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
23rd May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Breaking into the India market – courageous decisions paying off
Some countries don’t share much of a sense of humour, but for whatever reasons that cannot be said of India and the UK. So when the British High Commissioner, James Bevan, referred to a line from “Yes Minister” in a speech he could be confident that his Indian, as well, as British audience would catch […]
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23rd May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Relections of a Twitter virgin…
I confess to having been reluctant to embrace Twitter. But I confess myself a bit of a convert. The great TV critic Clive James once said about “Dallas”, “I came to mock but I stayed to pray”. I wouldn’t go that far, but I have found my first two weeks on Twitter (@hmapauljohnston) both fun and […]
23rd May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Trade and Investment in Kyrgyzstan – Tien Shan Legend
It’s not often I see a brand of mineral water that sends a frisson down my spine. But it happens in a meeting with the Deputy Economy Minister in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, when we discuss economic prospects for the mountainous and beautiful ex-Soviet Republic. The name of the mineral water, bottled in Kyrgyzstan, […]
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23rd May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Adelaide at the Reform Club
I was familiar with Adelaide’s origins as a planned city of free settlers, but I did not know about its links with London’s famous Reform Club (the starting point for Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”) until I attended a fascinating event there organised by the Australia Britain Society while I was back […]
22nd May 2013 Ottawa, Canada
Investing in the next generation of Entrepreneurs and Innovators
At some point or another, we have all heard the saying that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”. But nowhere is this more apparent, and perhaps even vital, than in today’s economically strenuous times. While national unemployment rates have steadily soared across North America and Europe, the recession and the subsequent shortage […]
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22nd May 2013 Chevening, UK
Addressing Sexual violence in Somalia: Moving beyond retaliation and impunity
The following is a guest post by Faiza Abdirashid. Faiza is a 2012 Chevening Scholar from Somalia studying for an MSc in Public Policy at the University of Bristol. A recent meeting organised by three UK government departments (DFID, FCO and home Office) on 29rd April focussed on the challenges facing Somali women. It was a great […]
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21st May 2013 Washington DC, USA
On yer left!
What took place on Friday 17th May, had over 12,000 participants, seventy pit stops, offered free t-shirts and goody bags along the way as well as ‘commuter convoys”, yet was totally free? Answer: ‘Bike-to-Work Day’, Washington DC style. Embracing the life style on offer on the east coast of the USA, many staff from the […]
21st May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Astonishing Turkey: business, tourist opportunities and Anatolian tigers
The eyes follow you wherever you look. The gaze is bold, beautiful and serene. But the image is 1,500 years older than the Mona Lisa. Gaziantep, a city of 1.3 million people close to the Turkish border with Syria, is often called an “Anatolian Tiger” because of its rapid growth over the past few years. […]
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21st May 2013 Vientiane, Laos
Laos through my eyes – Lord Wilson
This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos. I was posted to the British Embassy in Vientiane in 1959, only four years after the Embassy had first been set up. It was a very small mission. Only an […]
20th May 2013 Beirut, Lebanon
The Brits are coming… but please stay in touch
It is good to see the waves of British visitors in Lebanon this Summer. British Airways are laying on extra flights, the Hay Festival has just been, and we have several brands – Jack Jones, Marks and Spencer, Virgin Radio, Ted Baker – opening in the coming weeks. This is exactly the relationship we want […]
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