8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th October 2024
OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
4th August 2015 London, UK
FCO – Abolition of the death penalty remains high priority
There has been much written this week about the UK’s position on the death penalty. Most has been inaccurate and I want to set the record straight. It remains Government policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle and this has not changed. Our view is clear. We believe […]
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3rd August 2015 Havana, Cuba
3 great reasons to study in the UK, just in case you needed them
Applications for Chevening scholarships for 2016-17 are now open. Chevening is the British government’s scholarship to study a one-year master’s course in a British university. You can apply here. Don’t worry; you don’t have to rush as you’ve got until the beginning of November to complete your application. But do make sure your application is […]
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31st July 2015 Havana, Cuba
Cuban summer reading
A lot of people ask me which are the best books written about Cuba. This year, more than ever it seems, people are interested. The rapprochement between Cuba and the United States, the two countries re-opening embassies after 54 years, the Cuban government’s steady economic reforms; all of this, and the thought that it will […]
31st July 2015 Beirut, Lebanon
So…Yalla, Bye
Dear Lebanon, Sorry to write again. But I’m leaving your extraordinary country after four years. Unlike your politicians, I can’t extend my own term. When I arrived, my first email said ‘welcome to Lebanon, your files have been corrupted’. It should have continued: never think you understand it, never think you can fix it, never […]
29th July 2015 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 20-26 July 2015
Trouble reading this story or moving through pages? Check it out on Storify here: https://storify.com/SINCanada/canadian-science-news-20-26-july-2015 [View the story “Canadian science news: 20-26 July 2015” on Storify]
29th July 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
Voicing the public interest in Macedonia
Having in mind the recent political developments in the country, it has never been more important to deconstruct the meaning of the term Public interest. It seems that the term has various meanings, depending on who you ask, and whose interests are on the line. In general, public interest involves matters, or policies that affect […]
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29th July 2015 Tripoli, Libya
When Perfect is the Enemy of Good
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” said French writer Voltaire. This saying is relevant to our personal lives and to our actions at work. It is also true in politics. And it springs to mind with the current situation in Libya. At a personal level, we would all like to strive […]
29th July 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Remember the kidnapped in Syria
“How do you define an extremist?”. I once asked this question of a wise friend of mine, who was always critical of imprecise language used by journalists to describe people who held different views. “An extremist”, he said, “is someone incapable of seeing the good in the other. He must therefore dedicate himself to attacking […]
29th July 2015 Canberra, Australia
Home and away
I have been travelling a lot in the last few weeks, which has made me reflect on what is ‘home’ and what is ‘away’. Let’s just say it’s not so simple as for the residents of Summer Bay! First of all, as a diplomat, it doesn’t help to become too attached to one place, because […]
28th July 2015 London, UK
Updated FCO blogsite – behind the scenes
Regular readers of this blog will notice that the site has a refreshingly different look about it. Having identified the need to update and simplify the current site, we have been working behind the scenes to create a template for a streamlined blog which would be more user-friendly for both bloggers and administrators, and most […]
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