Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

11th January 2022 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Aidan Liddle

UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament

Disarmament blog: looking back and forwards

UN Geneva

I was going to use this blog post to write about the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, which was due to begin in New York on 4 January. Instead, the week before we were due to travel, it became clear that the Omicron situation in New York made it impossible for the UN to host […]

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10th January 2022 Skopje, North Macedonia

Simona Pereska

Student, High School at SEPUGS”Vasil Antevski-Dren”Skopje

How can youth engage in the fight against climate changes and save the planet

Our planet is our home. We all know very well that we need to do something that will save our planet from climate changes and pollution. It’s very important to do this because we don’t have another planet. As I said we live under the same sky,we breathe the same air,we are growing and healing […]

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21st December 2021

Emma Spicer

Head of Girls’ Education Department, FCDO

Educating girls despite a global pandemic

What have the Prime Minister, Battersea Park and a camel in Pakistan got in common? They’ve all helped further the cause of girls’ education this year. Despite the disastrous impact of COVID-19 on children’s learning across the world, the UK has continued to support the education of the world’s most marginalised children – particularly girls […]

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14th December 2021

Wendy Morton MP

Minister for Europe and Americas at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Ending preventable deaths and health systems strengthening: launch

In my role, I am surrounded by strong women – leaders, experts and fighters for issues they believe in. It is sobering for me to realise that many of these women would not be where they are today if they had not been able to freely make choices about their own lives and, even more fundamentally, their own […]

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9th December 2021 Geneva

Rita French

by Rita French

UK Ambassador for Human Rights and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva

Human Rights Day 2021

On 10 December each year, we celebrate Human Rights Day. To many, this tradition marks a commemoration of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the evolution of the international human rights architecture since 1948. For others, this day marks an annual moment to reflect on the global situation of human rights. […]

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9th December 2021 Geneva

Rita French

by Rita French

UK Ambassador for Human Rights and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva

Introducing the European Human Rights Ambassadors: A Joint Blog

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. It has brought to the fore – and exacerbated – different forms of inequality. This is especially true amongst high-risk and vulnerable groups. Children and young people have been denied their education. Violence against women and LGBTI persons has increased. Democracy and the […]

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1st December 2021

The United Kingdom’s enduring commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Baroness Goldie and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon with HMA Matt Field and DA LtCol Andrew Tait in Sarajevo

Joint message from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCDO Minister of State and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Baroness Goldie, MoD Minister of State for Defence Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) occupies a special place in the hearts and minds of the United Kingdom. As we have often heard in […]

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11th November 2021 Skopje, North Macedonia

Misha Popovikj

Chevening Alumni and Senior Researcher at Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis Skopje

Building resilience to disasters through adaptation and fellowship

“The Dwarves dug too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum… shadow and flame..” JRR Tolkien. The Fellowship of the Ring. The most frequently used words in the recent local election campaigns in North Macedonia have been green, humane and sustainable development. At least on paper, the political […]

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11th November 2021

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by Matt Field

British Diplomat

The world and us

On the 60th anniversary of the University of Sarajevo Faculty of Political Science, I addressed the conference “The World and Us”, held on 8 November. “My warm thanks for the invitation today. This is a prestigious list of speakers and panellists, many of whom I have been following for some time.  And this is an […]

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3rd November 2021 Science Innovation USA

Hannah Davelman

Senior Science & Innovation Officer, British Consulate San Francisco

Daybreak in San Francisco

Around the world, young people are driving ambition on climate action. In the lead-up to the UN’s climate conference COP26, the British and Italian Consulates in San Francisco held an event that aimed to engage and inspire a new generation of climate leaders, by reflecting on the dangerous effects of climate change, but also on […]

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