5th November 2026
United Nations General Assembly: championing women and girls’ rights
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
1st October 2026
A Year Too Big for Two Suitcases: Notes From a Chevening Scholar
11th May 2026
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: turning a global ocean agreement into UK law
15th September 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Britain
Pope Benedict XVI will visit the United Kingdom from 16 – 19 September. This will be the first ever official Papal Visit to the United Kingdom – the last visit by Pope John Paul II in 1982 being purely pastoral. He will be visiting both as a Head of State, and as the head of […]
13th September 2010 London, UK
Discussions with Pierre Lellouche
Earlier this week I went to France for meetings with Pierre Lellouche (French Minister with responsibility for European affairs). We discussed a wide range of issues of common importance, such as defence cooperation, but also Europe’s relationships with China, India and Turkey. In between our meetings I recorded a video blog. Watch it and find […]
10th September 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Diplomacy and human rights
I have written before about diplomacy and human rights in my Spanish blog . But I thought I would return to the charge following a recent interesting article by William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary. Mr Hague’s article was prompted by the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan, and the generous response of the British […]
9th September 2010 Ottawa, Canada
Team introductions: Paolo Marcazzan
Our introductions move on to the West coast, where I will be introducing you to Dr. Paolo Marcazzan, our Science, Innovation and Energy Officer. Photo by Frank Wimart Paolo is the only “Y” chromosome in our group (I don’t know quite how this happened – poor fellow ;P). I think of him our the quiet, speculative team member […]
9th September 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Oxford spires and Middlesex campuses lure Indian students
Two visitors to Mumbai in September from very different English universities illustrated areas where there are immense opportunities for British interests in India. Professor Lionel Tarassenko, Chair of Electrical Engineering at Oxford University, came to Mumbai and other Indian cities to give a lecture on “mHealth for the management of chronic diseases”. In a fascinating […]
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9th September 2010 London, UK
British weather (and investment) in Lithuania
Resuming my video blog with a post from Vilnius, Lithuania. Transcript: ‘Well today I’m in Vilnius the capital of Lithuania. And as you can see they’ve kindly arranged some British weather to greet me so I feel that summer really is home from home. I’ve been having some talks with the Lithuanian Foreign Minster about […]
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2nd September 2010 New York, USA
Marshall Scholarship
Guest blog by Ann Reinking: Political, Press & Public Affairs, British Consulate-General, New York As September begins and university students make their way back to campus for the start of the semester, I’m reminded that we’re gearing up for this year’s Marshall Scholarship candidates. The Marshall Scholarship, named in honour of US Secretary of State George C […]
30th August 2010 Ottawa, Canada
What is "Innovation"?
Have you ever asked yourself: “What is innovation?” Maybe not, but as a Science & “Innovation” officer, I ask myself that all the time! So with this blog posting, I thought I’d give myself the excellent excuse to figure out just what we mean by Innovation, and also, what it means in Canada in particular. […]
20th August 2010 Ottawa, Canada
More team introductions: Claire Hastings
On to more team Science & Innovation Canada intros! Continuing with my Toronto theme, let me introduce you to our Science & Innovation Associate, Claire Hastings. Photo by Frank Wimart Claire is a lovely person with a sparkling personality. She’s bubbly, intelligent, fun to be around, and VERY knowledgeable about all things FCO and UKinCanada […]
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18th August 2010 Ottawa, Canada
Science and Innovation Quiz Night!
What do you get when you invite a bunch of science friendly people, add some quirky yet challenging quiz questions, and some social lubricant? Well a Science and Innovation Quiz Night of course! So on Friday the 13th (yes, you read correctly – which also happened to be last Friday, August 13, 2010), I hosted […]