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
16th September 2013 Warsaw, Poland
GREAT Mini and a GREAT Company
We’ve been on tour all week with the GREAT Mini and Bus Team across the western part of Poland promoting Emerging Europe as a GREAT business destination and for those internationally minded Polish companies pointing out that the UK is a GREAT place to do business. On Thursday GREAT Mini Cooper had the GREATEST of […]
16th September 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Începe anul şcolar: mult succes elevilor din Podari
Am răspuns invitaţiei elevilor şi profesorilor din Podari de a deschide anul şcolar împreună. Am dorit să fac acest lucru pentru a marca succesul acestei instituţii în aducerea copiilor la şcoală şi păstrarea lor în programele educaţionale. Deoarece agenda nu îmi permite să merg la Podari, am ales să transmit mesajul meu online. ‘Am fost […]
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14th September 2013 Sana’a, Yemen
اليوم العالمي للديمقراطية – واليمن
تحتفي الجمعية العمومية للأمم المتحدة بيوم الديمقراطية لهذا العام، في (15 سبتمبر) ويتزامن هذا مع نهاية الفترة المحددة للحوار الوطني في اليمن الذي كان نتاج للمبادرة الخليجية وذلك لتوفير إطار عمل عام لليمنيين لحل القضايا التي أدت إلى ثورة الشباب في اليمن منذ عامين. إنه إنجاز رائع أن تمكنت اليمن من تنفيذ الحوار بشكل جيد […]
14th September 2013 Sana’a, Yemen
International Day for Democracy – what does it mean for Yemen?
This year’s UNGA-led International Day for Democracy (15 September) falls close to the scheduled end of Yemen’s National Dialogue, set up under the GCC Initiative to provide a framework for Yemenis to resolve the issues that led to the Youth Revolution in Yemen two years ago. It is a remarkable achievement that Yemen has managed […]
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14th September 2013 Harare, Zimbabwe
My Final Blog as Head of the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team
Eighteen months ago I flew into Helmand Province pondering on what lay ahead for me. I was excited and daunted at the same time. I knew then that it would be a life changing experience and so it has proved to be. It has been challenging, inspiring, fun, and of course frustrating at times – […]
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13th September 2013 Ottawa, Canada
Operation NANOOK – firefighting in the Yukon
So what brings a Royal Navy Commander to the Canadian Yukon in the middle of summer? The answer is Operation NANOOK – an annual cross-government operation which supports Canada’s commitment to ‘The True North Strong and Free’…
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13th September 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Remembering the Battle of Britain
The “light blue” uniforms were on full display at the High Commission’s annual Battle of Britain Day commemoration this week. Two Royal Australian Air Force Air Marshals were present – Vice Chief of the Defence Force Mark Binskin and Chief of Air Force Geoff Brown – together with a range of serving military personnel and […]
12th September 2013 British High Commission, Kingston, Jamaica
COMMUNITY OUTREACH THROUGH SPORTS
When you think of SPORTS , what often comes to mind is a favorite team, players or a game. Not uncommon, would be thoughts of physical activity and possibly leisure time. However, sports has far outgrown such limiting boundaries, and is now widely accepted as possibly one of the strongest agents of community development
12th September 2013 Ottawa, Canada
TIFF-erific: the UK takes TIFF 2013 by storm
I was in Toronto earlier this week for the Toronto International Film Festival. It’s a time of year when Toronto truly shines – there’s a buzz in the air, and the streets are littered with dark-windowed SUVs ferrying their precious cargo (or, as they are known in the trade “the Talent”) from premiere to press conference and back again…
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12th September 2013 New Delhi, India
Processing food tie ups
The demand for high quality, safe, nutritious processed foods will continue to increase as the global population and affluence increases. In India, the same trends have resulted in significant growth and changes in the food processing industry. Considering this sector’s immediate potential for growth of the economy, the Government of India is indeed focusing towards […]