Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

1st July 2013

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by Martin Harris

British Ambassador to Ukraine

A Call to Public Service

One of the UK’s most eminent public servants, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, gave an address to students in Bucharest last month, making the case for a career in public service. Sir Suma is now President of EBRD, but before then he had a long and distinguished career in the British civil service. I worked with him […]

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29th June 2013

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by Nick Bridge

Special Representative for Climate Change

OECD at the G8 table

I wanted to sincerely thank everyone at the OECD who helped the UK host a successful G8 Summit. The setting was Northern Ireland’s beautiful Lough Erne, where on the eve of the Summit the British Prime Minister refreshed himself with a bracing swim, avoiding the nibbles of the pike that a certain recently-retired OECD Director […]

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28th June 2013 Toronto, Canada

Science and the UK Spending Round 2013

On 26 June 2013, the Chancellor of the Exchequer presented the 2013 Spending Round to Parliament. The 2013 Spending Round sets out how the government will spend approximately £740 billion of taxpayers’ money in 2015-2016, and make further savings to improve the economy. What does this mean for science, research and international collaboration? Let’s take […]

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28th June 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

by Nikesh Mehta

Counsellor for Foreign Policy and Security

What Defines Our Relationship?

I am often asked what best defines the UK-Malaysia bilateral relationship? Is it the closeness of our business ties? Or could it be our shared history? Or is the strength of our education links? Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire’s visit to Malaysia this week suggests it’s all of these areas and many more. In the […]

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27th June 2013 Paris, France

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by Peter Ricketts

Ambassador to France from February 2012 to January 2016.

British companies display innovative security technology in Paris

Public security exhibition, 27 June 2013

We are here in the Embassy today for a special event where we have representatives of the British security industry, presenting their products to French clients and looking to develop partnerships.  This is a growing industry,  which is producing products intended to help keep people safe, to help fight crime and terrorism, and it’s an […]

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26th June 2013

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by Sarah Dickson

Ambassador to Guatemala (June 2012 - June 2015)

Economía de las drogas ilícitas: Un peligro para la humanidad

Hoy 26 de junio es el Día Internacional de la lucha contra el uso indebido y el tráfico ilícito de drogas; para ello nuestra blogger invitada es nuestra Oficial en Seguridad y Justicia, Sara del Cid.  El mundo está cada vez más globalizado, y al igual que muchos otros fenómenos sociales, la globalización ha acelerado […]

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26th June 2013

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by Sarah Dickson

Ambassador to Guatemala (June 2012 - June 2015)

Illicit Drug Economy: A Danger to Humanity

Today June 26th is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking; our guest blogger is our Security and Justice Officer, Sara del Cid. The world is increasingly globalised, and as with many other social phenomena, globalisation has been accelerating the diffusion of the contemporary drug problem. While the increase in global trade has […]

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26th June 2013

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Freedom of religion or belief: a fundamental right

The European Union – as an institution, and as individual member states – is often criticised for not doing enough to protect and promote freedom of religion and belief around the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is very clear on the issue, we are often reminded. And yet, the critics say, amongst the […]

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