Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

10th March 2014 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

The Game is Afoot

With all the talk these days of business and human rights it can only be a matter of time before Council sessions start getting corporate sponsors. When it happens I hope that manufacturers of beta blockers are first in line to put their name to the March session and that they have plenty of freebies for […]

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10th March 2014 Warsaw, Poland

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

by Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Say Cheese – Say Stilton

Piesek P is on the lookout for GREAT British Cheese in Poland – as he finds it he’ll let you know – just smile, Say Cheese at the Bell in famous Stilton Many people would say that Stilton is the King of British cheeses. It holds proud place at the Christmas lunch table or can […]

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10th March 2014 New Delhi, India

Higher education on the move in Mysore

Last month, I spent a couple of days visiting research institutes in Mysore. I visited two organisations undergoing a process of great change, which is perhaps indicative of some of the trends in Indian Higher Education today. Universities in India are becoming much more significant players in research – contributing 39% of research publications (up […]

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10th March 2014 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

International Women’s Day 2014: Inspiring Change

This is a guest blog by Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, to commemorate International Women’s Day 2014. As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2014, I wish all women of the world a great year ahead of us. In the past decades, we have seen great advances in women’s […]

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9th March 2014 British High Commission, Kingston, Jamaica

by Syranno Baines

Digital and Communications Officer

The message is still gender equality

Today, gender equality is just as relevant as it was in 1910, when International Women’s Day was first celebrated. Despite legislative and social advancements in favor of women’s rights, women and girls in countries like Jamaica, continue to face discrimination,violence, and a lack of economic opportunity. For its part, Jamaica has enacted legislation, which coupled with […]

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9th March 2014 Warsaw, Poland

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

by Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Say Cheese – Say Caboc

Piesek P is on the lookout for GREAT British Cheese in Poland – as he finds it he’ll let you know – just smile, Say Cheese from the Scottish Highlands Beautiful lochs and massive mountains, a pleasant summer and a harsh winter. Cheese making in Scotland belongs to the clans and the crofters. While the […]

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9th March 2014

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by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

Guest Blog: "Number Two" by Abeer Qumsieh

I am happy to host a blog written by Mrs. Abeer Qumsieh who is a Human Developer from Better Business Jordan, and who works closely with our UKTI Jordan team. Should I accept the fact that my community encapsulated me or should I accept the fact that I am a woman. I wake up every […]

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8th March 2014

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by Greg Dorey

Diplomat

Time to Act

International Women’s Day has been observed in different forms since in the early 1900’s. But in recent years it has gone from strength to strength and become a much more genuinely global and shared event. With such a history, we should expect to see more progress on women’s issues. But women are still not paid […]

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8th March 2014 Sana’a, Yemen

Jane Marriott, British Ambassador to Yemen

by Jane Marriott

British Ambassador to Yemen

International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day- an annual celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women around the world. Since arriving in Yemen last year, I’ve been fortunate to meet a huge number of women from all walks of life. One of the reasons I feel optimistic about Yemen’s future is because of the […]

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8th March 2014 Budapest, Hungary

by Jonathan Knott

Former British ambassador to Hungary, Budapest

Van-e remény?

A nemzetközi nőnap alkalmából L. Ritók Nóra, az Igazgyöngy Alapítvány alapítója osztja meg velünk érzéseit, gondolatait a társadalom peremén, szegénységben, hátrányos helyzetben élő roma nők, anyák, lányok helyzetéről. “Egyszer egy szociológus azt mondta, mikor nálunk, az Igazgyöngy Alapítványnál járt, hogy túl feminimek vagyunk. Akkor bosszantott ez a megjegyzése. Ma már tudom, hogy épp ezért boldogulunk könnyebben. […]

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