Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

7th March 2014 New Delhi, India

by Tom Wells

Interview with Prof Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal and VC of University of Edinburgh

Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, was in Bangalore last week. I caught up with him in the margins of an alumni event he was hosting at the British Library. Welcome to India, can I ask why you’re here? Specifically, my visit coincides with a five day conference in […]

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6th March 2014 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

UN International Women’s Day 2014 – Guest Blog on Gender Based Violence by Yolande Engelbrecht, Legal Assistance Centre (LAC)

08 March is the 103rd UN International Women’s Day (IWD).  Protection of women’s rights is one of six key human rights priorities for the UK. The FCO has made strong statements on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and on sexual violence in conflict. The UK is hosting a Global Summit to End Sexual Violence […]

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6th March 2014

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by Jonathan Allen

Former Ambassador to Bulgaria

Modernisation and Energy Security

by guest blogger Baroness Verma This blogpost follows Baroness Verma’s official visit to Bulgaria, 3-5 March. It was also published in Standart newspaper. I am delighted that I had the chance to visit Bulgaria this week. As European partners, Bulgaria and the UK need to share ideas on the big challenges of our generation: ensuring energy security, tackling […]

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6th March 2014

by Peter Tibber

Ambassador to Colombia

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY – INSPIRING CHANGE

Many people around the world will be celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March. The theme this year is “inspiring change”. I have met many women from across Sudan who are doing just that: inspiring change in business, in education, in civil society or in their local communities. There are many examples of the positive […]

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6th March 2014 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

Council at a Crossroads

A lot has happened here since the end of the last session. Starting with the most important, I became a dad again, when my little girl entered the world last November. My son had cleverly timed his birth 3 years ago with the Human Rights Council’s annual day on the rights of the child but […]

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6th March 2014 Warsaw, Poland

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

by Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Lord Livingston’s Central European Diary – Day 4

Apart from being well-known for its science and innovaton centre, Brno’s got a GREAT racing circuit. The Czech Republic has got a GREAT and engineering heritage. Superb opportunity for Czech engineering companies to ge involved with our automotive sector supply chain. Automotive is booming in the UK. We’ve got a 4 billion gap in our […]

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6th March 2014

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by Peter Beckingham

Former governor in Turks and Caicos Islands

Juggling the Legal Challenges, Securing TCI’s International Reputation

I was delighted to announce recently the appointment of Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles as TCI’s new Attorney General. I have worked closely with her ever since arriving here, and I am in no doubt Rhondalee will make a splendid AG. She was appointed because we considered her the best person for the job, and she was the […]

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