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
24th June 2013 Budapest, Hungary
Swimming for the life savers
I’ve long been a supporter of British lifesavers. Ever since I briefly was a lifesaver myself as a student holiday job. And recently I’ve become a trustee of the Lifeboat Fund in the UK. So I’ve been looking for a chance to pick up that cause now that I’m here in Hungary. I’m very pleased to say […]
24th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The UK in Sudan
Last week I had the honour of being invited to speak to a distinguished group of Sudanese ambassadors, academics, journalists and members of civil society at the Future Studies Centre. I spoke about what I always speak about: The UK-Sudan relationship, what the British embassy does here, and what we try to achieve. It’s often […]
24th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Lions roar
“Li-ons, Li-ons!” The chant reverberated around the cauldron of Brisbane’s Suncorp stadium, drowning out the PA system playing Men At Work’s “Down Under”. After three weeks of touring, the first test finally arrived last Saturday. The nice thing about the camaraderie of rugby is that the reds and golds were scattered evenly through the 52,000 […]
23rd June 2013 Harare, Zimbabwe
FCO Human Resources Director visits Helmand PRT
I recently visited the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Lashkar Gah. As the Foreign Office HR Director, I often feel that I need to get out more. It’s easy to get stuck behind my desk in London, thinking about our global workforce (over 14,000 staff in 270 posts around the world). But I get a fresh perspective by getting out and talking to our staff about what’s on their minds.
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22nd June 2013 Harare, Zimbabwe
Update: Women Register to Vote in Municipal Advisory Board Elections
Following on from my previous blog “A Generational Change Plays Out as Women in Helmand Register to Vote in Local Elections” I am delighted to report the success of the 15 June Municipal Advisory Board (MAB) election. 525 women voted representing the largest turn out of female voters in a local election in Helmand. 4 […]
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21st June 2013 Houston, USA
UK-US connections brewed in Texas
Texas, an exceptional state within an exceptional nation. Big cars, huge helpings and a pile ‘em high consumer mentality fits a stereotype. But it is changing; there is a fast-growing foodie movement challenging the norm and showing that Texans are increasingly choosy about what they consume. Beer, as a metaphor for societal change, may seem […]
21st June 2013 Havana, Cuba
Villa Clara – awash with orange
I didn’t see any tulips in Santa Clara but this week the town had a very Dutch flavour. Most of the people I met there on Monday were wearing orange, a colour which the local baseball team, Villa Clara, shares with the Dutch national football team. This week Villa Clara finally won the Cuban baseball […]
21st June 2013 London, UK
European where necessary, national where possible
“The time of an ‘ever closer union’ in every possible policy area is behind us”. So say the Dutch Government in their review of subsidiarity published today, a really important contribution to the debate on the future of Europe. You can find a press release in English here. Over the last few months, Dutch experts […]
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21st June 2013 London, UK
Kosovo wins recognition from over half United Nations states
It has been over five years since Kosovo’s Assembly declared independence. Since 17 February 2008 many diverse countries, from Pakistan to Panama, from Swaziland to Sweden, have recognised Kosovo’s independence. And, this year, Guyana, Tanzania and Yemen have decided to join that number. Significantly, this means Kosovo is now recognised as an independent state by […]
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20th June 2013 Ottawa, Canada
Delivering on UK’s Renewed Interest in Nuclear Energy
The nuclear renaissance The detrimental impact of the coal industry on the environment, concerns over depleting fossil fuel reserves, and difficulty in keeping carbon emissions at bay has landed nuclear power back on top of the UK’s political agenda. Currently, the 16 reactors in the UK contribute 19% of electricity to the energy mix, and […]
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