§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Jack Straw) will today lay before Parliament the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) 2003–04. This is the first such report which covers the financial year (FY) 2003–04.
Copies will be placed in the Library of the House. Additional copies can also be obtained from the Printed Paper Office. A copy will also be available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/gof.
The Foreign Secretary launched the GOF in May 2003 to focus the FCO's programme spending more closely on our priorities; and to bring greater professionalism to our programme and project management work. It has made an impressive start. This report provides an overview of the GOF programmes and describes project activity. It also contains a section on lessons learned and a forward look to the current FY.