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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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The climate crisis and gender-based violence
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Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
23rd April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Hamish and Andy
A quintessentially Australian experience: an invitation to appear on the Hamish and Andy radio show. Somehow this impressed my local staff more than when I go on the ABC to talk about foreign policy. Hamish Blake has just won the Gold “Logie” as this year’s most popular TV personality in Australia. He and comedic partner […]
20th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
InPERU visit to London: Peru in the global field
The timing of this visit is excellent, due to the consolidation of Peru as an emerging market and the pursuit of good investment opportunities globally by British investors and other countries. The Minister of Economy and Finance, Luis Castilla, and members of the mission of inPERU are welcomed to London, one of the most important […]
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20th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Will October’s elections be free and fair?
I recently wrote a blog in which I welcomed the announcement that Ukraine had written formally to invite OSCE/ODIHR* to send observers to the October 2012 parliamentary elections. I was a bit surprised to see some people interpreting my words as suggesting that the mere presence of the OSCE observers automatically meant the elections would […]
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20th April 2012 Dublin, Ireland
Space and beyond
For me, space was always about Star Trek or Apollo rockets. I am old enough to remember Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969. This month we are celebrating the golden anniversary of “50 Years of the UK in Space.” Ariel-1 was the world’s first international satellite. It was US-built with UK instruments. It […]
19th April 2012 Warsaw, Poland
Healthcare Opportunities – Insurance we’re up for that!
Having spent most of my career in healthcare it is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to lead an event in this area. This week’s joint British-Polish Chamber of Commerce (BPCC) and British Embassy healthcare policy working group took the format of a panel discussion on Health Insurance with a number of leading specialists […]
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19th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
London Olympics: 100 Days to Go
The athletes crouch down. The signal is given and, muscles straining, they cover the run in a few seconds. There are 100 of them, aged 10-12. All around, teachers and students roar their support. Welcome to the “EkoNad” school, on the Left Bank of the Dnepr river in Kyiv, for a dramatic celebration marking “100 […]
19th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Olympic spirit to build a better society
Justin Bedford, Deputy Head of Mission: The spectacle of the Olympic and Paralympic Games gives us a reminder of what sporting excellence should be all about: top-class competition, set within a spirit of friendship. This summer, just 100 days from today, the 2012 Olympic Games will open in London. The last time London hosted the […]
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18th April 2012 Ottawa, Canada
100 days to go
Today we begin the 100 day countdown to the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the 30th Olympiad – in London, on 27 July 2012. There will be events at many other sites around the United Kingdom. But eyes will turn to London: the only city to host the Games three times. It’ll be a […]
18th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
100 days to go
Australia was one of the first places in the world to mark the “100 days to go” to the London Olympics. I joined some of the 400 Australian athletes who will be competing in London and Australian Olympic Committee representatives, for a colourful event at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Queensland. The media were […]
18th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
On the home straight now
Today it’s 100 days to go until the beginning of the London 2012 Olympic Games. This summer, we’ll enjoy a spectacular show and see great examples of innovation and sustainability, but when the events are over, we -and the future generatios- will see the lasting legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games.