2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
14th October 2025
Lost and Found (but mostly lost)
13th October 2025
UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls: September visits to Sarajevo and New York
6th March 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
8 March – How far have we come?
The first week of March is always so intense for me. Not that there are no such other weeks during the year (family birthdays, new years’, vacation preparations..). Yet during the first week of March everyone and anyone suddenly remembers us, women. Flowers are sold on improvised stalls of cardboard boxes on every corner, presents […]
5th March 2020 Vienna, Austria
Authors you should read more
I’m looking at my bookshelf at home when I notice a weird similarity to the rogues’ gallery of former British ambassadors to Austria in the embassy. My bookshelf is dominated by male authors. The rogues’ gallery for Vienna is exclusively male, up until my excellent predecessor, Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque (in Vienna 2012-16). Male domination […]
28th February 2020 Vienna, Austria
My Welsh Great-Grandfather, literature and football
1 March is St David’s Day, named after the patron saint of Wales who died in 589. I’m part-Welsh: my great-grandfather John Derfel (photo above) came from the the town of Llanderfel in north Wales and was the son of the Welsh poet and political writer Robert Jones Derfel (for the Welsh-language Wikipedia entry, click here). According to […]
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28th February 2020 Canberra, Australia
What matters to me on the day before the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade
Every year it is hard to miss the signs that the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras season is upon us. While permanent reminders of Sydney’s support for the LGBTQI community – such as the iconic Rainbow Crossing in Taylor Square – remain with us year-round, it is fair to say the city shifts into […]
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21st February 2020 Geneva, Switzerland
Disarmament blog: the P5 meet in London
Last week saw a major milestone in preparations for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in April, when the five NPT Nuclear Weapon States met at Lancaster House in London for their ninth annual ‘P5’ conference. We began the Conference by welcoming the new RevCon President-designate, Gustavo Zlauvinen of Argentina, and the chairs of […]
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13th February 2020
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
What will you do?
In November this year, the UK and Italy will together host the UN Climate Change Conference, popularly called COP 26, in Glasgow. It is a great responsibility, but one which both of our governments are enthusiastic and determined to deliver on. The situation facing all of us today is critical. The science is clear – […]
11th February 2020
Manchester: International links and ambition
A second evacuation plane, carrying over 200 passengers, travelled from Wuhan to the UK over the week-end. As colleagues are all too aware, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation on 30 January, has been a big part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s crisis work so […]
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11th February 2020 Vienna, Austria
How the British residence in Vienna was rescued: 1945-1950
“It is open to doubt whether this location in Vienna is really suitable for the Minister’s residence… it can in no way be considered a pleasant district in which to live.” How times change! Historic papers we recently unearthed about the restoration of the British ambassador’s residence at Metternichgasse 6 in Vienna after 1945 contain […]
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7th February 2020 United Kingdom
Sheak: a day in the life of a Foreign Office apprentice
Sheak is a Level 3 Business Administration Apprentice, working in the Legal Department at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). My typical day at the Foreign Office My day starts in my office in the Legal Department. My colleagues are mostly International Lawyers working on Human Rights. They’re a great bunch who work extremely hard […]
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7th February 2020 United Kingdom
Molly: a day in the life of a Foreign Office apprentice
Molly is a Level 3 HR Support Apprentice, working in the Finance Directorate at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). My typical day at the Foreign Office A typical day in the office for me is working with my team to help get our officers overseas. This can range from liaising with our freight contractors […]
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