Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

8th April 2020 Belgrade, Serbia

Sian MacLeod

by Sian MacLeod

Former UK Ambassador to Serbia

A Tale of Two Hospitals

Since the world became aware of the new deadly coronavirus (COVID19) spreading rapidly among the population of a Chinese province, governments around the world have been planning and preparing to deal with its expected effects. But few people can have anticipated the scale of devastation and disruption that this virus would soon be bringing to […]

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6th April 2020 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Getting 391 British Nationals home safely

A plane approaches London Heathrow, appearing to grow larger as it nears the runway.  As British airways flight BA0961 lands safely, a collective sigh of relief is heard at the British Embassy in Vienna. In the last two weeks, the British Embassy in Vienna has helped 391 people get out of ski resorts in Austria […]

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3rd April 2020 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Simon Cleobury

UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament

Enhancing Co-operation and Assistance for a Landmine Free World

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention banner

On 4 April each year, we observe International Mine Awareness Day (or to give it its full title – International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action). International Mine Awareness Day aims to raise awareness about landmines and the continued need to eradicate them. On this day, we promote mine action (clearance, fencing […]

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31st March 2020 Stockholm, Sweden

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by Mikael Allan Mikaelsson

PhD, Science and Innovation Policy Advisor, Europe Lead on Net-Zero Innovation & Climate Change

Global Observatory on Peer-2-Peer, Community Self-Consumption and Transactive Energy Models

Last month, the FCO’s Science & Innovation Network’s (SIN) in Europe joined forces with the European University Institute – Florence School of Regulation and University College London to host the 2nd meeting of the Global Observatory on Peer-to-Peer, Community Self-Consumption and Transactive Energy Models (GO-P2P). The GO-P2P is part of the Technical Collaboration Programme on […]

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25th March 2020

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by Matt Field

British Diplomat

“We can be heroes. Just for one day.”

I sit to write this blog at a table in my home. Like many people across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and in fact the world, I am currently working from home, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am lucky to have the space and technology to do so. There are many who want to work, […]

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19th March 2020 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

Corona Council (24 February – 13 March)

I’ve long had a sense of foredboding about the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. Those of us who’ve been around these parts longer than most tend to measure our life-spans in the number of Council sessions we’ve racked up, as well as years. I worked out some time ago that session 43 would […]

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12th March 2020 London, UK

Nina Forgwe

Nina Forgwe

Political and Programmes Officer, Cameroon

Nina Forgwe: Success, what success?

As part of our Women’s History Month campaign, #RedefiningSuccess, we have asked our colleagues from across the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to share what success means to them. Here, Nina Forgwe shares her definition. Success, what success? I come from a family where my siblings and I are all university educated. I have travelled the […]

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11th March 2020 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Simon Cleobury

UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament

Blog: Understanding the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Working on nuclear issues is hard – not only understanding the science behind it, but also its complicated politics and history. To help me do nuclear diplomacy better, I wanted to improve my awareness of how the nuclear fuel cycle works. That is why earlier this year I visited five nuclear sites – three in […]

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8th March 2020 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Maiden – awesome, inspirational women on the big screen

I recently had co-hosted a special premiere of Maiden, the gripping story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old Briton, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World race in 1989.  The race, today known as the Volvo Ocean Race, was a brutal competition comprised of six legs […]

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