8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
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OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
4th January 2016 London, UK
Praise for our project work
We diplomats are not often praised for the way in which we spend public funds. The UK tabloids prefer to perpetuate the myth of the champagne-swilling cocktail party-goer. So it was nice to receive some positive feedback recently about one of our long standing bilateral projects in Turkey. My correspondent wrote “As a British taxpayer, […]
30th December 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A Third World War?
Pope Francis has spoken frequently of his belief that the current state of instability in the world, overlain by the global threat of terrorism, is something akin to a “third world war fought piecemeal”. In his message for the World Day of Peace, he noted that, “sadly, war and terrorism, accompanied by kidnapping, ethnic or […]
29th December 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
OK, so what to make of the last year in Macedonia?
Everywhere you look in December and January there are people broadcasting their reviews of the year just gone. Facebook is especially popular for this. Log on now, and there’s a long list of friends grinning out at us, inviting us to check out their year in review. Looking at Macedonia, it’s not an easy call […]
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29th December 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
BurEUcratia: tackling unnecessary EU bureaucracy
Singer-songwriter Andreea is excited at an opportunity she has been given to perform abroad in another state of BurEUcratia. Her concert is a great success. Her new fans snap up her CDs and ask her where they can download her music. Andreea travels home buzzing with new ideas, and plans to raise the funds to […]
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28th December 2015 New Delhi, India
UK and India to work together to fight superbugs
Antimicrobials, our lifeline to modern medicine, are today under grave threat, with antimicrobial resistance sitting alongside climate change and terrorism on the Global Risk Register, as a global public health priority for the UK. Globally, by 2050, drug-resistant infections could cause 10 million extra deaths a year and have a cumulative cost of US$ 100 […]
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26th December 2015 Tripoli, Libya
Great Expectations
An orphan, Pip lives with a blacksmith in Victorian England. He dreams of becoming a gentleman. Through many ups and downs, he learns lessons about love and friendship, loyalty and injustice, disappointment and happiness. His experiences eventually make him a better and happier person. This is the theme of Great Expectations, one of the most […]
24th December 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
My Festive 50 favourite songs: From “Suzanne” to “Bra Timing”
As 2015 comes to an end, it’s time to get personal again. Let’s talk about… music. My 2014 blog, “Festive 50: From “Every Little Bit Hurts” to “Stay with Me” told how a friend said “you like music – why don’t you tweet about that?” So I did* (*a quote from one of my favourite […]
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23rd December 2015 Beijing, China
12 Days of SIN China
As I sit in the office feeling festive, I’m wondering how SIN China’s highlights this year would be represented, if they were numbers in the “12 Days of Christmas” song. This might not be a normal activity, but here is my attempt…. 1 Golden Era 2 hundred of China’s regulators trained in cosmetics product safety […]
23rd December 2015 Paris, France
COP21: three trends towards fundamental change
With considerable justification, COP21 has been widely hailed as a success. It reached a legally-binding agreement that aims to keep global warming well below 2 degrees, with a review-mechanism towards ever more ambitious targets, and financial commitments to support developing countries on their path towards environmental sustainability. This agreement is far better than most could […]
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23rd December 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
2015: A Year in the Life of the British Embassy in Romania
2015 has been a packed year for the Embassy. These are some of the highlights. 1. Visit of Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond The Foreign Secretary came to Romania on 14 January to discuss our bilateral Strategic Partnership and EU reform with the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. 2. GREAT Mega Mission A delegation of […]
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