Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

8th July 2013 Vientiane, Laos

Philip Malone

by Philip Malone

Ambassador to Lao PDR

Laos through my eyes – Paul Bloxham

I arrived in Laos as a Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) volunteer on 28 April 1997 thinking the 2 years I was planning on spending in the country would seem an eternity. Now, 16 years later I am just two days away from leaving Laos. It has been an eventful, sometimes frustrating and life changing experience but it is time to leave, although not forever as my wife is Lao so we will be back for sure.

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8th July 2013

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

A great weekend for the Poms

There are not many weekends nowadays when I’m up until 2.00am two nights in a row. Well actually none. But this weekend was the exception, with the Lions/Wallabies end of tour party at Sydney’s Opera House and Andy Murray’s Wimbledon final. The Wallabies victory in Melbourne, levelling the series at 1:1, had set things up […]

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5th July 2013 Athens, Greece

British Ambassador to Greece, John Kittmer

by John Kittmer

Former UK ambassador to the Hellenic Republic

G8 priorities: what do you think?

At Lough Erne in Northern Ireland recently, leaders of the G8 discussed some of the fundamental questions facing our societies and economies. They came up with a short list of practical steps to take. Those steps are set out in a remarkably short and punchy declaration, which you can find here. Representing half of the […]

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4th July 2013

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by Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

INVESTING IN A LOW-CARBON ENERGY FUTURE

It was a delight, as always to be in Visby this week for Almedalen. I spoke at a seminar on the “Swedish super-model” and attended several interesting discussions on Europe, defence policy, Swedish politics and economics. Energy policy and climate change were also themes, as they are for the UK government. Like all EU partners, […]

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4th July 2013

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Modern Slavery: Church and State against Human Trafficking

Trafficking in human beings – for forced labour, for sex, for their organs – has been with us as long as one human has exploited another. That is no reason why we should resign ourselves to its existence in the 21st century. The British government sees tackling modern slavery as an important global priority. And yet, […]

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4th July 2013 New Delhi, India

Further funding for the Unbox Fellowships

Every time you sneeze, stop and consider what you are thinking about. This was one of the recommendations given during the Unbox festival in January this year. This festival showcased some of the best of India’s burgeoning design, art and technology sectors, including the findings from the Unbox fellowships, advertised in my earlier blog. The […]

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4th July 2013

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Arts and crafts

London’s Royal Academy will host the largest exhibition of Australian art ever to leave this country from 21 September to 8 December. It includes many of Australia’s finest historic and current works from the leading public institutions. I attended the media launch at the National Gallery in Canberra last week, and gave an interview to […]

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