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Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
7th March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
How to make energy more transparent
“Transparency” is a big buzzword whenever people talk about improving the business climate in Ukraine. Everyone agrees that if we can increase transparency in the way economy is run, with a level playing field for all and transparent arrangements for eg tax payments, the business climate will improve. That in turn will boost Foreign Direct […]
7th March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ambassadors in high heels
I’m giving a press conference at a seminar for young eastern European mayors at the Ukrainian provincial town of Vinnitsa when a journalist leans forward. Why, he asks, are there are so few women amongst the mayors invited to the event? After the organisers have explained that they had to invite young mayors from those […]
7th March 2011 Ottawa, Canada
The British Antarctic Survey, Robert Culshaw, and our second Science Salon!
So we recently had a visitor in from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), a Mr. Robert Culshaw, the Deputy Director of BAS, to be precise. We (in collaboration with the British Council, WWF, the University of Ottawa, The Goethe Institute…) convinced Mr Culshaw to come to Ottawa to participate in a series of events that […]
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7th March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
British expertise for Romania’s public purse
I took part earlier last week in the launch of a workshop designed to help the justice system here respond to an ever-increasing challenge: recovering illicitly acquired assets. The project is part of the UK’s wider effort to help tackle cross-border and organised crime. The workshop followed the UK Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke’s visit to […]
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4th March 2011 Islamabad, Pakistan
Remembering Shahbaz Bhatti
This was another sad week for Pakistan. On Wednesday morning, I was telling journalists about a doubling of the UK’s aid to Pakistan, when I was horrified to hear that Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti had been shot and killed in broad daylight in Islamabad. As I said that day, his death is a loss to […]
3rd March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
One giant leap for business: VAT refunds
What single thing could the Ukrainian authorities do to show foreign and domestic businesses that they are serious about improving the business climate? Ukraine faces a daunting list of reforms needed to create a business environment to stimulate foreign direct investment (FDI). The authorities have announced welcome steps to tackle corruption, remove over-regulation and reform […]
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2nd March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Dragons and daffodils
On 1 March the Welsh flag was flying outside the British Embassy as we marked St David’s Day. And several staff were wearing dragon or daffodil badges in their lapels to recognise the patron saint of Wales. (I even persuaded the Australian Ambassador to wear a daffodil alongside his kangaroo.) The date marks the anniversary […]
1st March 2011 New York, USA
Blog: Climate change as a national security threat
Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti discusses the potential threats climate change can pose to our national security, on a recent trip to New York.
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1st March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
How to sell your city
The chocolate flows down in an endless stream, pouring like a waterfall over the freshly-baked crispy wafers. Further down the production line, individual sticks are wrapped and packed in boxes. Lucky visitors are invited to taste the delicious end-product, fresh from the ovens. I’m at the “Roshen” chocolate factory in Vinnitsa, a city of 370,000 […]
1st March 2011 Geneva, Switzerland
A visit from the boss (and everyone else’s)
These are heady days at the Human Rights Council. On the back of Friday’s firm action on Libya, senior figures from around the world descended on Geneva today for the start of the Council’s March session. It’s the first time so many leading politicians have come to the Council and with them came the world’s […]
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