8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th October 2024
OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
23rd November 2011 New York, USA
UK calling global entrepreneurs
On the morning of Thursday, 17 November, I had the privilege of attending a panel forum on the topic of immigration featuring New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Toronto Mayor David Miller, and Grupo Salinas Founder & Chairman Ricardo B. Salinas Pliego. The panel, moderated by New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Thomas […]
23rd November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Combating Violence against Women
25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide remains a priority for the Coalition Government. The Government is also committed to work on women’s rights and combating violence against women and girls overseas. The Government’s action plan on tackling violence against women and […]
23rd November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Blogging about blogging about blogging
Back in March I wrote a blog which wasn’t really a blog at all. Instead, it was a plug for an interview I’d done about blogging, for the Ukrainian weekly “Delo” (an interview, by the way, which includes links to many of my favourite blog entries). I was pleased to receive some positive comments on […]
22nd November 2011 New York, USA
An Englishman in New York
When I heard that the British Consulate-General in New York needed someone to come over from London for three weeks to assist with the extremely busy Marshall Scholarship selection process, I jumped at the chance. The Marshall Scholarship is funded by the British government and allows exceptional American students to pursue graduate degrees at some […]
22nd November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
UK-Ukraine Air Services Agreement
To the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sign, alongside Foreign Minister Hryshchenko, a new Air Services Agreement between the UK and Ukraine. This is a formal ceremony: as ambassador, I have been granted “full powers” to sign the Agreement on behalf of the UK Government, and the resultant Agreement is a legally binding international […]
22nd November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
“Land.Gold.Women” – not your usual Bollywood drama: an honour killing in leafy English suburbia
Mumbai is the centre of India’s film industry, where hundreds of “Bollywood” movies are produced every year. Shortly before the major Indian festival of Diwali one of the most expensive and extravagant films produced here, “Ra One”, hit the screens both in India and London. Reportedly costing over $30M the film is produced by, and […]
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18th November 2011 Toronto, Canada
SIN podcast: Prof. Sir David King
The recent Arthur J. Carty lecture at the University of Waterloo featured Prof. Sir David King (Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government from 2000 to 2008 and current Director of the Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment; pictured left). Prof. King gave an unchallengeable talk on the importance of good science advice in government, […]
18th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Why European governments think opposition trials are flawed
I’ve referred in two recent blogs, What next for Ukraine and What next for Ukraine #2, to what needs to happen in order to move towards the signature and ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. There has been good progress recently on negotiating the nuts and bolts of the Agreement, and hopes are rising that […]
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18th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Obama comes to town
Hot on the heels of the visit by HM The Queen, Canberra played host to US President Obama this week. I attended a dinner at the Parliament and a key note speech he gave to a joint session of both houses of Parliament. By chance I found myself sitting next to PM Gillard’s partner Tim […]
17th November 2011 Chevening, UK
London from a Global Perspective
Ajay Gupta is one of our new 2011-12 Chevening scholars. He is studying for an MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. In this weeks entry, he gives us his first impressions of London life. “Vegetable Malay curry with rice, please.” “Here. Thanks!” – 3rd October 2011, 1:11 pm; I sit in the dining hall […]