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
30th October 2013 Singapore
Combating re-emergent infectious diseases
The tropical island of Langkawi was an incongruously idyllic setting for a conference dedicated to the debilitating infectious disease Chikungunya. The conference was organized by the European project ICRES, and supported by our own SEA-EU-NET project, which seeks to expand and deepen research collaboration between Europe and Southeast Asia. Meaning ‘that which bends up’ in […]
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29th October 2013 Brasilia, Brazil
The many faces of current diplomacy
Public diplomacy, digital diplomacy, e-diplomacy, diplomacy 2.0. Has diplomacy changed that much in current years that it has divided itself into so many different strands? In one of this blogs’ first posts, Chris stated that we are in the business of talking to strangers. We want to “explain our ideas more widely and we need […]
29th October 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Breaking Barriers With The Commonwealth Games Baton
One of my favourite things about being a diplomat is having the opportunity to represent the UK at fun and unusual events. This past weekend was a good example: I attended the opening ceremony of the Asian Youth Para Games; helped to launch UNICEF’s ‘Disable to Enable’ campaign in Malaysia; and got to hold the […]
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28th October 2013 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 21-27 October 2013
[View the story ” Canadian science news: 21-27 October 2013″ on Storify]
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28th October 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Green Growth Group Summit
The following is guest post by Mette Kahlin, Political Attaché. Today on the 28 October in Brussels, a large group of key EU Ministers and business people, including UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Edward Davey, and Swedish Environment Minister Lena Ek, will meet to discuss green growth. They all have a […]
28th October 2013 Beirut, Lebanon
Dedication, dedication, dedication, that’s what you need
For my generation, Record Breakers was TV gold. We would watch in wonder as world records were broken and Norris McWhirter demonstrated extraordinary knowledge of even the most obscure stats. At the end of every show, Roy Castle would sing the theme song – ‘If you want to be the best, if you want to […]
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28th October 2013 Bangalore, India
Digital innovations in Healthcare
We had the pleasure of working with Accelerator India, C-CAMP and the Electronics, Sensors and Photonics Knowledge Transfer Network on a workshop in Bangalore on Digital Innovations in Healthcare. We considered this an area of great potential for future UK-India collaborations. It may also be an area where companies in both countries could bid into […]
28th October 2013 Vientiane, Laos
Laos through my eyes – Ivan Scholte
This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos. Answered prayers Seventeen years ago I came on holiday to Laos and fell in love, not with my then girlfriend, but with the unspoilt beauty of Luang […]
28th October 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Voluntarism and Happiness
Describing happiness is difficult and attaining it is elusive. But I tend to agree with Albert Schweitzer, who once commented to a group of volunteers that “The only ones among you who will really be happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” Every 6 months or so, I meet a new […]
25th October 2013 Washington DC, USA
Souper Man – My Day at the Empty Bowls Fundraiser
The following is a guest post by Craig Harnden, Head Chef, British Embassy. Earlier this week , I had the opportunity to represent the British Embassy at the Capital Area Food Bank’s 6th Annual ‘Empty Bowls’ fundraiser for hunger relief in the Washington area. Empty Bowls is a unique event that brings local restaurants, and […]
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