22nd December 2025
Continuing to grow the global alliance for women and girls
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th December 2025
MAKING LIFE SAFER, FOR EVERYONE
9th December 2025
Why We Need Data, Courage, and Community
29th October 2012 Paris, France
Our cooperation on crisis management
I wanted to talk to you this week about Franco-British cooperation on crisis management. I had the good fortune to go at the end of last week to the joint naval exercises held off Toulon, in the Mediterranean. This is all part of a process launched at the Lancaster House talks in 2010, where we […]
29th October 2012 Vientiane, Laos
Opening the British Embassy in Vientiane
The Foreign Secretary announced in April 2012 his intention to re-open our Embassy to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (closed in 1985). Colleagues at the FCO in London have pretty much moved heaven and earth since then to make it happen. I arrived in Vientiane on 12 October, just two months after I received the […]
Read more on Opening the British Embassy in Vientiane | Reply (10)
29th October 2012 Washington DC, USA
Antony Gormley ‘Extends’ the Residence
Some people have garden gnomes, but here at the British Embassy in Washington, we’ve gone one better. Last Thursday we inaugurated a new sculpture on the lawn of the Ambassador’s Residence: ‘Extend’ , a remarkable work lent to us by one of Britain’s most highly-regarded sculptors, Turner Prize winner Antony Gormley. The sculptor himself was […]
Read more on Antony Gormley ‘Extends’ the Residence | Reply (1)
29th October 2012 Windhoek, Namibia
Discovering memories of Livingstone alive in the depths of Caprivi
Driving through the bush in Caprivi last week, heading for the magical Nkala Lupala conservancy, I passed a sign pointing down a rough track indicating the David Livingstone Museum. I was surprised. Neither the Regional Governor nor the Mayor of the nearby regional capital Katima Mulilo had mentioned the existence of a British-linked attraction despite […]
Read more on Discovering memories of Livingstone alive in the depths of Caprivi | Reply
26th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Reflections from our visit to the Falkland Islands and next steps
This is a guest blog from Eduardo Smith, our Political Officer, and Bruce Callow from our Embassy in Costa Rica, about their recent visit with Central American journalists to the Falkland Islands. We are now back in our home countries after an exhausting 24 hour journey from the Falklands. Our group split up in Panama […]
Read more on Reflections from our visit to the Falkland Islands and next steps | Reply
26th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Reflections from our visit to the Falkland Islands and next steps
This is a guest blog from Eduardo Smith, our Political Officer, and Bruce Callow from our Embassy in Costa Rica, about their recent visit with Central American journalists to the Falkland Islands. We are now back in our home countries after an exhausting 24 hour journey from the Falklands. Our group split up in Panama […]
Read more on Reflections from our visit to the Falkland Islands and next steps | Reply (1)
26th October 2012 Vancouver, Canada
Inside out
Only a few weeks ago I settled into my new office at the UK Consulate General. In addition to the usual desk, chair, IT and telephony, it’s home to a struggling Yucca that I will doubtless see to a drawn-out dehydrated death, a framed painting of Her Majesty the Queen, and a corner window overlooking […]
26th October 2012 Dublin, Ireland
Britain and Poland in the EU
Our Minister for Europe David Lidington was in town this week for discussions with Polish Ministers, commentators and representatives of British business. It was an excellent opportunity to challenge some of the assertions in the local media regarding the UK’s disengagement from the EU and our attitude towards Structural and Cohesion Funds for Poland. On […]
25th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Darfur
Last week I visited El Fasher with my Ambassadorial colleagues from the European Union. It was my second visit to Darfur since I arrived in Sudan nearly three months ago: I visited Nyala a few weeks ago in the same period staff from this embassy visited all of the 5 state capitals. Why the focus […]
25th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Creating Future Leaders
“Knowledge is power” might be a perfect motto for the “Chevening” scholarships that the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers every year to outstanding scholars around the world. We use these to help many people with leadership potential build their personal leadership capacity and understand the issues faced by many leaders today. Next year will […]