Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

3rd December 2013

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Terribly British Motor Day

On the shores of Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin, hundreds of highly polished classic British cars glinted in the sunshine, as far as the eye could see. Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Aston Martin, MG, Triumph and some marques I only dimly remembered. It was the annual gathering of classic car clubs from the ACT and New South […]

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2nd December 2013 Mogadishu, Somalia

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by Neil Wigan

British Ambassador to Somalia

Giving hope to the poor and the vulnerable

As part of our support to the 16 days of activism campaign, I have invited some of our partners to share their stories. Abdisalan Buthul Shurie is a Programme Advisor at the Somali Aid Foundation (SAF).  The organisation provides support to communities in Lower Juba across a range of issues including health, hygiene, and gender-based […]

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2nd December 2013

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by Martin Harris

British Ambassador to Ukraine

Supersensory Perception

The United Nations has made 3 December International Day for Persons with Disabilities. The theme this year is “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all”. It’s been a strong theme in the relationship between Britain and Romania, with many organisations working together to improve the services available to people with […]

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1st December 2013 Sana’a, Yemen

Jane Marriott, British Ambassador to Yemen

by Jane Marriott

British Ambassador to Yemen

نوفمبر30 – أوَان التأمّل

يوافق اليوم السبت 30 نوفمبر الذكرى السادسة والأربعون لاستقلال جنوب اليمن من بريطانيا.  بعد زيارتي القريبة لمدينة عدن، تأثرت بقصة في الإعلام عن حضوري لفعالية الكشف عن تمثال الملكة فيكتوريا الموجود في حدائق فيكتوريا بعدن وذلك عقب عمليات تنظيفه وتجديده. للأسف فإن هذا الخبر بعيد كل بعد عن الصحة ولكنه ذكرني بالمشاعر الدافئة التي يحملها […]

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1st December 2013 Brasilia, Brazil

World AIDS Day: low numbers and high ambitions

One of the things we can be proud of our countries, Brazil and UK, is the quantity and quality of data available regarding HIV/AIDS. In both cases, there are timely statistics and impressive analysis. This is a very good thing – good and reliable data have led us to well targeted and effective policy. I am Brazilian and […]

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30th November 2013

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by Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

St Andrew’s Day

Today is St Andrew’s day, Scotland’s national day. By this time next year a referendum will have taken place on whether Scotland should become independent. The UK Government firmly believes that it is for people in Scotland to decide their own future through democratic debate and a referendum in September 2014.  This is a good […]

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29th November 2013 Sana’a, Yemen

Jane Marriott, British Ambassador to Yemen

by Jane Marriott

British Ambassador to Yemen

November 30 – a day to reflect

Today, November 30, marks the 46th anniversary of the independence of the southern part of Yemen from Britain. Following my recent visit to Aden, I was touched by a story in the media reporting that I would be attending the unveiling of the cleaned and refurbished statue of Queen Victoria which sits in the Victoria Gardens […]

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29th November 2013 Brasilia, Brazil

Dress the part – guest blog by Cecilia Bijos

You normally read about Haiti and you automatically feel sorry for its people; natural disasters, poverty, racial discord and political instability have plagued the small country throughout its history. After the riot that took place in 2000, the country received aid from different countries and, when UN established MINUSTAH (UN Stability Mission in Haiti), Port […]

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29th November 2013 Ottawa, Canada

Promoting UK development science in Canada

Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Andrée Carter, Director of the UK Collaboration for Development Science (UKCDS) to Canada. She came at our invitation, to participate in a panel entitled: The world in 2020: Three questions for internationalised science, at the Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC), held in Toronto.  She preceded her visit with a  short […]

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