11th May 2026
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: turning a global ocean agreement into UK law
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
9th April 2026
The Gulf, Berlin and the Commission on the Status of Women: building global alliances to advance women’s progress
26th February 2026
Different Memories, Shared Futures: Why Inclusive Remembrance Matters for Serbia and the Region
23rd November 2020 Dublin, Ireland
UK Transition Period: A message for British Citizens living in Ireland
The Transition Period following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU ends on 31 December 2020. The UK and Irish governments both want to make sure any changes impact on you as little as possible. But there will be certain changes for which it is important to be prepared. Therefore, as we approach the end of […]
Read more on UK Transition Period: A message for British Citizens living in Ireland | Reply
19th November 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
World Children’s Day-The Challenges of Children in the Past and the Children of Today
February 2010, Palais Wilson, Geneva I clearly remember the excitement of strolling in Palais Wilson in Geneva, where me and Elena – two seventeen-year-old girls, were about to meet the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. This UN body is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the […]
Read more on World Children’s Day-The Challenges of Children in the Past and the Children of Today | Reply
19th November 2020
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A floor not a ceiling
Dayton. The very name evokes both peace and division. This 21 November marks the 25th anniversary of the accord secured in Dayton, Ohio, and then signed on 14 December in Paris. How do we mark this moment? The agreement reached on that distant air-force base has had a profound impact on the shaping of Bosnia […]
18th November 2020 Dublin, Ireland
UK: Climate Ambitions and Action
The UK and Ireland both have ambitious climate plans, we both want to be carbon neutral by 2050 and invest in our economies to build back better from COVID-19. As part of the UK’s drive to mobilise climate ambition in the year to COP26, the Prime Minister today announced our plans to promote a Green […]
17th November 2020 Canberra, Australia
Creating our future: #TogetherForOurPlanet
In November 2021 the UK is hosting the next major UN Climate Conference – known as COP26. Glasgow, the UK’s most sustainable city, will play host to what has been called “the Olympics of international diplomacy” as thousands of representatives from every country arrive to discuss the challenge of tackling climate change. While the entertainment […]
Read more on Creating our future: #TogetherForOurPlanet | Reply
13th November 2020 Belgrade, Serbia
Time Like an Ever Rolling Stream
This has been a solemn week in what has been a desperately sad month in a desperately sad year. On 11 November the UK like many other countries commemorates Remembrance Day, or Armistice Day, which originally marked the guns falling silent at the end of the First World War. Every country has its own way […]
11th November 2020 Tokyo, Japan
Remembrance Day in Japan
On Sunday I took part in the annual Remembrance Day commemorations at the Commonwealth War Cemetry in Hodagaya, Yokohama. I was conscious that many similar ceremonies in the UK had had to be scaled down this year because of COVID restrictions. So it was good to see that, in Japan at least, a large number […]
6th November 2020 Belgrade, Serbia
Tea with Everything: A Diplomatic Week
Diplomacy is never a 9-5 job and, however much we like to plan, it is rarely possible to predict exactly how your time will be spent in any given week. The coronavirus pandemic has added to the unpredictability. One thing is certain though: my week will involve drinking a lot of tea. In my blogcast three weeks […]
30th October 2020 London
20 years of Women, Peace and Security
Today marks 20 years since the UK led the first ever UN Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security. It’s an important moment to champion the crucial role women can play as actors and decision-makers at all levels in peace and political processes. Women’s participation in peace processes is essential. For reasons of equity […]
30th October 2020 Belgrade, Serbia
A House in Dedinje
Diplomats move house more than most people. We move between countries every two, three or four years. We move backwards and forwards to and from our own countries. Even within our home countries jobs in our foreign ministries may be spread across more than one city. I have lived in six countries outside the UK. Some of my colleagues will have […]