lasted less than six months. Prior to her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development, Baroness Amos was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs on 11 June 2001, with responsibility for Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
; Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
; Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
; Overseas Territories; Consular Issues and FCO Personnel.
Baroness Amos was the principal spokesperson in the House of Lords on International Development as well as one of the Government's spokespersons in the House of Lords on Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. She was previously a Government Whip in the House of Lords from 1998 to 2001 and also a spokesperson on Social Security, International Development and Women's Issues.
On 17 February 2005, the British government nominated Baroness Amos to head the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
.
Non-governmental roles
Baroness Amos left the cabinet when Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister from Tony Blair in June 2007. Gordon Brown proposed her as the European Union special representative to the African Union, but this job went to BelgianBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
career diplomat Koen Vervaeke
Koen Vervaeke
Koen Vervaeke is a Belgian diplomat and since 6 December 2007 the first European Union’s ambassador as Special Representative and Head of the European Commission delegation to the African Union in Addis Abeba...
instead. She was a member of the Committee on Commonwealth Membership
Committee on Commonwealth Membership
The Committee on Commonwealth Membership was a committee convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2006 to examine and report on prospective changes to the membership criteria of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was chaired by P. J...
, which presented its report on potential changes in membership criteria for the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007 was the twentieth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Kampala, Uganda, between 23 November and 25 November 2007, and was hosted by President Yoweri Museveni....
in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
.
On 8 October 2008 it was reported that Baroness Amos was to join the Football Association's management board for England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup
2018 FIFA World Cup
The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...
. This was described as a "surprise appointment", since she has no recorded interest in football (despite her interest in cricket) or any experience in similar work such as the 2012 Olympics bid.
On 4 July 2009 it was advised that Baroness Amos had been appointed British High Commissioner to Australia in succession to High Commissioner Helen Liddell
Helen Liddell
Helen Lawrie Liddell, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Monklands East from 1994 to 1997, and then for Airdrie and Shotts until 2005, whereafter she became the British High Commissioner to Australia until 2009...
. The Baroness took up the position in October 2009.
Honours
On 1 July 2010, Amos received an honorary Doctorate of the University from the University of StirlingUniversity of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
in recognition of her "outstanding service to our society and her role as a model of leadership and success for women today." At the University of Birmingham Guild of Students
University of Birmingham Guild of Students
The University of Birmingham Guild of Students is the officially recognised body which represents around 28,000 students at the University of Birmingham. The Guild functions as a Student Union as per the 1994 Education Act. It is an independent organisation and not legally connected to the...
(where the Baroness studied), one of the committee rooms, The Amos Room, is named after her for her services to society. She was also awarded honourary degrees of Doctor of Laws from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
in 2000 and the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
in 2006.
Personal life
Amos is an enthusiast of cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and talked about her love of the game with Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Philip Agnew is an English cricket broadcaster and former professional cricketer. He was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire and educated at Uppingham School. He is nicknamed "Aggers", and, less commonly, "Spiro"....
on Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
during the lunch break of the first day of the England v New Zealand test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
at Old Trafford in May 2008.
After resigning from the cabinet, Baroness Amos took up a directorship with Travant Capital, a Nigerian private equity fund launched in 2007. In the House of Lords Register of Members Interests she lists this directorship as remunerated. At launch over one third of Travant’s first equity fund came from CDC (a government-owned plc). CDC's investment decisions are taken completely independently of external influences (including its shareholder) and the decision to invest in Travant by CDC was taken before Baroness Amos was appointed to the board of Travant.
Baroness Amos has never married and has no children.
External links
- Biography at UNOCHA
- Interview with Baroness Amos by Graham Brown-Martin, Trace Magazine
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