8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th October 2024
OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
17th April 2019 London, UK
The Commonwealth: towards a common future
This time last year, 46 Heads of Government and 49 Foreign Ministers gathered in London for the 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Formally opened on 19 April by HM The Queen, this was the largest summit of its kind our country has ever hosted. Ahead of the formal conference, a whole series of discussion […]
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16th April 2019 Beijing
Working with China to produce an apple of lasting legacy
China is the world’s largest apple producer, harvesting 31 million tons in 2018 which accounted for 50% of the global production. Yet the industry suffered a 25% drop from the previous year due to bad weather. The Newton funded RED APPLE project kicked off in Beijing in the changeable spring weather of late March. This […]
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11th April 2019 Vienna, Austria
The Hare with Amber Eyes – live in Linz
A family is torn apart by war and discrimination. Many family members are murdered. Years later, a descendant of one of the survivors tries to find out what happened. This might not sound a promising premise for a musical. But at the Landestheater Linz on 6 April, the world premiere of the musical “The Hare […]
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4th April 2019 Morocco, Rabat
Thoughts in the Rain
The rain was falling as I left the house. I had the forethought to put both waterproof jacket and umbrella in the car. And I was very glad I did. / By the time we got to Tour Hassan Mosque, it was tipping down. Puddles were forming on the floor as the masses poured through […]
4th April 2019 Stockholm, Sweden
NATO at 70: The Alliance stands with Ukraine
Today marks the 70th Anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The Alliance was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War by a group of European and North American countries, united by their desire to create a lasting peace in Europe. Much has changed in the world since 1949. Security threats are more diverse […]
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2nd April 2019 Guatemala City, Guatemala
El Mirador trek: channelling your inner Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones made archaeology sexy. In the UK, though, it’s difficult to replicate that sense of adventure around archaeological digs. One of the most famous discoveries in recent years was that of the remains of King Richard III (died 1485) – he was found under a car park in Leicester. It somehow lacks the exoticism […]
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2nd April 2019 London,UK
Mad Day Out
This week is English Tourism Week, an annual celebration of the people, places and experiences which make holidays in England so great. I thought I would mark the occasion by blogging about my attempt to retrace an English journey which took place more than fifty years ago. The Beatles, the most famous band in the […]
2nd April 2019 King Charles Street, London
Tackling the Plastics Problem – SIN India
The input and build-up of plastic debris in our oceans is a major and increasing environmental problem. Plastics now comprise the majority of debris found in the sea, and are the most durable and persistent part of it. Estimates vary, but over 100 million tonnes of plastic may now be present in the oceans. While […]
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29th March 2019 Vienna, Austria
Vienna to Bratislava: a very British journey
What is British and travels from Vienna to Bratislava? The answer is the new “Twin City Liner”, a catamaran built by the Wight’s shipyard in the Isle of Wight, which starts a new service along the Danube between Vienna and Bratislava on 29 March. I was delighted to be invited before the launch of the […]
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29th March 2019 Geneva, Switzerland
New UK Report on Implementation of International Humanitarian Law
Here in Geneva yesterday we celebrated the publication earlier this month of the UK’s first ever report on national implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL). Alongside UK Ambassador Julian Braithwaite and Michael Meyer (Head of International Law at the British Red Cross), I spoke at a reception for IHL experts from permanent missions and international […]
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