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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
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The climate crisis and gender-based violence
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Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
17th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
New Visa Applications Centre in Sydney opens
I formally opened the new Visa Applications Centre (VAC) in Sydney today. It’s actually been operating since 17 March 2014, along with new VACs in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. The change is part of a global project by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to outsource these arrangements. A million Australians visit the UK each […]
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17th April 2014 Bangalore, India
On a space journey in the UK – 1
Last month I travelled to the UK visiting several institutes and meeting stakeholders. I was keen to explore developments in space science and technology in the UK for possible collaborations with India and this brought me to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Space (RAL Space) in Harwell. The RAL Space is co-located with the other large […]
16th April 2014 Sana’a, Yemen
Friends of Yemen: Demonstrating Continued Support for Yemen and its People
The next Friends of Yemen meeting will take place on 29 April in London. The meeting will be opened by the British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and will be co-chaired by the Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr al Qirbi, the British Minister for the Middle East, Hugh Robertson and the International Development Minister, Alan Duncan, and […]
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16th April 2014 London, UK
Using digital to make great foreign policy: challenges and opportunities
Like most government departments, the FCO has been making policy for centuries. But just as the content of foreign policy has changed, so has the way we approach it, and the tools we can use. Last week, the FCO’s Policy Unit ran a Policy Excellence Fair, with teams ranging from ministerial offices to Economics Unit […]
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16th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria
Bulgaria in the 80s: Sad and Suppressed
by David Holt This week’s #100UKBG stories are of spouses Denise and David Holt, who had separate encounters with Bulgaria – Denise in “the dark days of the 60s” and David – in “the sad 80s”. First we will present David’s story; Denise’s one will follow later in the week. David Holt was a diplomat with the FCO, serving in […]
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16th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Youth is Wasted on the Young
The bloom of youth seems to offer everything: good health, endless reserves of energy and an unquestionable thirst for knowledge. Yet young people today face enormous challenges. Over 75 million young people are unemployed worldwide. The fact is that the world has become a much more competitive place. Studying for a good education, finding a […]
15th April 2014 Bucharest, Romania
What makes Great Britain GREAT – views from the kids
In today’s guest blog, my colleague in the communications section, Catalina Neagu, talks about the embassy’s involvement in the ‘Scoala altfel’ program. Last week, we hosted the students from School 79, grade VI A, as part of the ‘Scoala altfel’ program. They had a chance to talk about what it means to be a diplomat, […]
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15th April 2014 Dublin, Ireland
The UK and Ireland: diplomatic relations… – guest post by Sarah Tiffin, Deputy Head of Mission
Tomorrow my husband Pádraig and I will hold a reception in our home to mark the occasion of the State Visit last week to the United Kingdom of the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. Our situation is an unusual one. I am Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy here in Warsaw, and […]
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14th April 2014 Havana, Cuba
Will the next Wayne Rooney be Cuban?
Thanks to Rhys Patrick, Second Secretary in the British Embassy, Havana for this week’s blog. Last month I visited Camaguey and Ciego de Avila, two provinces in central Cuba famous for their farming and stunning archipelagos. When British pirate Henry Morgan visited Camaguey in 1668 he sacked the city and locked the town leaders in the Cathedral […]
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14th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The quality of education
Education, education, education. Those were the priorities that a former British Prime Minister famously described his government would pursue, if they were re-elected. I enjoyed discussing education last week as a guest introductory speaker at an international forum on the quality of higher education. From my experiences of talking to officials from others countries, I’ve […]