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First and foremost the role is to work with other green parties in the world to achieve common goals and further the objectives of the Green Party of England and Wales. The role represents the Party members and furthers the achievement of the Green Party’s objectives generally and specifically through bringing an international perspective to the discussions.
The Candidates
Peter Allen
My primary objective in standing for this role is to work with other Green Parties to contribute to a strong and strident global movement demanding radical and urgent action to address the Global Climate and Ecological Emergency.
We are all agreed that growing climate change and ecological destruction requires an international response. Carbon emissions, rising sea levels and forest fires don’t recognise national boundaries. The severity of the situation requires co-ordinated action by national governments prepared to enforce international agreements.
We cannot wait for Green Governments to be elected anywhere and everywhere. The urgency of the situation and the lack of time the world has in which to take necessary measures means that it is existing world leaders or their immediate successors who are required to act. Heavily influenced by short term ‘national interests’ and electoral considerations and under constant and enormous pressure from corporate lobbying, by fossil fuel companies and others, they will not take anything like the action required without being subject to overwhelming pressure from a global popular movement.
The Global Greens, made up of Green Parties from over 100 countries, are uniquely placed to contribute to building the movement that is required. Greens need to organise internationally around this goal and the GPEW should make this a primary political priority, including providing campaign resources. It would be appropriate for the GPEW to take a lead in this, as the Green Party of the oldest industrial polluter.
Last year I proposed a Conference Motion based on the above. I intend to propose it again this year (see website link) and hope that you will rank it highly in the forthcoming Prioritisation Ballot.
The global migration crisis is increasingly linked to climate change and ecological destruction as the number of climate refugees grows exponentially. Greens here and across the globe must come together to defend the rights of migrants and to counter the racist and xenophobic narrative expounded by many of our opponents. I would regard this as another priority should I be elected.
As International Co-ordinator I would also work to promote the GPEW’s wider international agenda, including justice for Palestine and Ukraine and the protection and expansion of the UK’s aid budget, which at present is scandalously being siphoned off to pay for accommodation for asylum seekers who are wrongly denied the right to support themselves through paid employment.
Regarding my suitability for the role, I been a member of International Committee for two years and have participated in online meetings of the Global Greens Climate Working Group. I have had various Green Party roles. I helped set up High Peak Green Party and was a founding Co-Coordinator. I have also been the Chair of East Midlands Green Party. I have always believed in collaborative working and believe I could make an effective contribution to GPEX.
Thomas Atkin-Withers
Hi, I’m Thomas Atkin-Withers, and I’m running to be your International Officer on GPEx.
A bit about me, For the last 3 years, I have been the International Officer for the LGBTIQA+ Greens, I have served two terms on the Young Greens International Committee, and for the last year, I have been a conference-elected member of the national party’s International Committee.
I have met with Greens from across Europe, and worked with Greens the world over, including at a European Green Party meeting at Europride 2023 in Malta, including members of the European Parliament and the Deputy-PM of Belgium.
We need someone with experience of International Work, who isn’t afraid to have honest and frank conversations when they’re needed. I am that person.
I plan to work with the International Committee and GPEx to make our international work more democratic and accessible, make it easier to find out what our elected International Committee have been doing, and include those with lived experience in our work.
We are at a critical juncture, Greens across the world are gearing up for a fight with fascism, and it’s a fight we cannot lose. Whether we’re fighting against fascism in Germany, France, Australia or here in the UK, we have a lot to learn from one another, and it is vital we do just that.
As part of the role, if elected, I will work to set up training opportunities with Greens from across Europe, so we can learn from one another, and fight harder together. We need to learn both from our triumphs and our defeats.
On GPEx, I will demand more accountability and transparency, we serve at the pleasure of our members and it is only right that they are given the information needed to hold us accountable. And I will work with our Elections Coordinator to learn from our foreign siblings, and weave what they have learnt into how we campaign.
To win this fight, to defeat fascism, we need all hands on deck, we need to be working across communities and across borders, working with our siblings abroad has never been more important, and we need someone who knows how their systems work at the helm. So please, elect me to GPEx as International Officer.
Fesl Reza-Khan
Hi, I am Fesl, and I am your candidate for International coordinator. I was a delegate at the European Green Party congress in Dublin last year. What I discovered shocked me.
For years, the powerful German/Austrian bloc has used its structural dominance to drive the European Green family around their internal agenda, including expanding coal mines and blocking opprobrium of Israeli war crimes. Our sister parties, France, Spain, Belgium, Norway, etc, had become despondent. Until GPEW turned up. We brought the energy, humour and values that you and I live and breathe every day from the doorstep to the town squares. We galvanised our partners into a new alliance around GPEW. We organised and helped pass a Palestine motion despite being politically cajoled. As I gave the last speech for our motion, I was so proud to represent you.
We need to continue what we started last year.
First, a little about me. I am an International Relations graduate, interned with NATO, OECD (Brussels), and UNICEF, and a British Army veteran. I speak 4 languages, with employment experience in Banking and local government. I am currently Co-Chair of both the Muslim Greens and Manchester Green Party, and a member of our International Committee.
So where next?
Following Brexit, we have been missing on the International stage. Following Dublin 2024, I have worked with Frank Sheridan, our current coordinator, to reform the EGP power structures and create a more balanced, inclusive agenda. I am also helping establish the EGP’s first Minority Network, recognising that representation and liberation must be embedded in our international work.
If elected, I will continue this trajectory—expanding our role within the Global Greens, where we must be a louder, clearer voice on climate justice and social justice, particularly around gender apartheid, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, conflict, and human rights. As a multilingual person (English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi), I understand the importance of bridging cultural and political divides in our international outreach.
Equally important is how we engage internally. I want to make the Green Party’s international work more accessible to members across the country, not just as observers, but as active participants. In particular, I’m committed to bringing Young Greens into international spaces, creating clear pathways for them to gain experience and develop leadership in diplomacy, solidarity, and global cooperation.
If elected, I will prioritise:
- Deepening our influence in the Global Greens, aligned with GPEW’s justice-led politics.
- Continuing the work of rebalancing power within the European Green Party.
- Embedding liberation, anti-racism, and inclusion in our international approach.
- Actively mentoring and bringing in Young Greens to international roles and networks.
- Creating better communication and engagement between the International Committee and the wider membership.
We are part of a global Green movement, a global family, and this role is about ensuring our Party’s international presence is principled, effective, and inclusive. I bring experience, vision, and a commitment to justice. I would be honoured to continue serving our Party in this role