9th December 2025
Why We Need Data, Courage, and Community
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
14th October 2025
Lost and Found (but mostly lost)
14th April 2014 Pretoria, South Africa
100 days to go to the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games
Guest Blogger Deputy High Commissioner Martin Reynolds: Today is the last major milestone to the opening of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on 23 July 2014. Its only 100 days to go before Scotland opens its arms to the Commonwealth with the start of one of the most impressive sporting festivals in the world. By that […]
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14th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
10 things I like about Romania
On leaving Romania, here are a few of my favourite things… 1. Shajjad and Katie Rizvi and the Temerari at Little People. You guys rock! 2. Monasteries, especially Putna, Voronets, Horezu, Bistrita and Schitul Darvari in Bucharest 3. The fabulously talented kids of School No 136 in Ferentari 4. And ‘Fiecare copil in grădiniță’ in […]
14th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ethiopia’s First Female DPM
‘Women in Leadership’ is not a new concept in Ethiopia. From Queen Eleni, the wife of the Ethiopian Medieval King ZeraYaqob, to Empress Taitu, this country has had its share of iron ladies. So may I congratulate Her Excellency W/ro Aster Mamo, just appointed Deputy Prime Minister #DPM for Good Governance and Reform and Minister […]
13th April 2014 Yerevan, Armenia
Two nations letting out a most heartfelt and longed for sigh of relief
We overuse the word ‘historic’, but this week in the UK something historic took place. For the first time since the Republic of Ireland became independent over 90 years ago, and three years after the Queen’s groundbreaking first visit to Dublin, the President of Ireland came to the UK for a state visit, as a special guest […]
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13th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria
My Little Piece of Heaven on Earth
by Rebecca Richardson Rebecca Richardson is a Sales and Marketing professional from London. She loves to travel and was lucky enough to live in Dubai, Santo Domingo and now Sofia. In her spare time, Rebecca writes, takes photographs and works on her website on life and travel in Bulgaria. When not busy with any of these […]
12th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Fewer Laws Would Make Parliament More Effective…and Valuable
How do you judge how effective a parliament is? In many professions the answer might be obvious: how many goals does a footballer score? How many shoes does a cobbler make? In December 2013, Parliament Chair Michael Mikov noted that 75 laws and 170 bills had been passed in the 42nd Parliament. And this in a quite disturbed parliament […]
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11th April 2014 London, UK
Human Rights, DNA and the Higgs Boson?
Yesterday, when launching the FCO’s Annual Human Rights Report, the Foreign Secretary said: “Human rights are part of the lifeblood of the Foreign Office because they are part of our national DNA – our character as a people – and because they are vital to our national interest”. This formulation of our Ministers’ view that […]
11th April 2014 London, UK
EU Staffing Unit EU Careers Month by Charlotte Sanderson
EU Staffing Unit EU CAREERS MONTH : by Charlotte Sanderson If you follow @FCOcareers on Twitter, read the Guardian Careers website online, or even cut across the King Charles Street FCO Quad on your way to work, chances are you will have come across the words EU Careers, especially over the last month. I work […]
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11th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Remember, Unite, Renew
I am writing this in Mandela Hall of the African Union in Addis Ababa, where Ministers, Ambassadors, Religious Leaders, Senior Officials and Civil Society are gathered to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide. “Kwibuka” (“to remember” in Kinyarwanda) is a global programme underway since January to ensure that the deaths of over a […]
11th April 2014 Budapest, Hungary
Hungary goes to the polls
The Hungarian elections have dominated our work-life over the last days and weeks. Before the elections we were visiting the parties and their candidates, talking about their plans and strategies. I went to a series of pre-election rallies round the country to feel the flavour of the campaign. Rallies organised by a range of parties, […]