17th July 2025
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
15th July 2025
International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
1st May 2025
The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls
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 […]
8th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Counting the votes: Houghton & Sunderland South (formerly Sunderland South)
By the time you are reading this, we will know the results of the general election in Britain. I expect that I will have stayed up all night to learn about the results because I love elections. I find them fascinating – especially how different areas vote. I shall probably have waited impatiently for news […]
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7th May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Triumph and Tragedy: remembering World War II – Guest post by Jon Sharp, Consul General in Ekaterinburg
A number of military anniversaries are being celebrated at the moment. Earlier this month there were striking images from the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. I’m sure there will be similar scenes throughout the period leading to 2018 and the centenary of the ending of World War I. In Russia we have been marking the […]
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