1st July 2024
Crimea: a place to remember, learn from and return to
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
25th July 2024 Geneva, Switzerland
Wearing Thin
Among my blessings in life is having an Irish mother-in law and I’m just back from a post-Council trip where my wife did some digging into her family history. A good number of her relatives were refugees fleeing persecution in both Eastern and Central Europe from the late 19th Century. Ireland was where they were […]
17th May 2024 United Kingdom
Reflections on IDAHOBIT: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
The world is increasingly polarised on LGBT rights. There is progress to celebrate, but concern is also growing over a rollback of rights which is accelerating, not just in Africa and the global south, but also in parts of the global north. In the past year, we have seen increased attempts to introduce anti-LGBT legislation […]
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13th May 2024 Canberra, Australia
Value with Values: UK Commitment to Climate Partnership
The UK is committed to strengthening the UK-Australia climate partnership and collaborating internationally to tackle climate change and ensure energy security. With rising temperatures and worsened extreme weather events leaving people hungry and forcing them from their homes, these challenges cannot be ignored. Last week, I addressed key players across industry and government at the […]
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25th April 2024 Canberra, Australia
Reflect & Remember: Anzac Day 2024
Over the past two years I have had the privilege of attending Anzac Day services in Canberra and Perth. Each year it’s an opportunity to reflect and remember those who have served and lost their lives to defend our freedom. There is a long tradition of our armed forces marking this important day together. On […]
23rd April 2024 Panama
Good English – A Key to Panama’s Future Success
Speech delivered on April 23, 2024 at the Launch of National Teachers Network & Training of Trainers Programme It’s a pleasure to be with you at this launch of the National Teachers Network & Training of Trainers Program. Congratulations to everyone involved in getting this exciting initiative to this point, and to everyone who is […]
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21st March 2024 London, United Kingdom
Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
The 2030 target to halt and reverse forest loss, which was agreed by over 140 states at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP26 is coming more sharply into view. The UK is committed to working with all our partners, including specialist organisations such as the European Forest Institute, to make it a reality. […]
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19th March 2024 Panama
Russia – 25 years of broken hopes and smashed dreams
First printed in the physical edition of La Prensa on 27th of February 2024. Twenty-five years ago I had the good fortune to be living in Russia. My wife and I spent almost four years in Moscow. We felt so lucky to be able to travel all around that most extraordinary country. In many ways, […]
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8th March 2024 Vienna
Gender equality is non-negotiable
Almost a decade ago, the world agreed that by 2030 we must achieve gender equality and empower ALL women and girls. But, in 2024, we are nowhere near achieving this. Why? Rather than countries coming together at the United Nations to make progress, a vocal minority are actively trying to undermine gender equality through the UN.
19th February 2024 Skopje, North Macedonia
There are no borders in knowledge, those are just contours of new horizons and possibilities
Being part of the educational process in each country requires a person to have a set of different skills among which being a leader and influencing community changes through policy-making and future generations. Working as a professor means being a researcher at the same time, and those two areas are the ones that complement one […]
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4th December 2023
Disability Inclusive Education: our commitment to supporting children with disabilities to achieve SDG 4
This year’s theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities is ‘United in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for, with and by persons with disabilities’. This feels particularly poignant when we look at education. Children with disabilities are the single most marginalised group of children; the least likely to be […]
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