17th December 2025
MAKING LIFE SAFER, FOR EVERYONE
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
9th December 2025
Why We Need Data, Courage, and Community
2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
24th October 2013 Brasilia, Brazil
UNSC says: get women involved!
Women are 50% of the population, 50% of the policy beneficiaries, and 90% of the casualties from armed conflict are civilian women and children; why not make them 50% of the decision making and peacekeeping processes? In the UK, women are 51% of the population, but only 22% of our parliamentary representatives, 23% of our […]
24th October 2013 New Delhi, India
UK Innovation Showcase: Calling all R&D intensive businesses in India
Over the last five years, UK and India have together invested over £100 million in joint research programmes and this continues to grow. Our joint research covers: energy security; food and agriculture; and climate change, as well as looks at the enormous social and cultural changes that are taking place in India. It’s an impressive […]
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23rd October 2013 Lima, Peru
Words from a chocolate maker
by Duffy Sheardown, Chocolate Maker, Duffy’s Chocolate Foreword by Ben Rawlings, Head of Economic and Sustainable Development at the British Embassy in Lima As far as we know, chocolate was discovered in Central America three to four thousand years ago, and was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus when he landed on Guanaja, an island […]
23rd October 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Away Day
A Malay proverb says “clapping with the right hand only, produces no noise.” When it comes to being effective in our day-today work, how can we make sure we make noise, ie produce effective results that make a difference? One way is by working together better. Team-building is an essential part of running any office. […]
23rd October 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Guest blog: Romania offers serious business opportunities in the transport sector
This is the message from Romanian Transport Minister Mrs Ramona Manescu during a speech she delivered for the Mass Transport Conference, an event hosted by the British Embassy in Bucharest and the UK Trade & Investment. I joined the Minister on the occasion together with the director of EBRD Romania, James Hyslop, and the Team […]
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22nd October 2013 USA
American Football goes East, Football goes West
In the 1980’s, Channel 4 brought American football into teenage British living rooms. Mike Ditka, John Elway and William “The Refrigerator” Perry became household names as schoolkids started to “Go Long”, call “Set, Hut!” and grapple with the new language of football. Many were convinced that the novelty wouldn’t last. Fast forward 25 years and […]
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22nd October 2013 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 14-20 October 2013
[View the story “Canadian science news: 14-20 October 2013” on Storify]
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22nd October 2013 Tripoli, Libya
يوم عمل المدونات 2013 : حقوق الإنسان
لقد مرت فترة من الزمن على كتابة آخر مدونة لي، وقد انتقلت بعدها من اليمن لتولي منصبي الحالي كسفير للمملكة المتحدة في دولة قطر. ويسعدني الآن أن أعمل في الدوحة، في هذا الوقت بالذات، خاصة وأن البلاد تمر بمرحلة تطور سريعة بالإضافة إلى لعب دولة قطر دورا دوليا أكثر أهمية من أي وقت مضى. لقد […]
22nd October 2013 Madrid, Spain
My first blog
This is my first blog. So I thought I should begin by explaining who I am and why I am blogging. I have been working at the British Embassy in Madrid since the middle of last year. I am the Deputy Head of Mission. Before coming to Madrid I spent 3 years working as […]
22nd October 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
What’s in a name?
As Shakespeare famously observed, “What’s in a name? …a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. This is Juliet – as in Romeo and Juliet – talking to herself about the slightly inconvenient problem that the man with whom she had just fallen in love comes from the clan who are sworn enemies […]