The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has appointed a Special Representative to the Commonwealth – an association of 52 independent nations, most of which used to be part of the British Empire. The Revd Flora Winfield, the Anglican Communion’s former representative to the United Nations in Geneva, will take up the new role ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018.

Formed mainly of former British colonies, many Commonwealth countries have a strong Anglican presence and the Archbishop is keen to strengthen ties to the organisation. “Given the historic links and shared values between the Anglican Communion and the Commonwealth, I am delighted that Flora will be using her extensive experience and skills to ensure proper representation between the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office and the Commonwealth in the run-up to and during the Head of Government meeting,” he said.

Prior to her previous role, as the Anglican Communion Representative to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva, Canon Winfield served as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s secretary for Anglican Relations, as the secretary for international affairs at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and as assistant secretary general of Religions for Peace.

Archbishop Justin has also appointed a new social and public affairs adviser: Rosemary Nuamah Williams will join the Lambeth Palace staff next month.

“This is a time when our nation and our Parliament face extraordinarily complex challenges and opportunities, as we seek to discern how to live out our best and deepest values in the context of dramatic change,” Archbishop Justin said. “I’m delighted that Rosemary will be joining the team at Lambeth Palace, and using her experience to inform how we come alongside and work with those in the public and political sphere.”

Rosemary has spent nearly twenty years working on policy and advocacy in the UK and internationally. She has previously served as policy adviser and speechwriter to two heads of the United Nations Development Programme based in New York, and as senior policy analyst for a group of global leaders, The Elders. She has also held other roles, including as ministerial speechwriter at Britain’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office and as a policy officer working with Parliament and government departments. Most recently Rosemary has advised organisations working on global health, global education and philanthropy as an international policy consultant and career coach.