Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

31st January 2013

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by Martin Harris

British Ambassador to Ukraine

Time for #Twiplomacy

Last week we hosted a seminar in Bucharest on social media for colleagues from Embassies across the region and London. The aim was to learn, discuss and share experience about the new opportunities and challenges that social media like Facebook and Twitter, blogging and YouTube, present for our work. This is a new and unfamiliar […]

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31st January 2013

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Homage to Cappadocia

A tear-drop forest of twisted rock-forms rears up, stretching into the distance.  Each fantastic shape has been hollowed out over the millennia by unknown hands to form dwellings, monasteries or, between the 4th and 11th century, painted churches. Welcome to Cappadocia. We all know that Turkey teems with outstanding historic and tourist sites.  Yet Cappadocia, […]

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30th January 2013 Washington DC, USA

by Major General Buster Howes

Defence Attaché

Pipes and Drums roll into US for the start of 2013 Tour

The following is a guest blog by Major Andrew Halliday from the Black Watch. Major Halliday is currently taking part in the Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch and the Military Band of the Scots Guards 2013 US tour. This is his first post as they roll into Philadelphia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. […]

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30th January 2013

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Humanitarian crisis in Syria: How Britain is helping

Guest blog by Henry Kenrick, Political Officer at the British Embassy in Ankara, Turkey The eyes of the world are on the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Syria – right on Turkey’s doorstep. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 50,000 Syrians have died. More than 700,000 people have become refugees; and more […]

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30th January 2013 Washington DC, USA

Maeve Atkins

by Maeve Atkins

Communications Officer

Six Nations Rugby: How You Can Cheer Stateside

I happened to be in Dublin four years ago when Ireland’s Rugby team won the Six Nation’s Tournament, sending the country into a swirl of excitement culminating in daylong welcome home celebration on the River Liffey, as well as the first I heard of team captain Brian O’Driscoll – nicknamed The BOD – a player […]

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30th January 2013

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by Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

The development of development

The British government, like Sweden, is a strong supporter of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Our Prime Minister is honoured to be co-chairing the UN High Level Panel on the future of international development, which will make recommendations later this year on what the new international agenda should be after 2015, when the MDGs are […]

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30th January 2013

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by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

Syria: Stepping up to the Plate

Zaatari Camp for Syrian Refugees

The flow of Syrian refugees entering Jordan has now reached crisis point. What started as a trickle over 18 months ago has now become a flood. Even a few weeks ago the UN was reporting 300 – 400 new arrivals each night. Now it is 3,000 – 4,000 most nights. These are bald figures. Like […]

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29th January 2013 Washington DC, USA

Brad Keelor

by Bradley Keelor

Senior Science and Innovation Policy Advisor

Bringing UK-US Science & Innovation to the Blogosphere

The UK and US share one of the longest, most productive scientific relationships in the world. Together, we represent over half of the world’s journal citations and nearly 40 percent of global Research & Development funding. We are truly Partners in Science. I’ve got quite the past in the blogosphere.  In 2000, I started my […]

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