Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

16th November 2016 London, UK

Avatar photo

by Robin Grimes

Former FCO Chief Scientific Adviser

Edging forward with the UK-Japan nuclear dialogue

The UK and Japan share certain characteristics. They are both proud island nations with a strong seafaring tradition.  Their citizens are often considered somewhat reserved by others but are well known to enjoy the shared experience of team sports. Importantly for us, there has been a long tradition of seeking excellence in science and technology […]

Read more on Edging forward with the UK-Japan nuclear dialogue | Reply (1)

16th November 2016 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

RAF Typhoons visit Brunei

Four of the RAF Typhoons at Rimba Airbase

Yesterday, I accompanied the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF )on an inspection of 4 RAF Typhoon (Eurofighter) visiting Brunei at the end of a 6 week deployment in Asia. The 4 aircraft were an impressive sight, lined up next to each other at Rimba Air Base and with an accompanying Voyager refuelling […]

Read more on RAF Typhoons visit Brunei | Reply

15th November 2016 Guatemala City

Avatar photo

by Thomas Carter

British Ambassador to Guatemala

Supporting children in Guatemala

This week I visited a British NGO working in Guatemala City with children who live on the streets. Street Kids Direct ( www.streetkidsdirect.org.uk ) is a British-run organisation which offers a ray of hope to children who live in the markets and on the streets around Guatemala City’s main bus station, known as “La Terminal”.  […]

Read more on Supporting children in Guatemala | Reply (5)

15th November 2016 Canberra, Australia

Cate Setterfield

Cate Setterfield

Science & Innovation Officer

Magna Carta: Innovation and an old bit of sheepskin

It’s been a busy couple of months since I joined the British High Commission as part of the UK Science and Innovation Network. In a short space of time, I’ve worked on topics including antimicrobial resistance, genomics, clean energy and space. I’ve attended a conference on innovation in agriculture, visited a miniature satellite, and helped […]

Read more on Magna Carta: Innovation and an old bit of sheepskin | Reply (5)

14th November 2016 Vienna, Austria

Avatar photo

by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Austrian and British power-houses

Vienna is not Austria – any more than London is the United Kingdom. So I was delighted recently to visit Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) to find out what makes Austria’s largest and second most populous province tick; and to explore and promote connections to the UK. We started our visit in Amstetten, where I sampled tasty […]

Read more on Austrian and British power-houses | Reply (4)

14th November 2016 London, UK

Will Travers

Will Travers

President and CEO The Born Free Foundation

I believe that we can still win for the animals

This week, delegates from 54 countries, governments, wildlife professionals, conservationists, wildlife trade experts, charities such as Born Free and our friends in the press and media, will gather in Hanoi, Vietnam, to drive forward efforts to end the illegal wildlife trade, especially the trade in ivory and rhino horn. Vietnam, our hosts, is regarded as […]

Read more on I believe that we can still win for the animals | Reply (4)

14th November 2016 London, UK

Dan Bucknell

Dan Bucknell

Executive Director at Tusk

Tackling Illegal Wildlife Trade

The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) has become the fourth most lucrative transnational crime after drugs, arms and human trafficking. Worth as much as $20billion per year, IWT threatens international security, national sovereignties, impoverished rural communities, and countless animals from elephants and rhinos, to lions and pangolins. To tackle IWT, Tusk is currently running two key […]

Read more on Tackling Illegal Wildlife Trade | Reply (1)

14th November 2016 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Catherine Arnold

Catherine Arnold

British Ambassador to Mongolia

Ilegal Wildlife Trade: it isn’t just about the wildlife

Marmoth

Think of Mongolia, and you probably imagine impossibly open skies, the steppe flecked with horses and a solitary cluster of traditional gers (yurts). Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world and one of exquisite natural beauty. Sitting in central Ulaanbaatar, a buzzing city of 1.7 million inhabitants, it can be hard to […]

Read more on Ilegal Wildlife Trade: it isn’t just about the wildlife | Reply (2)

13th November 2016 London, UK

Avatar photo

by Richard Moore

FCO Political Director

Why do Brits wear the Poppy?

Lots of people are asking me the same question I get every year on the significance of the poppy flower.  Here’s a slightly updated version of the blog I wrote last year  if you’re interested in knowing the answer #WhydoBritswearthePoppy? https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/richardmoore/2015/11/11/why-do-brits-wear-the-poppy/ Why do Brits wear the Poppy? The small, red flower – a poppy – […]

Read more on Why do Brits wear the Poppy? | Reply (1)

13th November 2016 Colombo, Sri Lanka

Laura Davies » Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

by Laura Davies

Former Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

The Double Sunrise of Peace

On Friday 11 November, we held our usual ceremony for Remembrance Day.  The Commonwealth War Graves enclosure of the Liveramentu cemetery on Torrington Road was as serene as ever. The headstones are a startling white against the immaculate green grass.  The tropical sun beats down.  Birdsong fills the two minute silence.  The reading from Kenny […]

Read more on The Double Sunrise of Peace | Reply