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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th December 2025
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7th May 2013 Dushanbe, Tajikistan
My First Ever Trade Mission to Tajikistan
The following is a post by Nigel Peters, Leader of the First Ever UK Trade Mission to Tajikistan. My first experience of Central Asia was when I was seconded to what is now UK Trade & Investment from 1993-95 as Export Promoter for Central Asia, helping UK companies understand the business opportunities in the newly […]
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7th May 2013 Vientiane, Laos
Laos through my eyes – Colin Cotterill
The following is a guest post by Colin Cotterill. In 1976, like Captain James Cook on his ill-fated trip to Hawaii, I set off from Blighty in search of adventure and never came back. Oh, perhaps the occasional Christmas or odd publishing junket, but I knew I’d never be taking advantage of the over-sixties London […]
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6th May 2013 Atlanta, USA
United Against Obesity
According to the WHO, worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980. There are so many stories in the media right now related to this epidemic, many of which are causing an uproar, from New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, recently announcing a proposed ban on the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16oz in the […]
6th May 2013 Windhoek, Namibia
Press Freedom Day – guest blog by Natasha Tibinyane, MISA Namibia
The year 2013 signals a milestone for African journalists, and Namibian journalists in particular, because it is the 20th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day. It is a special day for African journalists because, in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May as World Press Freedom Day. This came after African journalists adopted […]
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5th May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
New Australian Defence White Paper
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defence Minister Stephen Smith launched Australia’s new Defence White Paper in an RAAF hangar in Canberra. They were flanked by Australia’s senior military chiefs and defence officials, against the backdrop of some impressive looking hardware and a military band. The hangar was open to the elements, so we could all […]
3rd May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
What we have to combat
The Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Guatemalan Frank La Rue and friend of this Embassy, has written an article to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day: To mark this important date, I will like to highlight some important conclusions contained in my last […]
3rd May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Where Europe ends
One of the major attractions of becoming a diplomat is travel to different places. Of course, most diplomatic business is done in meetings inside offices, conference halls and other buildings. But diplomats need to get out and travel round the countries in which they work. Recently, I visited the town of Loyew (Ло́еў in Belarusian […]
3rd May 2013 Vancouver, Canada
Running Commentary
“Why am I doing this?” I ask. There’s no-one listening of course – it’s a private conversation with myself, the sort that people running on their own often have I suppose. My legs have turned to warm lumps of tissue paper, my lungs heave and burn like bellows cast into a fire, and I’m sure […]
3rd May 2013 Toronto, Canada
3 May: World Press Freedom Day
World Press Freedom Day is a UN Observance which “celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.” While science journalism is rarely dangerous, […]
3rd May 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Safe to Speak
Today we mark World Press Freedom Day. Twenty years ago, 3 May was declared a day to celebrate Press Freedom. Since then, the day has done much to raise awareness about the value of press freedom and freedom of speech. The theme this year is ‘Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in all Media.’ […]