2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
14th October 2025
Lost and Found (but mostly lost)
13th October 2025
UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls: September visits to Sarajevo and New York
13th January 2015 London, UK
Together, we will consign Da’esh to the forgotten footnotes of history
The so-called Islamic State has no credibility. It is founded on fear. We – an international community inspired by our common humanity – will defeat it. As 2015 opens up before us, and as we reflect on the events of the past year, the actions of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria stand […]
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13th January 2015 Beirut, Lebanon
Keeping the ‘Islamic State’ out of Lebanon, and Lebanon out of the ‘Islamic State’
All of us share the sadness of the French people at last week’s terrorist attack in Paris, and of the Lebanese people at the weekend attack in Tripoli. In their condemnation of the deaths in Paris, the four Muftis of Lebanon sent a powerful message against extremism. It was a reminder that many in this […]
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13th January 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Consular work in Australia
In my final few weeks in Australia I’ve been blogging about different aspects of our activities here. People often ask me what our consular work involves. It’s a big part of what we do, involving about one sixth of our staff – some 16 people – plus Honorary Consuls in five cities where we don’t […]
12th January 2015 London, UK
The digital curriculum: from vision to reality
In November, my colleague Kate Burnham blogged about our work to design a new digital training curriculum for the FCO. Since then, we’ve been busy running pilots – “beta” testing 11 modules, in 4 different formats, with over 140 people in over 25 countries (and demand was so high that we already have waiting lists […]
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8th January 2015 London, UK
Training peacekeepers to prevent sexual violence, with the British Peace Support Team (Eastern Africa)
Caroline Vaudrey writes about UK-supported training for peacekeepers in Somalia. Preventing sexual violence in conflict – what does that mean exactly and how do you train peacekeepers to do this? I needed to find out. So, I visited a course in Kenya training Africa Union (AU) peacekeepers who would be deployed to AMISOM, the AU […]
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7th January 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Time to Stand and Stare
These days everyone seems to be in a hurry. Having a “busy schedule” has almost become a badge of honour of modern life. Employees rush from one meeting to the next; parents try to cram in lots of activities for their children; we hardly have time to stop and appreciate the world around us. It […]
7th January 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Pope Francis in 2015
The following is a guest blog by Steve Townsend, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy to the Holy See After the busy Christmas period in the Vatican, January has often been a slightly quieter time. However, under Pope Francis this is not looking likely, as the diary is already filling up fast. On […]
6th January 2015 Oslo, Norway
Captain Scott’s Norwegian memorial
Contributed by Lt Col Matt Skuse RM, British Defence Attaché in Norway. On 28 December 2014 the British Embassy was invited to participate in a ceremony commemorating the 100 year anniversary of a Captain Scott memorial monument raised on the mountain plateau at Finse. Captain Robert Falcon Scott, a British Royal Navy Officer and explorer, […]
6th January 2015 Windhoek, Namibia
Looking back and looking forward in Namibia
People are starting to slowly trickle back into Windhoek from their holidays all around the country and abroad – making this the perfect time to take stock and review the year that was – as well as to look ahead to the year to come. I am proud to say that 2014 was a busy […]
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5th January 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
An Australian Christmas and New Year
Back to work after a Christmas/New Year break which is rather longer in Australia than at home. That’s because it’s summer here and with the schools on holiday most Australians take a long break. Many won’t be back until much later in January. In British terms it’s Christmas and August combined. We had our final […]