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Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
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Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
4th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A Pact for Growth
Dr. Vince Cable, the UK’s Minister for Business, Skills and Innovation, came to Bucharest last week with a very clear message – the EU has got to get back on the path to sustainable long term growth. And that means doing what the EU does best – free trade. Romania and the UK are both […]
4th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Between a Wall and a Hard Place
We stopped on a ridge overlooking a Palestinian valley. On the hill on the left a Jewish settlement with nest white houses and green gardens. On the right a fairly run-down Palestinian village. The valley was dry and stony sloping down to a water spring. Suddenly we saw a trail of smoke arching up into […]
4th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Changing seasons in Kyiv… and Vienna
When I was posted in Vienna from 1984-7 I enjoyed watching the signs that the seasons were changing. As an autumn chill crept into the air, the Viennese hailed the arrival of the “Russian crows” – big, capable-looking birds which would strut their stuff around the parks and squares of the city for a couple […]
3rd October 2011 New York, USA
The “Monster Month”
With one month to go until the New York City Marathon, I am about to enter what is often called the “Monster Month” – the month that involves the most intense, grueling and critical final weeks of training. It is said that a runner’s efforts during their “Monster Month” can make or break their success […]
3rd October 2011 New York, USA
The "Monster Month"
With one month to go until the New York City Marathon, I am about to enter what is often called the “Monster Month” – the month that involves the most intense, grueling and critical final weeks of training. It is said that a runner’s efforts during their “Monster Month” can make or break their success […]
3rd October 2011 Geneva, Switzerland
Cheap Seats, Backsliding and Cuban Democracy
As the September session of the Human Rights Council drew to a close on Friday, there were some glum faces around, especially amongst the NGOs. The NGOs provide a much needed reality check to the rest of us and I think it’s a fair criticism that civil servants are often all too ready to point […]
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3rd October 2011 Windhoek, Namibia
Of bovine beauty and unseasonable weather in Namibia
Being the head of a small diplomatic mission means I get to do an infinite variety of work each week. Never more so than today, when I had to award a prize for a cow. Not just any cow, but the most productive cow in Namibia. For this week is the Windhoek Industrial and Agricultural […]
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3rd October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
First ever British Business Groups’ national meet- ‘cautiously optimistic’
For the first time in living memory, and presumably ever, the British Business Groups (BBGs) around India held a national conference on 23-24 September 2011. Over 150 delegates took part, largely representing the BBGs in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Goa and Chennai. It is difficult to summarise the conclusions of such a large group, but […]
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30th September 2011 Ottawa, Canada
Strengthening UK-Canada links
We were lucky last week to have David Cameron in Ottawa. He flew in from New York, where he was speaking to the General Assembly, to a whirlwind programme here. First, he laid a wreath at the War Memorial, in a solemn ceremony of remembrance, to mark British appreciation for Canadian service and sacrifice in […]
30th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The UK, EU enlargement and Ukraine
The UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, made an important speech during the Eastern Partnership in Warsaw on 29 September. Key sections include: “It is in the EU’s clear interests to offer meaningful integration to [our Eastern] neighbours, including through full EU membership, where the criteria are rigorously met… So the UK is clear: ‘no’ […]