Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

14th February 2023 Skopje, North Macedonia

Richard Welham

HM Revenue & Customs Western Balkans Regional Training Coordinator

Open Source Intelligence Events signal the beginning of a twelve month Commitment to Financial Investigation Training in North Macedonia  

The British Embassy Skopje based Conflict Stability & Security Funded (CSSF) HMRC Western Balkans Training Team have enjoyed a successful (if hectic) start to their 2023 programme of events. The team, supported in no small part by respective Fiscal Crime Liaison Officers (FCLOs) FCDO and respective embassies. Financial Investigation Training: North Macedonia Skopje January 30th […]

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23rd December 2022 United Kingdom

Lord Herbert of South Downs

by Nick Herbert

PM's Special Envoy on LGBT+ Rights

A year of contrasts: PM’s Special Envoy for LGBT+ rights reflects on global events in 2022

2022 was a year of contrasts for LGBT+ rights. I often talk about two worlds of rights: one in which conditions seem to be going backwards for LGBT+ people, but another in which progress is being made. It’s impossible to ignore the awful things that have happened this year. Two people were killed in Norway […]

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17th November 2022 Belgrade, Serbia

Sian MacLeod

by Sian MacLeod

Former UK Ambassador to Serbia

Wisdom, Trust and Remembrance

Remembrance

Citizens look to their national leaders to govern responsibly and in the interests of their country. They hope that leaders will be blessed with wisdom and good judgement, and that they will exercise their authority responsibility.  In return, leaders earn the trust of the people they govern. In democratic societies people are free to make […]

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27th October 2022 Geneva, Switzerland

Lucinda Stallard

by Lucinda Stallard

Counsellor: International Law

Lessons from a lawyer: my first year in multilateral diplomacy

The close of the 51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council marked a full year since I started my role as Legal Counsellor to the UK Mission in Geneva. Truth be told, I almost missed the anniversary completely. According to those that have been around far longer than I have, it was one of […]

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13th October 2022

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by Judith Herbertson

Head of Girls' Education, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Girls’ education: measuring access and learning through the Global Objectives report

Today the Minister for Development Vicky Ford launches the Global Objectives report alongside colleagues from the Global Education Monitoring Report, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, and the UN Girls’ Education Initiative, who jointly authored the report. The report sets out the progress made against two objectives on girls’ access to education and their learning.   Improving […]

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12th October 2022 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

Number 51

I’ve always had a fond attachment to the number 51. It was my house number growing up in Manchester, as little Robert. My first memory there was my parents bringing my newly-born baby sister home from the hospital. And my mum was born in the year ’51 (as well as some more famous but less […]

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11th October 2022 London

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by Helena Ellis

Education Research Adviser, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

International Day of the Girl 2022: the story of Beletch

Today is International Day of the Girl (IDG) where we stand accountable, with and for girls, especially those growing up in poverty who face unprecedented challenges from widening inequality and compounding global crises. This includes the 118 million girls who are out of school globally and the 12 million girls who are married before the […]

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7th October 2022

Martyn Roper

Martyn Roper

Governor of Cayman Islands

UK Ministry of Defence provides support to Cayman Islands following Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian caused much anxiety and tension for many in the Cayman Islands as it was the first storm for the hurricane season to set its path close to the country. However, the storm created an opportunity for great collaboration between the Cayman Islands Government and the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). In the run […]

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29th September 2022

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by Judith Herbertson

Head of Girls' Education, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Prioritising foundational learning at the Transforming Education Summit

September is a crucial month in the calendar. In the UK, as in many countries, children have been going back to school. We have a new Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. We have also seen the sad death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of His Majesty King Charles III. And last […]

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1st August 2022 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Aidan Liddle

UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament

Disarmament blog: the NPT Review Conference

Finally, it’s here. The 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) begins today. National delegations, civil society representatives and the media are converging on New York from around the world for four weeks of intensive negotiations on some of the most sensitive, contentious and important issues for global peace and security. This RevCon […]

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