17th July 2025
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
15th July 2025
International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
1st May 2025
The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls
23rd January 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Tourism in Ethiopia – One Park, Many Worlds
I spent last weekend in the Bale Mountains National Park, in a top quality lodge newly opened by a British entrepreneur (one of two such lodges in the country). The Park itself is stunningly beautiful and full of rare and endemic species of flora and fauna, including the endangered Ethiopian Wolf (of which we saw […]
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22nd January 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Economics and the Pope
The World Economic Forum opens every year in January in the Swiss resort of Davos. Britain, as usual, will be sending a strong delegation led by the Prime Minister. It is one of the principal opportunities during the year when government, business, journalists and thinkers can gather to discuss the state of the world’s economy […]
22nd January 2014 Mumbai, India
Vibrant PDPU
That Gujarat and vibrancy go hand in hand became evident to me when I recently visited the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU), established in Gandhinagar, capital of Gujarat, by the Gujarat Energy Research & Management Institute (GERMI) as a private university. A 30-minute drive from the Ahmedabad airport, PDPU is situated between the cities of […]
22nd January 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Cleaning up the Country
Cleanliness is close to Godliness. Godliness is probably little more than a distant aspiration for most of us. But cleanliness is easy, on a personal level and in our communities. Keeping our neighbourhoods clean is good for everyone. It is good for our souls because it increases our feeling of dignity. It is good for […]
22nd January 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Turkey and Britain: Open to Export
The first click brings up a Turkish company seeking bids to repair a turbine generator system. Further down there is an analysis of recent economic developments in Turkey; and a question (and answer) about how to open a cupcake store with English recipes. Welcome to the Turkey page of the ‘Open to Export’ website. Open to […]
22nd January 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
War and Remembrance
This year marks the start of a whole series of commemorations to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War. There are active current debates in both Australia and Britain around the way school curricula deal with history. But one thing is clear, we are both committed to remembering the sacrifice of the millions of […]
21st January 2014 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 13-19 January 2014
Trouble reading this story or moving through pages? Check it out on Storify here: http://storify.com/SINCanada/canadian-science-news-13-19-january-2014 [View the story “Canadian science news: 13-19 January 2014” on Storify]
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21st January 2014 London, UK
FCO data hack day
Open Data is one of the underpinning elements of the Prime Minister’s Transparency Agenda. Open Data is the raw commodity which enables government to release new economic growth and social value and improve public services and accountability. In the FCO we generate and use a lot of information and we are looking at ways – […]
21st January 2014 Mumbai, India
Habitat Research at CARBSE
Energy efficiency and energy resource management for residential and commercial buildings will assume heightened significance, as the urban population of India grows. Realising the need for sustainable habitats in future cities, the Center for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy (CARBSE) at the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is […]
21st January 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
London Paralympics heroes in Australia
Last night I had dinner with a group of British wheelchair athletes, in Australia for a series of races this week at Canberra stadium, culminating in the “GIO Oz Day 10k” around Sydney’s historic Rocks district on Australia Day. They were a hugely impressive bunch and it was fun talking to them about their experiences […]