8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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17th October 2024
OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
4th September 2015 Yerevan, Armenia
Leaving Armenia with optimism
On Saturday 5 September I leave Yerevan for the last time. I’ll be transforming back into a normal person after 3+ years of being driven around (thanks Edik and Aram) with a Union Jack on the car bonnet. It’s been a privilege to represent Her Majesty’s Government in this young/old nation; to meet such a […]
3rd September 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Agents of Change
I was recently asked to speak at an event about the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I was the only speaker. I was happy to be there, but to be honest I thought it was a bit odd. I’m a foreign diplomat who has lived here for a year. Why should I be better qualified […]
2nd September 2015 London, UK
The United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates: strategic partners for generations to come
Yesterday I returned to the UAE. The Middle Eastern destination I have frequented the most since becoming a Member of the UK’s Parliament. I am delighted to be back and witness yet again the generosity of the Emirati culture and the common ties which bind us; from regional security matters to growing commercial ties covering […]
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2nd September 2015 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Brunei’s latest Chevening Scholar
I was pleased to host a farewell reception on Tuesday for our latest Chevening scholar, Senior Superintendent Dinah Amat Daud. Dinah will be starting her studies in the UK later this month – MA in Applied Security Strategy at the Institute of Security and Strategy at the University of Exeter. She was clearly delighted to […]
1st September 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Preferential option for the poor: Government and Church together
There is plenty of bad news about. But let’s also celebrate the success stories. One such has been the partnership between the UK’s principal Catholic charities from the Caritas Internationalis family and the British government in their joint efforts to maximise funds raised by British donors to support projects benefiting some of the world’s poorest people. […]
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1st September 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Gallipoli, Greenwich and Istanbul
Two hundred Scouts gather on a parade ground for a flag ceremony, surrounded by trees. As the morning sun raises the temperature into the humid mid-30’s, the flags of Turkey, the UK, Egypt, Serbia and other countries are raised into the Istanbul skies. I was delighted recently to visit Istanbul’s largest Scouting centre at […]
1st September 2015 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Welcoming Sri Lanka to the Cybercrime Convention
This blog celebrates the fact that today, on Tuesday 1 September, Sri Lanka became a fully fledged member of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. Sri Lanka is the first country in South Asia, and only the second in Asia after Japan, to join this Convention. Cybercrime is any kind of crime committed with a computer […]
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1st September 2015 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Brunei
A terrific Saturday evening at the Jerudong International School’s Arts Centre watching the Globe Theatre company from London perform William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It’s a unique project. Starting last year and finishing in April 2016 (the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death), the Globe Theatre aims to tour this production to every country in the world. Brunei […]
31st August 2015 Bangalore, India
Innovations for a clean water
Declining water quality is a global issue. At a time when the global population is growing and industrial and agricultural activities grow, plus the impact of climate change, clean water is become scarcer globally. While this is not new phenomena, I was amazed at the innovations that are being developed by researchers in UK, India, […]
28th August 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
My visit to Veliky Novgorod
One of the really interesting parts of my job as Consul General in the North West Federal District of Russia is that I get to visit many fascinating places filled with rich history. It’s a very large and diverse geographical area with a population of around 13.6 million. St Petersburg is the largest city and […]