17th December 2025
MAKING LIFE SAFER, FOR EVERYONE
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
9th December 2025
Why We Need Data, Courage, and Community
2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
4th October 2015 London, UK
Guest blog: Farewell from Edward Hobart
I arrived in the UAE in 2011, not long after the Global Financial Crisis, with many questions unanswered about the future of Dubai’s economic model. The recovery has exceeded most expectations (though His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum sets his own extraordinarily high standards – see below). It has been a privilege in […]
Read more on Guest blog: Farewell from Edward Hobart | Reply
2nd October 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
PROMOTING THE UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES IN THE CARIBBEAN AND BEYOND
Question: What do you call a meeting of British Overseas Territories’ Caribbean Governors? Caribguvs…. Britguvs…..? Unlike CHOGM ( Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting), with a convenient shorthand, no acronym seems to roll off the tongue so easily. But nonetheless the Governors of the five Caribbean Territories – Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and […]
Read more on PROMOTING THE UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES IN THE CARIBBEAN AND BEYOND | Reply
2nd October 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Turkey: media freedom, stability and prosperity
A politically motivated protest outside a newspaper office results in physical damage and intimidation. Politicians and media make threats against specific individuals. Days later, one of those individuals – Ahmet Hakan, a prominent journalist – is physically attacked, and hospitalised. These developments are wrong in themselves. They are also terrible for Turkey’s image overseas; and […]
Read more on Turkey: media freedom, stability and prosperity | Reply
2nd October 2015 Canberra, Australia
Historic global agreement on sustainable development
Through my work in climate diplomacy, I’ve learned that it’s often very difficult to get countries to agree on things. So when they do, it’s cause for celebration. Especially when they agree on important things, like an ambitious and hopeful vision of what the world should look like 15 years from now. On 25 September this […]
Read more on Historic global agreement on sustainable development | Reply
1st October 2015 Vancouver, Canada
Where East & West Meet
It is impossible to calculate wisdom. You can count the number of people in a room, add up the amount of peer reviewed publications, or years spent living among different cultures, even an average IQ. If you were minded, you could use these metrics to get an idea of whether you were surrounded by knowledge.
1st October 2015 Tripoli, Libya
WHO CARES ABOUT THE ECONOMY?
Who am I? I live in a country that sits on enormous wealth. But this country turned in the worst economic performance in the world in 2014 and was 188th out of 189 countries in the World Bank’s Doing Business report. This is Libya. A country with the largest oil reserves in Africa and a […]
1st October 2015 Colombo, Sri Lanka
A Maldivian experience of Chevening
In the latest in our series of guest blogs to promote the UK’s Chevening Scholarship programme, Alieen Niyaz recounts her experience of studying in the UK as a Maldivian Chevening Scholar. On the very week I arrived in London as a Chevening Scholar, I received an invitation on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and […]
Read more on A Maldivian experience of Chevening | Reply (8)
1st October 2015 Dublin, Ireland
Trade and Investment – It’s all about innovation based partnerships – here’s a starter for 10
It was great to host our Minister for Trade and Investment in Poland last week – excellent timing and lot’s of focus on fundamentals aimed at driving a strong business growth agenda. Let’s consider three cornerstones for leadership in trade and investment: Inward investment as we look at it or using the UK as a […]
Read more on Trade and Investment – It’s all about innovation based partnerships – here’s a starter for 10 | Reply
30th September 2015 London, UK
Finding the time for some digital learning
Most communications professionals want to sharpen their digital communication skills, but we all know it’s hard to find the time to learn new skills and practice them. September was digital learning month for the Communication Directorate at the FCO. Our digital team offered up their creative skills and time to run training sessions and demos […]
Read more on Finding the time for some digital learning | Reply
30th September 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Story of SMURD
SMURD might sound to the British ear like one of those evil syndicates aiming to take over the world in a sixties spy caper. Or possibly a new brand of detergent. But the acronym actually stands for “Serviciul Mobil de Urgenta, Reanimare si Descarcerare”. It is a Romanian mobile emergency service, which began life in […]