22nd December 2025
Continuing to grow the global alliance for women and girls
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
13th October 2025
UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls: September visits to Sarajevo and New York
10th April 2025
The Long Haul
2nd December 2025 Skopje, North Macedonia
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
British Embassy Skopje offers its blog platform for guest posts. The views expressed in the guest posts are those of the authors and are not the position of the UK Government. Being part of the newly established Cybersecurity Sector in the Ministry of Digital Transformation in North Macedonia has been both a responsibility and a […]
Read more on In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead | Reply
14th October 2025 Geneva, Switzerland
Lost and Found (but mostly lost)
There are certain skills you expect to need when working in multilateral diplomacy. Like negotiating. Public speaking. And building relationships with people from wildly different cultures, backgrounds, and coffee preferences. And then there are the surprise skills. Anyone who survived the last Human Rights Council session now carries a qualification in obstacle course orienteering, a diploma […]
13th October 2025 London
UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls: September visits to Sarajevo and New York
In September, I went on 2 international visits as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls. The first to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina (9 to 10 September) to attend the Berlin Process Gender Equality Forum, and the second to New York (21 to 23 September) to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Women […]
Read more on UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls: September visits to Sarajevo and New York | Reply
17th July 2025 Geneva, Switzerland
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
It’s a nice line. But I’m not having it. The big drawback with diplomatic life is the goodbyes. And at the UN they never end. No sooner have you got used to having someone around and, just occasionally, grown a little fond of them, than they clear off without a thought for the middle-aged emotional […]
15th July 2025 London
International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
On 24 June 2025, I travelled to Geneva to mark International Day of Women in Diplomacy, celebrating the important role women have played – and will continue playing – in building peace, fostering international co-operation and addressing global challenges. Diplomacy used to be a men-only profession, a profession that excluded women and missed out on […]
Read more on International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva | Reply
1st May 2025 London
The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls
On 8 March 2025, to mark International Women’s Day, I was proud to be appointed as the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls by the Foreign Secretary. In this role, I will work alongside the Foreign Secretary and the Minister for International Development, to ensure women and girls are at the heart of the […]
Read more on The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls | Reply
10th April 2025 Geneva, Switzerland
The Long Haul
I’m back where I started. Sort of. When I began doing whatever it is we do out here, (let’s call it endurance diplomacy) it was the 58th session of the Commission on Human Rights. The Roman Empire hadn’t long since fallen, smart phones were yet to excite and then blight our lives and the Human […]
9th April 2025 Belgrade, Serbia
The UK and Serbia: saving lives together
Zdravo! The Serbian word for ‘hello’ or ‘hi’ actually means that you wish someone good health. We all want good health for ourselves, our family and our friends. In almost every country in the world, the economy and healthcare are consistently the two issues that matter most to citizens. But did you know about the […]
Read more on The UK and Serbia: saving lives together | Reply
24th January 2025
International Day of Education: creating hope in the climate crisis
This International Day of Education, it’s impossible to ignore the climate and environment crisis. 2024 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record, and the last ten years have been recorded as the hottest decade. Disasters are becoming more severe and happening almost 5 times as frequently as 50 years ago. Unsurprisingly, the impact […]
Read more on International Day of Education: creating hope in the climate crisis | Reply
3rd December 2024 Belgrade, Serbia
Renewing old ties: the new Bishop of London
I recently had the honour of accompanying His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije back to the UK. It was for a special reason. The Serbian Orthodox Church has created a new diocese of Great Britain and Ireland. On Sunday 24 November, my friend Bishop kyr Nektarije was enthroned as the first Serbian Bishop of London. The enthronement […]
Read more on Renewing old ties: the new Bishop of London | Reply (1)