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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
9th December 2025
Why We Need Data, Courage, and Community
2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
25th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Fraternity of Firefighters
Across Europe, from Romania to the UK – more specifically from Sighisoara to Shropshire – there is a fraternity between the fire services of our different countries. On Saturday I was privileged to attend a ceremony to hand over three fire engines donated by the people of Shropshire for use in Mures and Brasov counties […]
24th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Together against the Death Penalty
The UN General Assembly is currently discussing the terms of a resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty. It is likely to go to a vote next month. The last time there was such a vote (in 2010), 109 states were in favour, 41 against, and 35 abstained. The United Kingdom and […]
24th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Measuring Wellbeing – OECD & Indian government host World Forum
Dr O’Dell fell down a well, And broke his collarbone. But doctors should attend the sick, And leave the well alone. (Indian-born) Spike Milligan I was in Delhi last week for the “World Forum on Measuring Progress and Wellbeing” organised by the OECD and the Indian Government. Participants included Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Joe Stiglitz, Jeffrey Sachs, Richard […]
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24th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Future of Europe – for Romania
The Foreign Secretary gave a speech yesterday setting out his vision for the future of Europe. Let me just highlight three points which I think are particularly relevant here in Romania. Firstly, William Hague highlights the power of EU enlargement in entrenching democracy and the rule of law in Europe after the Cold War. And […]
24th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Be proud! Take your rubbish home!
Last week saw a campaign in Amman to clean up the streets. Teams of volunteers brushed and swept to remove tons of rubbish. What a great campaign! But… what about the rest of Jordan? Visitors always rave about the beauty of the country. And justifiably so: there are amazing places to see and experiences to […]
22nd October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Falkland Islands: Sports, songs and farewells
Over the last two days our group has had a chance to learn something about the cultural and sports scenes on the Islands. A wide variety of sports are played here including cricket, badminton, archery, golf and ball hockey. Governor Nigel Haywood explained that the development of sports in the Falkland Islands is very important […]
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22nd October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Falkland Islands: Sports, songs and farewells
Over the last two days our group has had a chance to learn something about the cultural and sports scenes on the Islands. A wide variety of sports are played here including cricket, badminton, archery, golf and ball hockey. Governor Nigel Haywood explained that the development of sports in the Falkland Islands is very important […]
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22nd October 2012 Cape Town, South Africa
World Day against the Death Penalty
A guest blog by Michelle Atkinson, 2nd Secretary Political & Projects at the British High Commission in Harare On 10 October 2012, I attended a civil society event hosted by ZACRO to celebrate the World Day against the Death Penalty. It is a day for us all to pause and ask ourselves; is there still […]
22nd October 2012 Dublin, Ireland
A varied week in the life of an ambassador
The last week has shown the many facets of our bilateral relationship. It began with an excellent seminar on reducing regulation, which we co-hosted with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Economy and the Prime Minister’s office. We exchanged experiences with Polish Ministers and experts and agreed that deregulation and reducing burdens on business […]
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22nd October 2012 Warsaw, Poland
Health is Great
There’s lots going on in the healthcare sector. We’re already doing well with two Great British pharmaceutical companies in the leading company rankings – GSK and AstraZeneca. They are well established in Poland and patients are increasingly demanding better healthcare. The market has grown exponentially since 1990 and is now Europe’s 7th biggest market by […]