Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

4th December 2019 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Aidan Liddle

UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament

Disarmament blog: Towards a World Free of Land Mines

People stood together

The Norwegian capital Oslo is where, in September 1997, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) was concluded, and also where the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and its founder Jody Williams, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the following year. So although the Convention is often known as the Ottawa Convention, after the city where […]

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3rd December 2019 Skopje, North Macedonia

Besart Ljachi

Besart Ljachi

Chevening Scholar

Greening the Macedonian environmental behaviour: Let’s try a proven approach

It is that time of the year again. The air gets foggy and our vision blurry, but ironically, this is the time when we can clearly see (and smell) our most critical issue. According to the World Health Organization, around 2,574 deaths annually can be attributed to the air pollution. In addition, the World Bank […]

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28th November 2019 Juba, South Sudan

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by Chris Trott

UK Ambassador to South Sudan

Floods in Pibor

Imagine you are living in a country that is facing a major humanitarian crisis and a civil war. And then it starts raining. Not for a day or two but solidly, for months. The town you are living in, with a population of around 40,000 people, is one of the poorest and most remote in […]

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28th November 2019 Skopje, North Macedonia

Frosina Antonovska

Frosina Antonovska

Chevening Scholar

Greening Western Balkans’ Environmental Behaviour

When it comes to tackling any of the environmental threats that humanity is faced with today, the first key challenge is to raise the awareness of the problem and the need for change of behaviour. This is a worldwide quest, and definitely not unique to the Western Balkan region. However, it is evident that Western […]

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28th November 2019 Auckland, New Zealand

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by Alasdair Hamilton

Consul General & Deputy Governor to the Pitcairn Islands

Finding Pulsars: Radio Astronomy & Space science outreach in rural China

“The greatest danger facing us is ourselves, and irrational fear of the unknown. There is no such thing as the unknown. Only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood.” If you can identify this quote and who said it then you have done well. If not you may be surprised. I’ll come back with an answer […]

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18th November 2019 Skopje, North Macedonia

Climate change and plastic free environments – we are all responsible to #ActGreen

Introduction by Her Majesty’s Ambassador Rachel Galloway, British Embassy Skopje: Climate change presents an existential risk to global prosperity & security, and I am proud that the UK are leading in the fight to protect our environment.  This year, we have become one of the first major economies to commit to ending our contribution to […]

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4th November 2019 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

British education: major visa reform for post-study visas

I commend a recent British Council blog, written by Education Director Maddalaine Ansell. Ms Ansell writes about the major reform to post-work study visas for international students which the UK Government has announced will enter into force from 2020.  “From next year,” she writes, “students graduating from British higher education institutions with at least an […]

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31st October 2019 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

The Government Art Collection in Vienna

The Duke of Wellington stares across the room towards a distant Queen Victoria, while Emperor Franz Josef – sash, ‘tache and all – observes impassively. Not the plot of a historical novel, but the paintings in the dining room at the ambassador’s residence in Vienna. Works from the Government Art Collection (GAC) are displayed in […]

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31st October 2019

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by Matt Field

British Diplomat

Mostar deserves better

The British Embassy recently moved its whole operation down to Mostar for a day. In addition to many other activities across the city, we set up a ‘pop-up’ reception in front of the Mepas Mall. This gave the chance for different teams to explain our work – defence cooperation, education, projects, scholarships, consular support, political […]

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30th October 2019 London,UK

Paul Brummell, British Ambassador to Romania

by Paul Brummell

Head of Soft Power and External Affairs Department, Communication Directorate

Mind your language

The Indigenous Peoples’ Memorial is one of the many striking buildings in the Brazilian capital designed by the prolific modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Built in a spiral-shaped design around a central courtyard it was apparently inspired by a Yanomami house. In truth, the building is looking a little the worse for wear. The permanent collection […]

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