11th May 2026
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: turning a global ocean agreement into UK law
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
9th April 2026
The Gulf, Berlin and the Commission on the Status of Women: building global alliances to advance women’s progress
26th February 2026
Different Memories, Shared Futures: Why Inclusive Remembrance Matters for Serbia and the Region
9th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Shoah by Bullets
What is a French Catholic priest doing uncovering mass graves from the shootings of Jews, gypsies and others in Ukraine in the years 1941-1944? It’s a question which Father Patrick Desbois asks at the opening of the exhibition “Shoah by Bullets: Mass Shootings of Jews in Ukraine 1941-1944” at the Ukrainian House in the centre […]
9th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
My first blog as Ambassador to the Holy See
This is my first blog entry as HM Ambassador to the Holy See – indeed, the first time a British Ambassador to the Holy See has had a blog. At a time when the Holy See is itself hosting meetings of bloggers from all over the world, and the Pope is tweeting, I think it […]
Read more on My first blog as Ambassador to the Holy See | Reply
8th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Paralympics are coming home
This morning I looked up at our Paralympic countdown clock, which is attached to the front of our Embassy, and realised that it is less than a year to the start of the biggest parasport event in the world. Today the UK hosts International Paralympic Day for the first time in Trafalgar Square in London; […]
8th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
UK celebrates International Paralympic Day
Today, September 8th, is International Paralympic Day. The main celebrations will be hosted right in the centre of London, in Trafalgar Square. The UK was the birthplace of the paralympic movement, and so the games will be coming home when the Olympic and Paralympic Games are held in London in 2012. There will be a […]
Read more on UK celebrates International Paralympic Day | Reply
8th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Boring but important
The last one was agreed in 1977, in very different circumstances. This morning I signed a Double Taxation Treaty between the UK and Hungary, on behalf of the British Government. Why is that important? Several reasons. It protects against the risk of double taxation where the same income is taxable in either of our countries […]
7th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Tweeting in Kyiv
For the last few months, I have been using Twitter to tweet about new blogs and occasionally to tweet or retweet (RT) on other subjects of interest about the UK and Ukraine. As a result I now have a number of followers on Twitter including members of the public, students, diplomats, business people and opinion […]
6th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
People in a Glass House
Last week I visited the House of Glass, close to the Embassy. It contains a small museum, to the memory of Carl Lutz. He was a Swiss diplomat and – like his Swedish counterpart Raoul Wallenberg [link] – saved many Jews in Budapest during the Second World War from the Nazis by providing them with […]
6th September 2011 Windhoek, Namibia
The Olympic message goes north
Bright lights in the north: spreading the Olympic message in northern Namibia and learning more about Ovamboland. It is always incredibly uplifting to address a school of young African learners. Pupils have generally walked miles each way to attend classes. They take their studies seriously – and they always have plenty of answers when you […]
6th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
War Memorials, Welsh Prime Ministers, Wacky Comedians
I was involved in a number of events last week which reminded me of the multi-faceted relationship between Britain and Australia. On a sunny morning in Canberra, I laid a wreath at a memorial service to honour Australians who had served in the Malayan Emergency (1948-60) and Indonesian Confrontation (1962-66). These successful campaigns are nowadays […]
Read more on War Memorials, Welsh Prime Ministers, Wacky Comedians | Reply
2nd September 2011 Bucharest, Romania
Commercial Diplomacy at the heart of our work
I was in London last week for a packed one-day training to understand how the Foreign Office supports the overall work of the British Government to take forward the growth and prosperity agenda. Commercial diplomacy is a newly coined concept yet diplomats have always been looking out for business potential in their host countries, whether […]
Read more on Commercial Diplomacy at the heart of our work | Reply