Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

25th November 2013 Brasilia, Brazil

International day for the elimination of violence against women

Maria da Penha was shot in the back while she slept. Not by a stranger, but by her husband. She survived, but the attack left her paraplegic and consigned to a wheelchair. The second attack happened on her return from hospital, when her husband tried to electrocute her in the shower. She survived that too. […]

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25th November 2013

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by Greg Dorey

Diplomat

Fighting Violence Against Women

One in every three women in the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, according to the UN. Violence against women is a human rights violation and a crime. It is a result of discrimination against women and an effort to entrench persisting inequalities between men and women. It […]

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25th November 2013 Tunis, Tunisia

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by Hamish Cowell

Ambassador to Tunisia

Focusing on developing future ties between UK and Tunisia

Below is a transcript of my first video blog. You can view my video by visiting our Facebook page. Assalamu Alaikom! I am pleased to be here in green Tunisia. It is such a privilege to be here in such an important time of Tunisia’s history. Britain and Tunisia share a long history. On the wall […]

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25th November 2013 Chennai, India

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by Bharat Joshi

British Deputy High Commissioner, Chennai

Anniversaries: From India to Dallas to Istanbul

It feels as if it’s been a month of anniversaries, some happy, some sad. On the positive side, we celebrated the Prince of Wales’ 65th birthday in Kerala – a date which, as he said, he proudly shares with Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. On Friday, I was asked to open the 2013 Cultural Festival for the […]

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22nd November 2013 New York, USA

Charles Arrowsmith

by Charles Arrowsmith

Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Consul-General

Doctor Who: Child of the Enlightenment

This weekend Doctor Who celebrates his fiftieth birthday. “Ha!” cries my nine-year-old self. “Any Whovian can tell you that he’s actually somewhere between 900 and 1200 years old!” Current Who writer-in-chief Steven Moffat maintains that the Doctor probably lies when asked about his age. At any rate, 23 November marks fifty years since the show […]

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22nd November 2013 Brasilia, Brazil

by Thatyanne Gasparotto

Political Adviser

COP-19: nearly the end but running into overtime

This week Ministers and other authorities joined the nineteenth Conference of the Parties (COP-19) here in Warsaw. During the High-Level Segment, opened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban-Ki Moon, Ministers and representatives from member countries made their statements which set out their expectations for Warsaw, Lima and Paris. In his speech, the Secretary […]

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22nd November 2013 Kingston, Jamaica

by Julia Sutherland

Deputy High Commissioner, Jamaica

What are Embassies for Anyway?

I was very interested to see a letter last month in The Jamaica Gleaner newspaper with the above title, expressing confusion and scepticism as to the purpose of Embassies. Given that I work in one (a High Commission is just the name for an Embassy between Commonwealth Countries), this set me thinking. I love my […]

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