Insaf Bakeer Markar

Political Advisor @Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

LK

Based at the British High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka- Providing strategic political analysis and policy advice to the British High Commissioner and London-based UK Government teams on Sri Lanka’s domestic politics, democratic resilience, regional geopolitics and foreign relations, with a focus on actionable insights and risk forecasting- Shape and deliver the UK’s political engagement and public messaging in Sri Lanka, working across traditional diplomacy, political communications and soft power influence, particularly on sensitive issues such as elections, reconciliation and ethno-religious relations- Manage high-level relationships with senior political actors, party leaders, parliamentarians, governors, and religious and civil society leaders across the political spectrum to advance UK foreign policy priorities- Design and lead external engagements, political visits and regional outreach for the High Commissioner, UK ministers and visiting UK Parliamentarians — crafting politically resonant narratives and ensuring strategic alignment- Draft communications materials, talking points, social media narratives and briefings that influence how the UK presents its political positioning in the Sri Lankan context- Coordinate closely with Defence, Trade, Comms and Consular teams to assess and respond to cross-cutting political developments — including crisis management, policy shifts and reputational risks- Recently completed the FCDO’s “Economics for Foreign Policy” course delivered by the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, bridging economic analysis with foreign policy design.