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
19th May 2015 Oslo, Norway
Syttende Mai
Although I have now been in Norway for a few months, I always knew that my “induction” would not be complete until I had experienced Grunnlovsdagen on the Seventeenth of May. Despite hearing and reading a lot about the significance of Constitution Day, Sunday’s festivities exceeded my already high expectations. The photographs look great. They […]
17th May 2015 Havana, Cuba
Homophobia and transphobia – a battle we share
The Conga Cubana against Homophobia and Transphobia held in Havana on 9 May was a riot of colour and noise. With whistles, banners, flags and hand-written signs, about 1500 people marched up 23rd Street calling for their rights to be respected. I was honoured to be invited and to attend and was impressed by what […]
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15th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Wildlife Diplomacy – Ending the Trade in Illegal Wildlife Products
A new push is urgently needed to fight the illegal trade in wildlife products. On 18 May, HRH The Duke of Cambridge will join United for Wildlife (UfW) meetings in Gland, Switzerland. UfW is a collaboration of seven conservation organisations and the Royal Foundation. Convened by the Duke, they have joined forces to tackle conservation […]
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15th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Landscape – A Touch of Britain
When I first arrived, I didn’t look very closely at them. After we had settled in, I inspected each one and wondered whether I could change them. Then I forget about them, until quite recently when one of my team had the idea that we should exhibit them. I’m talking about the paintings that usually […]
15th May 2015 Mumbai, India
Engaging with police for Intellectual Property Enforcement
Recently, I spoke at a seminar on counterfeiting and smuggling at the Police Commissioner’s offices in Pune, Maharashtra. Several aspects such as socio-economic impact, legal remedies, and enforcement procedures were discussed. This programme was organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Sanjay Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police, Pune, in his […]
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14th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ecumenists and Diplomats
Amongst the Vasari frescoes In the Sala Regia in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican is a series to make ecumenists blanche. It depicts the planning and implementation of the St Bartholomew’s Eve Massacre – the massacre in Paris on 23-24 August 1572, ordered by the King of France, of thousands of French Huguenot Protestants. […]
13th May 2015 London, UK
Towards A More Transparent Brazil
All eyes have been on Brazil for last couple of years for many reasons: the World Cup in 2014, the Olympics in Rio in 2016 and other big events which put Brazil in the world news. The country is earning also attention internationally for its high growth rate and exciting business opportunities. As Brazil develops, it becomes […]
13th May 2015 Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Road to Recovery
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week focuses on mindfulness. Mindfulness helps people observe the way they think and feel about their experiences, good or bad – a valuable tool for staying mentally healthy. It can help people with mental and physical health problems, from stress, depression and anxiety to chronic pain, eating disorders and concentration. Georgina […]
11th May 2015 Chicago, USA
Sharing Sustainability
In February the British Consulate in Chicago decamped to Minneapolis for a week in order to increase our engagement in the Twin Cities. A week-long series of events focused on trade, investment, and science. We worked with the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment to bring together local researchers, businesses and students to talk […]
11th May 2015 Geneva, Switzerland
Becoming our man in Geneva
Grahame Greene’s novel about Geneva ignores it, focusing instead on the nasty foibles of the very rich. And if they mention it at all, modern novelists writing about Geneva use the UN at best as a backdrop for international intrigue but more often as a metaphor for international impotence. For someone preparing to take up […]