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
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14th October 2025
Lost and Found (but mostly lost)
16th December 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Branding the Creative industries
We talk a lot about brands these days. There is a lot of value in a strong brand. The worth of a brand is in how its distinguishes, or stands out, from other brands. As a British ambassador, I’m very much part of the “British brand”. My role entails a variety of activities, from supporting […]
16th December 2013 London, UK
2013: A year in review
A timeline taking a look back at some of the major events that took place in 2013.
15th December 2013 Sana’a, Yemen
مانديلا و وصيته لليمن
دفن نيلسون مانديلا اليوم في قرية أهله في كونو، جنوب أفريقيا. خلال الأيام القليلة الماضية كنت أسترجع حياة مانديلا وإنجازاته، وكيفلا – من خلال فن المسامحة والصفح والمصالحة وقوة الحوار – مانديلا أحدث تغييرا في الرؤية واحدث تغيير تاريخي في جنوب أفريقيا. ومع التغيير الذي يحدث حولنا في اليمن، كنت أتساءل ماذا يمكن أن نتعلم […]
15th December 2013 Sana’a, Yemen
Mandela: His legacy for Yemen
Nelson Mandela was buried today at his family home in Qunu, South Africa. Over the last few days I have been reflecting on Mandela’s life, his achievements, and how – through the art of forgiveness, reconciliation and the power of dialogue – Mandela brought about visionary and historic change in South Africa. With the change […]
15th December 2013 Chennai, India
Farewell Madiba
It’s been clear for a while that Mandela’s life was drawing inexorably to a gentle and dignified close. But it’s sad nonetheless. I can’t pretend that I ever met him, although I stood about 2 yards way when he visited the FCO. But he influenced my life massively. I knew little about the horror of […]
14th December 2013 Havana, Cuba
Crank it up and dance in Matanzas!
The Sauto Theatre in Matanzas is apparently one of only three theatres in the world which can be transformed into a dancehall with the turn of a crank. Normally the audience sits below the stage but when the chairs are removed and the floor is raised, the stage and auditorium become one large space for dancing salsa or the danzón. Unfortunately not many visitors can see […]
14th December 2013 Sana’a, Yemen
موقعة 'ويستجيت' اليمنية
في مساء الأربعاء، حبس اليمنيين وأصدقائهم من انحاء العالم أنفاسهم رعبا بينما كنا نرى مشاهد كاميرات المراقبة من داخل مستشفى العرضي. لاولائك (خارج اليمن) الذين قد لا يعلمون خلفية الموضوع، ففي الخامس من ديسمبر ٢٠١٣، قامت مجموعة من الانتحاريين ومسلحين يضعون الزي العسكري بهجوم على مستشفى ملحق بوزارة الدفاع اليمنية. هجوم حمل كل بصمات القاعدة […]
14th December 2013 Sana’a, Yemen
Yemen’s Westgate
On Wednesday night, Yemenis and their international friends drew a collective breath of horror as we saw the CCTV footage from inside the Urdhi hospital. For those (outside Yemen) who may not know the background: on 5 December 2013 a team of suicide bombers and gunmen in military uniforms launched an attack on a hospital […]
13th December 2013 Budapest, Hungary
A successful experiment
Guest blog by Peter Krekó, Director of Political Capital Institute and co-chair of EU RAN PREVENT. Two weeks ago, the Embassy of the UK hosted a conference organised by Political Capital and Szombat on scapegoating ideologies, anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories and the counter-narratives. As one of the organisers, I’ll try to resist the temptation to praise […]
13th December 2013 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Keeping Brunei Beaches Clean and Enjoyable
It’s Saturday morning and I’m thinking about the beach. I’m not actually on a beach, nor even planning to go to one. In fact, I’m sitting in a conference room in the middle of Bandar Seri Begawan. The meeting I’m at though is about Keeping Brunei Beaches Clean and Enjoyable. It’s an inaugural international roundtable […]
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