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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
22nd October 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Geopolitics and investment… and graduations
There seems to be an unusually large number of challenging geopolitical issues all surfacing at the same time at the moment. This was the conclusion of a panel I spoke on at the annual conference of the International Investment Funds Association (IIFA) in Canberra this week. The panel was chaired by DFAT Parliamentary Secretary Senator […]
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22nd October 2014 Brasilia, Brazil
Science and Development – Newton Fund brings a new agenda of cooperation between the UK and Brazil
Guestpost by Rui Lopes The anxious wait for the rain that now permeates the mind of people in São Paulo and Rio brings back memories of my childhood in the arid north-eastern Brazil, where the rain is a sign of continuity of life and prosperity. The current drought experienced in the Brazilian Southeast region is unfortunately […]
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22nd October 2014 Mumbai, India
Visit to TIFR
Last week I had a fantastic opportunity to visit one of India’s most renowned centres of excellence – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai , along with my colleagues Tom Wells and Vijay Iyer. The TIFR is funded by the Government of India’s Department of Atomic Energy. Its main campus is located in Mumbai […]
22nd October 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Synod and University: a global network in action
I often tell people that I consider myself accredited, first and foremost, to a global network, the most extensive on the planet. In a world that operates no longer through blocs but networks, that of the Holy See reaches parts that political, diplomatic or ordinary civil society networks simply cannot reach. For a diplomat based […]
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21st October 2014 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 13-19 October 2014
Trouble reading this story or moving through pages? Check it out on Storify here: https://storify.com/SINCanada/canadian-science-news-13-19-october-2014 [View the story “Canadian science news: 13-19 October 2014” on Storify]
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21st October 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Young people: The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina
One of the advantages of being a relatively youthful Ambassador is that, during the three months I have been here, I have met a lot of young people. Many have been well-educated, articulate and talented young men and women with a huge amount to offer to the future of this country. But when I ask […]
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21st October 2014 Athens, Greece
“We are all citizens” – Promoting civil society in Greece
I found myself on Crete two weeks ago. It’s always a pleasure to be on the Great Island. Cretan hospitality, the landscape, the beaches, the cuisine, the archaeology, the local grappa, the great cities…what’s not to like? I had spent an unforgettable week there on leave in July – not far from Kissamos, in the […]
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21st October 2014 Yaounde, Cameroon
Want to Study at the Best Universities in UK ?
Little known fact – we pay for students from around the world to go to the United Kingdom to study for a Masters degree. We pay for the flights, for the flat to live in, for the food to eat while you are there, for the cost of the tuition fees, and even give you […]
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21st October 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
WW1 Galleries at the Imperial War Museum
The new £40m WW1 galleries at the Imperial War Museum in London are absolutely spectacular. I was fortunate to be given a private tour during my visit to London last week, when I met IWM Director Diane Lees and discussed the museum’s plans to send a WW1 exhibition to Melbourne next year. The path through […]
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21st October 2014 Bucharest, Romania
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising – Great Britain’s success adapted to Romanian reality
A fundraiser must have some special DNA to be able to steer the (financial) beast in the eye. Have learnt some best practice from Andrei Chirtoc, a gentle man with loads of practice working for the charitable sector. His story has crossed paths with the UK more than once. Here it is! Peer-to-Peer fundraising is […]
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