9th April 2026
The Gulf, Berlin and the Commission on the Status of Women: building global alliances to advance women’s progress
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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26th February 2026
Different Memories, Shared Futures: Why Inclusive Remembrance Matters for Serbia and the Region
22nd December 2025
Continuing to grow the global alliance for women and girls
21st September 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Cuba and the Church: from cocktail wars to a common future
Just over ten years ago, the European Union embassies in Cuba, including the United Kingdom, were involved in a stand-off with the Cuban government in Havana that became immortalised as “the cocktail wars”. Despite the seemingly frivolous impression given of the spat (which concerned the invitation to embassy receptions of dissident Cubans), there were deadly […]
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21st September 2015 London, UK
Proud to be British – Proud to be me. My journey as a refugee to a British diplomat
Like many, I have been moved by the tragedies unfolding amidst the great migration crisis of our time. I want to share the story of my journey from a refugee to a British diplomat. I hope my personal reflections can help both combat the stigma attached to refugees (and some criticism aimed at the UK), […]
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18th September 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
UK China People to People talks
The magnificent Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich provided a splendid setting for this year’s UK/China People to People dialogue on 17 September. The Wren-designed buildings of the College, facing the towers of Canary Wharf across a Thames River sparkling in September sunshine, presented a fine example of the juxtaposition of […]
17th September 2015 Vancouver, Canada
Battle of Britain: for me it is about courage
It’s been 75 years since The Battle of Britain. Given that my daughter thinks the 1990s were the ‘olden days’, this is quite some time. Yet still we remember it, and rightly so. Not only because it’s important to honour those who sacrificed themselves for us, but because of the enduring legacy the Battle has […]
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17th September 2015 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 24 August-13 September 2015
Want to receive this newsletter in your inbox as soon as it’s compiled? Join our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/30qLH Our weekly wrap-up of science news in Canada, 24 August-13 September 2015: https://storify.com/SINCanada/canadian-science-news-24-august-13-september-2015
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17th September 2015 London, UK
International Democracy Day and Launch of Magna Carta Partnerships
On UN International Democracy Day 2015, I was delighted to host an event to launch the FCO’s first human rights initiative of this Parliament: Magna Carta Partnerships, a new agile fund to deploy British legal and parliamentary expertise to help reinvigorate global support for democracy and rule of law. In this 800th anniversary of the […]
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17th September 2015 Chennai, India
5 reasons you should think about working for the UK in India
I’m always conscious that working for my government is a privilege, even if I’ll never become rich as a British civil servant. And working in India – on most days – is an absolute blast, not least because of the incredible team across India that I get to work with. Being a dynamic and growing […]
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17th September 2015 London, UK
Twitter: To Engage or Not to Engage
I was not an early adopter of twitter. I wondered what I would have to say of interest, and was suspicious of the time it would take. Apprehensively, I sent my first tweet the night I presented my credentials as High Commisioner in Nairobi. Three and a half years later, I am a convert. If […]
17th September 2015 Hanoi, Vietnam
Civil Society in Vietnam
Tuesday was International Day of Democracy, and the global theme chosen by the UN was “Making Space for Civil Society”. We took this literally, and made some space at my house in Hanoi for civil society representatives and activists to come and talk about the changing landscape for civil society in Vietnam, the opportunities and […]
16th September 2015 Geneva, Switzerland
Turning 30
I hope you had a good break. Those wise enough to spend their holidays in or around these parts will be coming back to the Council re-energised from the unusually long hot summer we’ve had this year. To my family’s bemusement, I opted to spend our holidays caravanning in the slightly more inclement weather which […]