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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
25th November 2024
The climate crisis and gender-based violence
8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
30th June 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Europe: After the Vote
Much ink has already been spilled (or many keys have already been tapped) in analysing the European Council’s decision to nominate Jean-Claude Juncker to head the European Commission. My government has been clear that the decision was wrong in principle, as a matter as process and as an issue of policy. For that reason the […]
27th June 2014 Houston, USA
Fútbol brings the UK and Hispanic America closer
I will start off by saying that I am obsessed with the World Cup. OBSESSED. Every four years, nothing matters more than making sure I am able to watch important World Cup matches. I grew up watching the tournament back when most Americans had no clue that it existed. My family emigrated from Mexico to […]
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27th June 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Should Diplomats study Religion?
Earlier this week I was in London to address an in-house training programme of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on religion and foreign policy. The course is aimed at British diplomats, but also public servants from other government ministries; there were a number of participants this week from the Ministry of Defence, and on […]
26th June 2014 Havana, Cuba
A Diplomatic Dilemma. Who do we support now?
The tragic, early departure of the England team from the World Cup in Brazil leaves many British Ambassadors around the world with a tricky diplomatic dilemma. Who do they support now the England team has been knocked out? For those Ambassadors in countries where the home team has qualified for the last 16, the answer […]
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26th June 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
En el País de la Eterna Primavera
El Ministro Británico de Estado para Latinoamérica, Sr. Hugo Swire visitó Guatemala y escribió este blog sobre las experiencias de su visita: Este es mi primer viaje como Ministro para Latinoamérica a Guatemala, y estoy muy complacido de tener la oportunidad de experimentar de primera mano este importante y bello país – la más grande […]
26th June 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
In the Land of Eternal Spring
Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP visited Guatemala and has written this blog about his experiences during the visit: This is my first trip as Minister for Latin America to Guatemala, and I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to experience at first hand this important and beautiful country – the largest economy in […]
26th June 2014 Ottawa, Canada
GREAT is FORM1DABLE
To mark Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix from 4-8 June in Montreal our Consulate-General held its first ever series of GREAT Britain events. The results were……Formidable (best repeated with a French accent)…
26th June 2014 Mumbai, India
Prospects of UK-India collaborative partnerships in distributed manufacturing
Last week (16-19 June), I led a 4-member delegation of Indian manufacturing experts from the IITs and IISc to the UK for a 4-day programme on manufacturing. The visit kicked off with a one-day UK-India workshop on distributed manufacturing in London, jointly organised by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Indian National Academy of Engineering. […]
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26th June 2014 Sana’a, Yemen
Ramadan Karim
Like so many of those I have spoken to in the past week, I am looking forward to Ramadan. I am conscious that this Ramadan is an opportunity for all of us who live in Yemen to think about the values at the heart of this holy month of reflection, consideration for others and avoidance […]
26th June 2014 London, UK
Tunisia: helping put in place an Anti-Torture Culture to match the legislation
Guest blog by the British Embassy Tunis, Tunisia The slogans of the 2011 Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia were ‘Freedom’ and ‘Dignity’. Tackling torture, widespread under the Ben Ali regime, was among the popular demands in the aftermath of the overthrow of Ben Ali. Respect for Human Rights is a key goal of Tunisia’s new democratic […]
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