3rd December 2024
RENEWING OLD TIES: THE NEW BISHOP OF LONDON
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
25th November 2024
The climate crisis and gender-based violence
8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
21st September 2011 Windhoek, Namibia
Managing the liquid of life in a desert land: British assistance to Namibia
Namibian guides like to pose the following question to first time visitors here: what do you do if you fall into a river in Namibia? Answer: stand up and dust yourself down. But sadly water, or more normally the lack of it, is not always a laughing matter here. Namibia is the most arid country […]
Read more on Managing the liquid of life in a desert land: British assistance to Namibia | Reply
20th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Tymoshenko in Yalta
The tiger is gigantic, looming against a glowing golden background. Behind it, cubs frolic. Near the work, Tiger Club by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, Ukrainian and foreign politicians including President Victor Yanukovych, Israeli President Shimon Peres and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair engage at the 8th annual Yalta European Strategy Forum (YES) “Ukraine and […]
19th September 2011 Ottawa, Canada
Science Salon 3: Cognitive Neuroscience with Dr. Adrian Owen
On Wednesday August, the Science & Innovation Network (SIN) at the British High Commission in Ottawa (BHC) hosted our third Science Salon (See the following for Salons 1 and 2), featuring Dr. Adrian Owen, and in collaboration with the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program. Dr Owen is one of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC […]
Read more on Science Salon 3: Cognitive Neuroscience with Dr. Adrian Owen | Reply
19th September 2011 Geneva, Switzerland
Protesting: Peacefully, noisily and a little too much
It’s been a tiring week. The Council has been busy enough but it hasn’t helped that our 6-month old seems to have lost the knack of sleeping at night for more than about 30 minutes at a time. My own dad, over from the UK, sees this as his own private revenge for the years […]
Read more on Protesting: Peacefully, noisily and a little too much | Reply
19th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Jobs: Oasis or Mirage?
You can debate whether the pressure for change in the Arab world is driven by the demand for political change or by economic factors. My view is that the demand for jobs is a central reason for the frustration witnessed on the streets, starting with Mohammed Bouazizi who was prevented from selling his fruit in […]
16th September 2011 London, UK
The UK and Norway: a wide-ranging partnership
During my visit to Oslo this week, I was reminded of the strength and depth of our relationship with Norway, and the wide range of issues where we have shared interests. The UK and Norway are partners in NATO in Afghanistan, we have a longstanding energy relationship, and a common interest in developing regional trade. […]
Read more on The UK and Norway: a wide-ranging partnership | Reply
16th September 2011 New York, USA
Reflect, Remember, Rebuild: The Tenth Anniversary of September 11th
September 11th is an immensely emotional date for New York. This year, being the Tenth Anniversary, was especially so. Our priority this year—and every year—was to support the family members of the 67 British victims. My day started in Lower Manhattan, where I joined BBC Radio 5 Live’s Peter Allen as he broadcasted the main […]
Read more on Reflect, Remember, Rebuild: The Tenth Anniversary of September 11th | Reply
16th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Brilliant British Business in Ukraine #9
The sun is setting magnificently over the skyline of Kyiv. All around, commercial deals are being planned, connections established and views on business conditions exchanged. We’re at a major gathering of the British business community in Ukraine at my residence on 14 September. Supporting British business in Ukraine and attracting investors to the UK is […]
Read more on Brilliant British Business in Ukraine #9 | Reply
16th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Kyiv: art, football and Charles Dickens
One of the most striking buildings in Kyiv is the Mystetskyi Arsenal, or “Art Arsenal”, whose opening I attended back in August 2009. Built between 1783 and 1801, it has been restored to provide over twenty thousand square metres of dramatic exhibition space arranged in massive, high-arched rooms and is always worth a visit whatever […]
Read more on Kyiv: art, football and Charles Dickens | Reply
16th September 2011 Chevening, UK
Looking forward to a Chevening experience
Our new Chevening scholars from Peru, Patrick, Mariana and Celia comment on their experiences during the Chevening Scholarship application process, their expectations for their chosen programme of study and life in the UK. Three Peruvian Chevening Scholarship winners will take up postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom in the fields of environment, urban development planning […]
Read more on Looking forward to a Chevening experience | Reply