3rd December 2024
RENEWING OLD TIES: THE NEW BISHOP OF LONDON
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
25th November 2024
The climate crisis and gender-based violence
8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
2nd August 2016
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Mostar: time to restore democracy
A joint blog with the US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Maureen Cormack It has been a frustrating couple of days. For a moment, it seemed as though the months of discussions on the Coordination Mechanism had finally come to an end, and that BiH would be able to start making the key decisions necessary […]
2nd August 2016 London, UK
Off to the Games…
“I’m off to work at the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio” I have probably said that phrase (and thought it) a million times since I became one of the chosen Games volunteers in 2015, and every time it is immediately followed by me thinking – “Wow!” I feel lucky and privileged, not to mention incredibly excited. Heck, […]
1st August 2016 Guatemala City
Britain in the World
On 23 June, the British people voted to leave the European Union (EU) and British Prime Minister Theresa May has been clear that Brexit means Brexit. But does this mean that the UK will be taking a single step from the centre of the international stage? The answer is a resounding no. Instead, the UK […]
1st August 2016 London, UK
From London to Rio
Four years ago tonight I watched in awe as Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony in Stratford launched the start of what would become the most amazing Olympic Games the world had ever seen. London 2012 proved a defining moment for our country. The inevitable pre Games gloom – problems with the M4 corridor from Heathrow into […]
1st August 2016 Delhi, India
Dismantling India’s National IP Policy
India’s first National Intellectual Property Policy is a comprehensive vision document that aspires for an India where “creativity and innovation are stimulated by IP for the benefit of all”. Not enforceable in courts of law in itself, it will guide future policy-making on everything intellectual property related in India. It sets out 7 objectives, and […]
1st August 2016 Mumbai, India
Coming soon: UK-India workshop on industrial biotechnology
Enzymes, fermentation, biocatalysis, and bioprocesses are oft-discussed topics under the umbrella of industrial biotechnology. The UK has a lot to offer in this increasingly relevant area for emerging economies such as India which has heightened interest in efficient manufacturing processes. The UK has several centres of excellence in industrial biotech. For instance, consider the Industrial […]
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1st August 2016 Holy See
Time of transition
“There can be only one” – not only the tag-line from the “Highlander” movies, but also the rules about Ambassadors accredited to each State. There can only be one official Ambassador in a country at a time. So there is always a gap between one leaving and the next arriving – which is another opportunity […]
1st August 2016 Bangalore, India
AMR: New seed funding to help teams enter the Longitude Prize
On 25 July I attended a workshop and ideathon on the Longitude Prize and Discovery Awards at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms(C-CAMP), Bangalore . The Discovery Awards are a new seed fund to help teams progress ideas for a transformative diagnostic test that will help combat Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) by significantly reducing inappropriate use […]
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1st August 2016 Canberra, Australia
Race and a Fair Go
Last week, we hosted David Lammy MP on a visit to Australia. He came here as part of his review into possible racial bias against BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) people in the British criminal justice system. This work was commissioned by former PM David Cameron, and has the full endorsement of our new PM […]
31st July 2016 Havana, Cuba
Chevening Scholarships in Cuba – our 23rd year
Around this time of year, I get to work on one of my favourite parts of the job – Chevening Scholarships. These provide fantastic opportunities for professionals from over 160 countries and territories, including Cuba, to go to the UK for a year to study a master’s course, fully funded by the UK Government and […]
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