Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

14th August 2015 London, UK

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by Hugo Swire

Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Freedom of speech is a right to be defended

One week ago today, a blogger called Niloy Neel was hacked to death in Bangladesh. He was the fourth blogger to be murdered there this year. I’ve been meaning to start my own blog for some time: last week’s events made me determined that I shouldn’t put it off any longer. Freedom of speech is […]

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14th August 2015 Islamabad, Pakistan

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by Philip Barton

Permanent Under-Secretary of the FCDO. Philip was the British High Commissioner to Pakistan from 2014 to 2016

The glass is half full

The first week back from a holiday brings a fresh perspective and a new impetus to your work.  While of course the day-to-day business of diplomacy goes on – as witnessed by the successful visit to Pakistan by the Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon – it is a chance to step back and […]

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14th August 2015

David Moran, British Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein

by David Moran

Former British Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Culture matters: Scottish-Libyan filmmaking collaboration

One of the great pleasures of working in Switzerland is the opportunity to meet and talk with creative people who mix and mingle at this international cultural crossroads.  It is an extra privilege that so many of these talented individuals come from the UK. This week I have been able to see some of the fruits […]

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14th August 2015 Dublin, Ireland

Gp Capt Simon Blake

Gp Capt Simon Blake

Defence Attache Poland

Operation ‘Trzeci Most in 1944’

Last Sunday afternoon I found myself in the middle of a field in the middle of rural Poland in the mid-afternoon sun. Want to know why? Let me explain… The Armia Krajowa (Home Army) was responsible for many vitally important acts of espionage and intelligence gathering during WW2. This particular story concerns the hugely important […]

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13th August 2015 Toronto, Canada

DementiaHack2015: Solving the challenges of living with dementia

Few people underestimate the scale of the challenge presented by dementia. The latest numbers are so large and terrifying that they start to lose meaning: 44 million people living with dementia worldwide, double this amount by 2030; a societal cost of £26 billion in England, treble this by 2030; 25 % of hospital beds in […]

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12th August 2015 Chevening, UK

How can the youth of today shape the world of tomorrow

In a world full of social, political, and economic challenges that transcend geographic boundaries, the international community requires new and diverse perspectives to resolve urgent global issues. The 193 member states of the United Nations recently came to a consensus on 17 sustainable development goals that the international community will commit to tackling by 2030. […]

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12th August 2015 London, UK

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by Youth Inspiration Group

A fresh perspective on UK Foreign Policy

Youth to make the change: A fresh perspective to UK Foreign Policy

Taking a selfie on stage at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) leadership conference in 2015 left us thinking perhaps we weren’t that photogenic! But, what we were was successful. After months of rehearsals, planning and speaking with some of the most senior voices across the office we had delivered a high impact, fun, energetic […]

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12th August 2015 Oslo, Norway

Pluto, Paris and new horizons for our climate on Planet Earth

By HM Ambassador Sarah Gillett The space probe “New Horizons” recently reached the edge of our solar system, after a journey of 4.7 billion kilometres to Pluto. I was amongst the many following with admiration and excitement the “call home message”, the imagery, and the promise of fascinating extensions to our knowledge of the universe. […]

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12th August 2015 New Delhi, India

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by Karanpreet

Science and Innovation Adviser

Remembering Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Former President of India, Scientist extraordinaire, enthusiastic professor and writer, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam passed away on 27th July 2015 in Shillong, Meghalaya where he was to deliver a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong. Popularly known as the ‘People’s President’, Dr Kalam worked as a Scientist at Defence Research and Development […]

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