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
10th December 2014 London, England
Preventing Sexual Violence and Protecting Civil Society
For Human Rights Day Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, James Duddridge, blogs on Preventing Sexual Violence and Protecting Civil Society. I am proud to say that the UK, and the Foreign Office specifically, has taken such a strong lead in the battle to end sexual violence in conflict. In September, […]
Read more on Preventing Sexual Violence and Protecting Civil Society | Reply
10th December 2014 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
International Human Rights Day
Today is International Human Rights Day, marking the promulgation in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One of the important questions that will be discussed today – including by Baroness Anelay, the Foreign Office’s Minister with responsibility for human rights issues, when she hosts a reception in London – is the role of […]
10th December 2014 Colombo, Sri Lanka
In Celebration of Civil Society
Today is International Human Rights Day. This year’s theme is the importance of civil society, with the hashtag #365 signifying what civil society does for us all, day in, day out. It’s been a difficult few months in Sri Lanka and the Maldives for civil society, so I wanted to use this blog to celebrate […]
10th December 2014 London, UKMadrid, Spain
International Human Rights Day
Today, 10 December is International Human Rights Day. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss human rights issues last week with a group of students from the British Council School. Here is a summary of my presentation to them. The UK is extremely active when it comes to promoting human rights. The Foreign […]
10th December 2014 London, UK
Tobias Ellwood blogs for Human Rights Day: Freedom of Religion or Belief in the Middle East and North Africa
For Human Rights Day Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Tobias Ellwood, blogs on Freedom of Religion or Belief in the Middle East and North Africa (to see this post in Arabic, click here: ow.ly/FJHxS). Today – exactly sixty six years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human […]
Read more on Tobias Ellwood blogs for Human Rights Day: Freedom of Religion or Belief in the Middle East and North Africa | Reply
10th December 2014 London, UK
Hugo Swire blogs for Human Rights Day: From darkness to light: there is a different path open to North Korea
For Human Rights Day Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Hugo Swire, blogs on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Last week, on the Thames embankment in London, I was honoured to attend the unveiling of a Memorial to the sacrifices made by British troops in the Korean War […]
Read more on Hugo Swire blogs for Human Rights Day: From darkness to light: there is a different path open to North Korea | Reply
10th December 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Who Needs Diplomats?
Diplomacy is an old profession. Over two thousand years ago Greek city states used to send envoys to negotiate war, peace and trade. But surely with new technology, governments don’t need intermediaries? They can use the internet, videoconferencing and Skype to talk to each other. And with multiple news websites, instant reporting and people uploading […]
10th December 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Human Rights begin at home
(on occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 December) There is a time in life when we start learning from people younger than ourselves. Perhaps that’s the best moment as a parent – when your children start telling you things you didn’t know. We joke in Britain that you know you are getting older, when policemen […]
10th December 2014 Bucharest, Romania
The challenge of eradicating modern slavery
The Santa Marta Conference – organised jointly by the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Bishops Conference – brought together stakeholders, civil society, national law enforcement authorities from both supply and demand countries and leaders of religious congregations, to look at practical ways to join up in the work against modern slavery and […]
Read more on The challenge of eradicating modern slavery | Reply
9th December 2014 Athens, Greece
The 9th December is World Anti Corruption Day. Why does corruption matter?
The UN World Anti-Corruption Day is commemorated on 9 December. Some will argue that it is part of everyday life and present in every society. I personally disagree, as I believe that It erodes trust within societies –and particularly young people- between businesses and between nations. Corruption diverts resources from where they are most needed, […]
Read more on The 9th December is World Anti Corruption Day. Why does corruption matter? | Reply