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?
10th December 2015 Stockholm, Sweden
Celebrating Success in Stockholm – the Nobel Prizes
On arrival at Stockholm Arlanda airport is a large sign welcoming visitors to the Swedish capital. Nothing unusual in that of course. But what makes this sign different is exactly who the sign is welcoming. Holidaymakers back from Thailand? Weary business people from the US? Neither. The sign says ‘Welcome Students and Researchers.’ Anyone who […]
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10th December 2015 London, UK
International Human Rights Day: Reflections from Burma
Last month I witnessed the remarkable elections: this was a historic turning point in the country’s long road towards democracy. Although it has only been one month since Burmese citizens used their right to vote, I hope we are approaching another turning point in Burma, one where all rights are protected and promoted. As well […]
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9th December 2015 Asuncion, Paraguay
Three years in Paraguay
As the wheels touched down in Asuncion late on on 3 January 2013, my mind rehearsed the lines I had prepared about the UK re-opening its Embassy after an 8 year gap. No press on this occasion so we make our way to the first new “Embassy”, room 109 of Hotel La Mision, which was […]
9th December 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Diplomatic Board Games
Years ago, studying in London, I was puzzled by the enthusiasm of international relations students for spending days at a time for running from room to room playing ‘Diplomacy’. Throughout my subsequent years as a diplomat the board game has seemed far removed from what I do – until now. Last week I attended my […]
8th December 2015 Melbourne, Australia
Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict – sharing experience with our Northern Allies
Estonian Armed Forces get the job done with minimal fuss and I love that. Not my words, but those of Prince Harry when in Estonia last year, certainly another big fan of the Estonian military, having worked alongside them in Afghanistan. His assessment of their service in Afghanistan would no doubt be shared by the […]
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8th December 2015 Chennai, India
CITY OF HEROES
As I look outside at bright sunny skies, it’s almost impossible to recall what the last 3 weeks have been like. Chennai has been battered by the highest rains in over a century. The BDHC closed for 3 days when the electrical supply room flooded, and the power had to be switched off but this […]
8th December 2015 Islamabad, Pakistan
Forced Marriage – You have the right to choose
More than one third of all Forced Marriage cases reported to the Forced Marriage Unit in London are linked to Pakistan. This is four times more than any other country in the world. Last year, 82 cases of Forced Marriage were reported to my Consular Assistance team in Islamabad only. This year, we have offered […]
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8th December 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Remembrance in Arkhangelsk, North West Russia
I visited Arkhangelsk in late November as part of our annual visits to the cemeteries in North West Russia where British and Allied servicemen died during World War One, World War Two and the Allied Intervention period of 1918-19. Please see my recent blog about the visit to Murmansk by the Ambassadors of the UK, Australia, […]
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8th December 2015 Berlin, Germany
Antimicrobial Resistance: the complexity of transmission
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a topic that is difficult to escape at the moment, but that’s a good thing because it means it is getting the attention that it really does need. The news recently of bacteria being found in China that were resistant to the drug of last resort – colistin – in a way which […]
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7th December 2015 Montreal, Canada
Canadian students experience education in the fast lane
Like a supersonic race car, sometimes time really flies.
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