Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

15th September 2014 Sana’a, Yemen

Jane Marriott, British Ambassador to Yemen

by Jane Marriott

British Ambassador to Yemen

Democracy in the making

Today is the International Day of Democracy. This year’s theme – Engaging Young People on Democracy – is particularly relevant for Yemen. Three years ago, young Yemenis took to the streets in pursuit of democracy. Yemen’s democratic journey has been guided by the National Dialogue Conference, which led to the agreement of a new social […]

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15th September 2014 Sana’a, Yemen

Jane Marriott, British Ambassador to Yemen

by Jane Marriott

British Ambassador to Yemen

ديمقراطية في طور الإنشاء

اليوم هو اليوم العالمي للديمقراطية. وموضوع هذا العام – إشراك الشباب في الديمقراطية – هو ذات أهمية خاصة بالنسبة لليمن. قبل ثلاث سنوات، خرج الشباب اليمني إلى الشوارع في السعي لتحقيق الديمقراطية. وقد استرشدت رحلة الديمقراطية في اليمن بمؤتمر الحوار الوطني، الذي أدى إلى اتفاق لعقد اجتماعي جديد، معترفا بمطالب ومصالح جميع اليمنيين والأهم، تلك الفئات الضعيفة والأقليات. اليوم، […]

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15th September 2014 Dushanbe, Tajikistan

The Sheep Run

The following is a post by Dr. John Heathershaw, Senior Lecturer in International Relation, University of Exeter. May in Tajikistan is a time when Shepherds move their sheep from lowland fields to higher mountain pastures (ailoo).  On the road from Vakhdat to Garm, I witnessed herds of up to 1,500 sheep moving along the road with […]

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13th September 2014

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by Greg Dorey

Diplomat

Fighting Ebola

A few weeks ago some cases of malaria briefly gave rise to rumours that #Ebola had arrived in #Addis. Thankfully this was wrong, but the story went viral on social media. Rumours and misinformation can spread even faster than Ebola. As the disease continues to spread, there are increasingly worrying projections about how far it […]

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12th September 2014 Paris, France

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by Peter Ricketts

Ambassador to France from February 2012 to January 2016.

The Battle of the Marne

Today I represented the UK at the commemoration of the Battle of the Marne, which raged for 5 days from 5 September 1914 and was one of the turning points of WW1. From the start of the War in early August, the German Armies advanced relentlessly across Belgium and into France. The French forces, and […]

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12th September 2014

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

The Pity of War

August is a holiday month in much of Europe.  It’s a good time to take stock, read the books that have waited long on the shelf, and explore new places. The war that is still going on This August marked one hundred years of the start of the First World War, when the armies of […]

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11th September 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

The Church as a global player

The bishops in the US and health care reform. The leading role played by the Catholic Church in tackling corruption in the Philippines. Caritas Internationalis responding in a practical way to the rise in suicides amongst Indian farmers. Catholic radio and censorship in South Sudan. The response of the Eastern Church Patriarchs to ISIL. Using […]

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11th September 2014

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Employment Minister Esther McVey in Melbourne for G20

G20 brought another minister to Australia this week. Esther McVey MP, Minister of State for Employment, is in Melbourne attending the G20 Employment Ministers Meeting. As an MP on Merseyside, which has had its share of employment challenges, she is passionate about helping to give people the opportunity to work. Immediately before the meeting she […]

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10th September 2014

Mark Kent, the British Ambassador to Thailand

by Mark Kent

British Ambassador to Argentina

Global Joint Action Day on Climate Change

The UK has been working with Germany, France and the EU to make September 9 a Joint Action Day on Climate Change. At events around the world, we put across a common message: the time for action on climate change is now! In Thailand, the British Embassy, the German Embassy and the EU Delegation hosted […]

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