25th April 2024
Reflect & Remember: Anzac Day 2024
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
23rd April 2024
Good English – A Key to Panama’s Future Success
21st March 2024
Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
11th April 2017 Delhi, India
Exploring opportunities in marine science and technology
The Indian Ocean region is abundant with resources, particularly in the sectors of fisheries, aquaculture, ocean energy, sea-bed mining and minerals. Oceans have immense potential that needs to be harnessed in a balanced manner, where its preservation and health are given their due importance. The UK has world-leading strengths in marine technologies (robotics and autonomous […]
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10th April 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
Imagine A World Without Humanitarian Agencies
It been nearly half a century since John Lennon released the song that was to become the most successful of his solo career. His vision of a world without borders, countries, religion or conflict looks utopian to say the least from the perspective of 2017. But there is an area where the common humanity that […]
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6th April 2017
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Farewell to Murmansk
I paid a farewell visit to the ‘hero city’ of Murmansk in late March. I’ve enjoyed many interesting visits to this Arctic city over the past few years but my introduction back in autumn 2013 was a little unexpected. Instead of the routine range of introductory calls, my first visit to Murmansk included a prison […]
4th April 2017 Vienna, Austria
Modest yet famous: Salzburg
I began my current posting to Austria on the platform at Salzburg station (Hauptbahnhof) at around midnight on 1 August 2016. My plan was to spend four weeks polishing my German at a top language school in the city and to reacquaint myself with all things Austrian after an absence of 29 years. I got […]
4th April 2017 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Digging up the legacy of war
It’s 20 years since Princess Diana walked through a minefield in Angola and changed the way we think about land mines. And it’s 20 years since the Ottawa Convention banning their use was concluded. But mines and unexploded ordnance still cause indiscriminate destruction and hinder development in over 63 countries and territories around the world […]
4th April 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
Article 50 and Geneva
Over the last few days a lot of people have asked me whether triggering Article 50 changes anything here in Geneva. The short answer is: no, it doesn’t. During the next two years the United Kingdom will remain a full member of the European Union, with all that that entails in terms of rights and […]
4th April 2017 New Delhi, India
India’s cool revolution
The Birmingham Energy Institute (BEI) brought out a twelve member UK delegation related to cold chain system, comprising of experts from BEI and companies to India in the week of 27 February 2017. Professor Toby Peters from BEI led this UK delegation. The aim of the visit was to forge new academic and industry collaborations, […]
31st March 2017 Abuja, Nigeria
A Peace Building Commonwealth – If We Use It Well
I’ll start with a potentially career-limiting admission: in recent years I hadn’t thought much about the Commonwealth. With UK-focussed (non-FCO) jobs and UK-focussed family life, it simply hasn’t been terribly visible to me. It brings memories of Steve Cram (my dad’s hero) winning races in the ‘80s, and a school trip to the Commonwealth Institute […]
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31st March 2017 Tripoli, Libya
Trolling from Tripoli
Social media is a global phenomenon. 1.8 billion people worldwide are on Facebook; 317 million use Twitter; Youtube has more viewers than most TV stations. It has become a powerful political tool too. World leaders use social media to broadcast their views. After last week’s terrorist attack in London, Prime Minister Theresa May used Facebook […]
31st March 2017 Kolkata, India
The next generation
The cross over point is arriving soon, at some point early in 2021. This is when India becomes the world’s most populous country, according to population projections produced by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, of the United Nations. As of 2015, those in the cohort aged 25-29 years in China were the last […]