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
17th June 2013 New Delhi, India
SIN gets dirty at IARI
A glimpse into the intricate world of soil at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute A hot summer afternoon was well spent discussing the various nuances of soil in the quiet environs of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), one of India’s leading national Institutes for agricultural research, education and extension, in Delhi. Besides being known […]
14th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The OECD, the G8 and the 3Ts (Tax, Trade & Transparency)
The upcoming UK-hosted G8 summit at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland is an opportunity for the UK to lead a global debate on Trade, Tax and Transparency – the “3Ts” – showing how progress on these areas is essential for prosperity in all countries. The OECD has made an invaluable contribution to this effort – […]
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14th June 2013 Ottawa, Canada
G8: Lough Erne: A Summit for Growth
As Chair of the G8, the UK will host a G8 Summit on 17-18 June in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will join David Cameron, and leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the US and the EU to address global economic and international security issues together.
14th June 2013 Cape Town, South Africa
G8 2013: taxes, transparency and trade. What could be more exciting?
The G8 There are just a few days left before world leaders convene in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, on 17-18 June for the G8 Summit. It makes me recall my first job in the Foreign Office – G8 Desk Officer for our 2005 Presidency. Talk about the deep end – just eight months after starting, […]
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14th June 2013 Budapest, Hungary
Run for transparency
Guest blog by Foreign Policy, Justice and Home Affairs and Human Rights Attaché Levente Nyitrai On Sunday, 9 June I took part in the 20th K&H Budapest Marathon Relay. But it was about so much more than just some fun exercise. Let me run through the details. At the end of April I received an […]
14th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
G8: 3T’s
The British Presidency G8 summit will take place next week at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. I blogged at the beginning of this year about UK’s G8 Presidency, which revolves around three interconnected priorities: Tax, Trade and Transparency. We believe that addressing these issues is vital for sustainable economic growth worldwide. On Monday, The Lough […]
13th June 2013 Washington DC, USA
Ahead of the G8 Summit, Northern Ireland flourishes culturally
On Monday, the 39th G8 Summit will commence in Northern Ireland. I am looking forward to Northern Ireland being positively highlighted on the global stage for these two days and beyond for a multitude of reasons. I think that the world will be fascinated with not only how beautiful the country is (please let it not […]
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13th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Smart Defence – Smarter Defence Industries
How will Europe provide for its security in the future? The challenges we face are changing and becoming more complex, requiring investment in new technologies – in cyber security for example. But defence spending has been declining, with austerity cuts in budgets across the continent. This year, for the first time, Asia will spend more […]
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12th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Project visit "boys and girls in action"
Thanks to the support of British Embassy; the Violence Prevention Programme of USAID and Guatemalan businessmen, the Foundation Elecciones Infantiles, with the endorsement of the Department of Education, for the consecutive second year we continue executing the Programme Girls and Boys in Action. The Programme looks for the formation and enforcement of human and democratic […]
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12th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Visita a Proyecto “Niñas y Niños en Acción”
Gracias al apoyo de Embajada Británica; Programa Prevención de la Violencia de USAID y empresarios guatemaltecos, la Fundación Elecciones Infantiles, con el aval del Ministerio de Educación, se encuentra ejecutando por segundo año consecutivo a nivel nacional el Programa Niñas y Niños en Acción. El Programa busca la formación y puesta en práctica de valores […]
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