22nd March 2017 London, UK
I seem to have reached an age when there will be funerals. My father’s last year was bittersweet, after a life so fully lived. A similar mixture of grief and celebration permeated the funeral last month of Sir Nigel Rodley, the most distinguished British human rights expert of his generation. In these personal reflections I […]
Read more on If you seek his monument, look around you | Reply
24th January 2017 London, UK
Introduction by Rob Fenn, Head of Human Rights & Democracy Department: By any standards, 2016 was a dramatic year. Finding myself in interesting times, my personal reaction has been to read history. My phone is now crammed with adventure novels set in an equally tumultuous period for the UK, the mid 17th Century – and […]
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10th December 2016 London, UK
Box-ticking, or changing the real world? That was a question posed at our Minister’s event to mark Human Rights Day. Most people I talk to are ready to agree that the UK government tries to do the right thing. But many wonder whether we are getting past the level of generic reassurances, from other governments […]
6th October 2015 London, UK
Slowly but increasingly surely, Sri Lanka is becoming a human rights success story. This is primarily due to the determination of its people and the courage of its recently elected leaders (see the British High Commission’s blog). But the international community, responding to our Prime Minister’s lead, has played a significant role, including through the […]
Read more on FCO Human Rights and Democracy Programme: Promoting Ethno-Religious Harmony in Sri Lanka | Reply (5)
5th August 2015 London, UK
A change of government is a golden opportunity to look at things afresh, even in an area – like human rights – where our national interest and reputation both argue for continuity, if not for doing more. The new government’s manifesto commitment to supporting universal human rights was an invitation to raise our game, not […]
Read more on FCO Human Rights Work: A New Way Forward (leaving no priorities behind) | Reply (2)
28th April 2015 London, UK
The FCO is a strong supporter of business efficient flexible working, and extends this right to all its employees. Flexible working takes many forms – compressed hours, flexible hours, job shares and remote working are a few of the more common examples. The Human Rights and Democracy Department (HRDD) is widely recognised as one part of […]
Read more on Guest blog by Shahida Khan, Business and Human Rights Policy Officer, on business efficient flexible working | Reply
17th March 2015 London, UK
I’m delighted to host this blog from Kirstie Smith, and grateful to her for approaching me with the suggestion. The Voluntary Principles (VPs) – and the UK’s support for them – are a good example of the UK’s pursuit of fairness. That can sound lofty, especially when we talk about how human rights, prosperity and […]
Read more on Guest blog by Kirstie Smith, Business and Conflict Desk Officer, Conflict Department, on the UK’s Chairmanship of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights | Reply
3rd December 2014 London, UK
Last Friday I met members of the FCO’s “Youth Inspiration Group” – nine young people, between 18 and 25, from diverse backgrounds. With a combined network of over 3,000 (via the youth organisations and individual contacts they have) this group lends their time to the FCO, as a sounding board for our ideas. To help […]
5th November 2014 London, UK
I have grounds to be nostalgic about New York, where I cut my teeth on human rights work more than twenty years ago. But I never thought I could be made to feel nostalgic about its “smoke filled rooms” (the root cause of the beige decor at UN HQ). But my colleague, Rhian Checkland, has […]
Read more on New York and the Human Rights ‘Third Committee’ at the United Nations | Reply
16th October 2014 London, UK
I drove to Cheltenham on Saturday – a four hour round trip worth every mile – to hear a former Archbishop of Canterbury deliver a lecture at the Literature Festival. I was there to support a friend, whose organisation – COEXIST – was staging the event. But in the big tent I was as spellbound […]