Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

1st October 2026

Skopje, North Macedonia

A Year Too Big for Two Suitcases: Notes From a Chevening Scholar

by Rita Behadini

Chevening Scholar

11th May 2026

London, UK

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: turning a global ocean agreement into UK law

by Fahim Ahmad

Bill Officer, Ocean Policy Unit

9th April 2026

London

The Gulf, Berlin and the Commission on the Status of Women: building global alliances to advance women’s progress

by Baroness Harman KC

UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls

16th November 2009

by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

This post was published when the author was in a previous role

Tolerance and intolerance in Ukraine

One disadvantage of the Ukrainian election campaign is that a long-standing series of “Ukraine Says No to Racism” posters on the way to my nearest tube station has been covered up with pictures of presidential candidates. That’s a pity, because today is International Day of Tolerance, a theme which I see the Interparliamentary Union recently […]