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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
25th November 2024
The climate crisis and gender-based violence
8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
25th June 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Blood and opium in Tasmania
Nestling amidst the verdant farmlands of northern Tasmania, I saw British companies engaged in fascinating high tech businesses linked to agriculture. Around half the world’s legitimate opiates are produced in Tasmania, half of them by UK pharma giant GSK. They process poppies grown by some 400 farms around the island, which go on to become […]
25th June 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ecumenism in action: Westminster Abbey in Rome
I was discussing ecumenism recently with a senior official of the Holy See. We agreed that while there is ongoing much useful discussion between representatives of different denominations – inter-Christian ecumenical dialogue has been one of the great fruits of the Second Vatican Council – there needed to be more “doing together” as well as […]
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22nd June 2012 USA
Rio+20: Making the case for a green economy
The following is a guest blog from UKTI Los Angeles Vice-Consul Mike Rosenfeld. Mike leads UKTI’s Clean Technology sector in the USA and has significant expertise in renewable energy and environmental technologies. He has served as Vice-Consul with UK Trade & Investment since 2003. All eyes are on Rio de Janeiro this week as policymakers, […]
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22nd June 2012 Toronto, Canada
Create the future: The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
Nominations for the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering opened earlier this year, and with submissions rolling in and extensive media coverage we thought that it was time for a Canadian update. The QE Prize is a £1 million award made every two years, selected by an international panel of experts and presented by HM […]
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22nd June 2012 New York, USA
New Financial Services Technologies Showcased in New York
Hundreds of financial services technology professionals gathered in New York City this week at Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s (SIFMA) Tech Leaders Forum and Expo 2012 to gain a better understanding of the Dodd-Frank Act. Technology companies are excited about the opportunities that Dodd-Frank is presenting as new rules emerge. Signed into law in […]
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22nd June 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
I am proud to represent Pakistan as an Olympic torch bearer
International Inspiration is part of the UK’s legacy programme, and has helped transform millions of lives around the world through the power of sport. On 28 June, 20 International Inspiration leaders, representing the 20 countries where International Inspiration has delivered its projects, will carry the Olympic Torch in Nottingham. Zainab Imran is selected as a […]
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22nd June 2012 Budapest, Hungary
The UK and the Eurozone
The Euro zone crisis has dominated the news this week: whether it’s the Spanish banks, the Greek elections or comments at the G20 Los Cabos meeting. The UK, of course, isn’t a euro zone member. But this crisis and its outcomes are vitally important to us. In the face of speculation in some media sources […]
22nd June 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A Tale of Two States: Part I
I had the opportunity recently to call separately on the Chief Ministers of two Western Indian States, Maharashtra and Goa. In most respects these states could not be more different but they are both important, in a variety of ways, to the UK. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, underlined one difference to the […]
21st June 2012 Paris, France
The UK – looking forward, celebrating tradition.
Transcript of a video recording by Sir Peter Ricketts, British Ambassador to France: I wanted to talk to you about two things that we have been heavily engaged on in the last couple of weeks. First of all I was able to pay my first visit to the Rhone-Alpes region, to the great city of […]
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21st June 2012 Paris, France
Welcome!
I arrived in Paris in February. I have already found this to be one of the most fascinating and rewarding jobs that I have ever had. Britain and France have ties that are both deep and broad. The two Governments work together on a huge range of issues from foreign policy and defence, to nuclear […]