25th April 2024
Reflect & Remember: Anzac Day 2024
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
23rd April 2024
Good English – A Key to Panama’s Future Success
21st March 2024
Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
15th December 2020 Vienna, Austria
Diplomatic lessons 3, 1987-91: go for the hard jobs
The day I started my job as Desk Officer for Budget and Finance in the European Community Department (Internal) of the Foreign Office on 2 November 1987 turned out to be a long one. In the evening, I sat with my colleague Ralph Publicover[1], Desk Officer for the Common Agricultural Policy (including stabilisers and Monetary […]
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10th December 2020 Geneva, Switzerland
Disarmament blog: space resolution adopted
Back in August, I posted a blog about the launch of our new initiative on outer space security at the UN General Assembly. Throughout September and into October we were busy consulting UN member states on the text – bilaterally, in small groups, and in consultations open to the whole membership – and making adjustments […]
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10th December 2020 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Orange the World: The UK’s Response to Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls in Sri Lanka
Since 1991, a global campaign has run from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until 10 December, Human Rights Day. The 16 days of Activism sees individuals and organisations from across the world, unite against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Together, we demonstrate solidarity with survivors, raise awareness, and […]
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9th December 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
Единствената попреченост е лошиот став, но попреченоста е во општеството, а не во личноста
Попреченоста започнува тогаш кога лицето со сензорна,физичка или интелектуална попреченост ќе се соочи со предизвиците во социјалната/општествената заедница. Образованието е првата социјална средина за секое дете вклучително и за децата со попреченост и тие за прв пат излегуваат од својата семејна безбедна и сигурна околина. Пристапот до образование е неопходен за градење на општество на […]
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9th December 2020
The frontline of defending media freedom
Around the world, media freedom is under attack. In the last decade, over 1000 journalists and media workers have been killed. They face a multitude of challenges, from violence to repressive laws. Yet, their role in our societies could never be more vital. In the battle between facts and falsehoods, journalists play a key role […]
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9th December 2020 Holy See
Sisters defending human rights: fighting forced marriage in Benin
As British Ambassador to the Holy See I have been privileged to work with some of the 650,000 Catholic women religious who are combating the global issues affecting the world today: from the response to the Covid-19 pandemic to modern slavery, from helping victims of sexual violence in conflict to protecting the planet, women religious […]
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4th December 2020 Geneva, Switzerland
Disarmament blog: leading the way to a world free of land mines and cluster munitions
I’ve spent much of the last two weeks in virtual meetings of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) and the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). Land mines and cluster munitions are especially pernicious weapons. They claim lives and limbs, and prevent civilians from returning to their land, for sometimes decades after conflict is over. One […]
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4th December 2020 Tokyo, Japan
Okinawa – Japan’s sub-tropical island chain
The Japanese archipelago stretches around 2,000 miles from north to south. The Ryukyu chain in the far southwest, which includes the Okinawa group of islands, is almost tropical. It used to be a separate kingdom, a key part of the trading routes with East and South East Asia. Many ancient fortified palaces from that period remain. But […]
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27th November 2020 Belgrade, Serbia
Bad Air Days and Silver Linings
The global skies have been pretty dark metaphorically over past months. They have been pretty gloomy too here literally for much of the time. I’m lucky enough to look out of my window in Belgrade at trees and sky. Sadly though that view is often rather murky, with visibility limited to the great oak trees at the end of my […]
25th November 2020 Vienna, Austria
Diplomatic lessons 2, 1983-87: languages change everything
I was working in the personnel departments of the FCO[1] when Judith Macgregor[2], head of my section, put her head around the door and beckoned. An officer named John Everard[2] had resigned from his post as second secretary (political) and press officer at the British Embassy in Vienna, she said. They needed a German speaker, […]
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