Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

3rd April 2012 Washington DC, USA

Rosalind Campion portrait

by Rosalind Campion

Counsellor for Global Issues

The best laid plans of mice and runners

When I saw my diary for last Wednesday, I realised that a snapshot of my activities that day would be the perfect way to answer that ubiquitous question posed by friends, family, old colleagues, and assorted others: “what do you actually do?” Business Minister Mark Prisk was visiting Washington and our plans for his visit […]

Read more on The best laid plans of mice and runners | Reply

3rd April 2012 Budapest, Hungary

by Jonathan Knott

Former British ambassador to Hungary, Budapest

This is GREAT Britain

The UK has a strong image around the world and, as I’ve discovered, here in Hungary.  We’re respected for our traditions, our reliability and the quality of what we produce.  It’s a great advantage for us – whether we’re working in Embassies overseas or trying to do business there. But the British brand needs a […]

Read more on This is GREAT Britain | Reply

3rd April 2012

Avatar photo

by Peter Beckingham

Former governor in Turks and Caicos Islands

The Taj – Reminders of Empire, re-making the British links

The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai is one of the prime landmarks of the city, overlooking the colossal Gateway to India, built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay prior to the historic Delhi Durbar held in December 1911.  Built by the founder of the Tata group over 100 […]

Read more on The Taj – Reminders of Empire, re-making the British links | Reply (2)

2nd April 2012 Guatemala City, Guatemala

by David McNaught

Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy, Guatemala

History and human rights in Honduras

Guest blogging for me today is Lisa, our Political Officer who visited Copán, Honduras last week – not just to see the beautiful Mayan architecture at Copán Ruinas and enjoy the sunshine, but on serious business to visit an NGO project site!  Here she is with her report: This past year, our project funds for […]

Read more on History and human rights in Honduras | Reply

2nd April 2012 Washington DC, USA

A New Dawn for Sangin

I recommend you take a look at the latest blog written by Helmand’s new Head of Mission, Catriona Laing, on the recent DCC elections in Sangin. Famous for its dangerous past where many British and American soldiers lost their lives, Sangin now boasts its first ever District Community Council elections where over 2,000 people travelled […]

Read more on A New Dawn for Sangin | Reply

2nd April 2012 Bucharest, Romania

Avatar photo

by Raluca Bragarea

Head of Communications, Bucharest

Great Britons in Romania: Ian Tilling and Casa Ioana

Third in our series of Great Britons in Romania is Ian Tilling, founder of Casa Ioana, a charity devoted to Bucharest’s homeless. Guest blog by Ian Saunders, our colleague from the embassy. Ian arrived in Romania in 1990 and settled in Bucharest in 1992. His wish was to convert a block in a deprived area […]

Read more on Great Britons in Romania: Ian Tilling and Casa Ioana | Reply (12)

2nd April 2012

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Ring any bells?

Ever tried to play a Carillon? The Canberra Times said my chopsticks startled passers-by. But it’s hard to play a keyboard of pegs, which you have to hit with the heel of your hand to sound the mighty bells from a foundry in Loughborough. I was at the National Carillon on an island in Canberra’s […]

Read more on Ring any bells? | Reply

1st April 2012

Avatar photo

by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

A life-changing experience

The Embassy’s Communications manager, Rana Nejem came back from London last week after accompanying four journalists from Jordan and Palestine to London. The feedback she got from them was so positive, that it seemed the perfect theme for a guest blog: “I cannot say it is a dream come true because I never even dreamed this […]

Read more on A life-changing experience | Reply

31st March 2012 Harare, Zimbabwe

Catriona Laing

by Catriona Laing

British Ambassador to Zimbabwe

A New Dawn for Sangin?

Its not often in recent years that there has been a carnival type atmosphere in the Helmand district of Sangin. Internationally Sangin is known for the large number of ISAF casualties – 100 British, and many US Marine deaths since they took over the battlefield in 2010.   But this week saw a unique event […]

Read more on A New Dawn for Sangin? | Reply (3)

30th March 2012 USA

Earth Hour at the British Embassy in Washington

The following is a guest post by Sangeeta Ahuja, First Secretary Energy, Environment & Resource Security at the British Embassy in Washington. Earth Hour starts at 8:30 in the  evening on Saturday 31 March. In a co-ordinated gesture last year to promote environmental protection, the lights were turned off in 5,200 cities in 135 countries […]

Read more on Earth Hour at the British Embassy in Washington | Reply (2)