1st October 2026
A Year Too Big for Two Suitcases: Notes From a Chevening Scholar
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
11th May 2026
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: turning a global ocean agreement into UK law
9th April 2026
The Gulf, Berlin and the Commission on the Status of Women: building global alliances to advance women’s progress
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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27th July 2015 New York, USA
BBC Proms: The Special Relationship Never Sounded Better
Family Guy probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the BBC Proms. This annual festival, which started in London on July 17 and runs through to September 12, is the 76-course meal (plus sides) at the heart of the British classical music calendar. Now in its 120th year, it continues […]
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26th July 2015 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Maldives at Fifty: penning a chapter in history
This year, we are celebrating fifty years of bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Maldives. That relationship started on 26 July 1965, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That moment is captured in a famous photo, with Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, Prime Minister and Sir Micheal Walker, British Ambassador designate to the […]
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