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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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25th November 2024
The climate crisis and gender-based violence
8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
24th September 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
What’s next at the OECD? Exploring New Horizons
It’s the seventeenth anniversary of my first visit to the OECD. Back in September 1997 I accompanied my Treasury colleague Tom Scholar (now our Prime Minister’s G8 and G20 Sherpa) to Japan’s Economic Survey meeting, as I was about to take up my first diplomatic posting in Tokyo. It was one of the best days […]
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24th September 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria
Living in the West Wing of the Residence
by Hilary Arthur Hilary Arthur lived in Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005 and worked at the British Embassy Sofia. She was the first custodian of the West Wing of the British Ambassador’s Residence in Sofia. The story she sent us for the #100UKBG series is about her happy time in the house. The announcement of the events to […]
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24th September 2014 Budapest, Hungary
GB United – Ferencváros Back Office Team Friendly Football Match
Guest blog by Gábor Imeli, Trade Adviser UK Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Budapest. The signs were not good. On a dark and rainy Saturday the players of the Embassy’s amateur football team, GB United, were about to face the toughest opponents they’ve met so far, the back office team of […]
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24th September 2014 Dublin, Ireland
To Innovate or not to Innovate
It has been a hectic couple of weeks. Since returning from leave, I have already visited Wroclaw, Krakow and Gdansk. There have been two common themes: Innovation is GREAT and Culture is GREAT. In both Wroclaw and Gdansk, I visited impressive technology parks that are creating the right environment to stimulate the development of both […]
24th September 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Applying for British Passports overseas
During the last few months, our consular teams in Australia have been doing several things to help British nationals who need to travel urgently, but have been affected by longer processing times at HM Passport Office (HMPO) following a surge in demand for British passports: We have been issuing Emergency Travel Documents, which enable travellers to […]
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23rd September 2014 Geneva, Switzerland
Nations United
It’s been an interesting week to be a Brit at the UN. No matter what else has been going on in the rest of the world, all anyone wanted to talk to me about was Scotland. Mostly people just wanted to hear my prediction of what the result was going to be, as though I have […]
23rd September 2014 Islamabad, Pakistan
Shaping the future: What matters to young Pakistanis
Ayesha* is nine years old, Ali* is eight. They live at the SOS Village in Rawalpindi, Islamabad’s Twin (although, in reality, much bigger) neighbouring City. They are two of around 100 young boys and girls who, for whatever reason, have no one to look after them at home and who are now cared for by […]
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23rd September 2014 Gaborone, Botswana
Botswana Global Joint Action Day on Climate Change
Early this month the British High Commission went to Mogoditshane Primary School where the students had been learning about climate change thanks to a project run by WENA Environmental Education and News Trust and funded by the High Commission. The event was graced by representatives from the Department of Waste Management, the Ministry of Education as […]
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23rd September 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
All eyes on New York this week
British and Australian leaders will no doubt be seeing each other around New York this week, amidst the frenzied activity which comprises the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) Ministerial Week. Tony Abbott, David Cameron, Julie Bishop and Philip Hammond will be there, together with ministerial colleagues and around 130 Heads of State or Government. Inevitably countering extremism and the threat […]
22nd September 2014 Brasilia, Brazil
Ukraine Crisis: New EU Sanctions against Russia
For the last nine months Europe has been gripped by the crisis in Ukraine. For years Europe and Russia have enjoyed increasing economic and political co-operation, but in March 2014 Russia illegally annexed Crimea, breaching the sovereignty of Ukraine and escalating tensions in the region. This represents a loss of 4,5% of territory – the equivalent […]
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