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
8th July 2013 Vientiane, Laos
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
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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 […]
5th July 2013 Athens, Greece
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 […]
4th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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 […]
3rd July 2013 Washington DC, USA
My First Memories of Nelson Mandela
I’ve never met Nelson Mandela, nor have I been to South Africa. But like many who care about Africa or human rights or history, I am thinking of him a lot these days. And I can’t help but remember February 1990, when he was released from prison. Back then I was ten and living in […]
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3rd July 2013 Montreal, Canada
The Brain Enigma – How does the brain really work?
Despite intensive research for centuries, the normal functions and structure of the brain remain an enigma. Last June 25, an unprecedented partnership agreement (MoU) was signed in Montreal to broaden understanding of the human brain and take neuroscience research to new horizons…
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3rd July 2013 London, UK
@UKintlaw – tweeting and engaging on international law
On 2 April the International Law Team at the British Embassy in The Hague launched a Twitter account dedicated to international law issues. @UKintlaw is the first government Twitter account set up to tweet and engage solely on matters of international law. Its primary focus is on tweeting news arising out of events taking place within […]
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