22nd December 2025
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th December 2025
MAKING LIFE SAFER, FOR EVERYONE
9th December 2025
Why We Need Data, Courage, and Community
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 […]
30th March 2017 London, UK
Digital Diplomacy: are we the champions?
Last year, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs brought together an interesting bunch of people from around the world, and me, to discuss digital diplomacy. I found myself speaking second on a panel. The first speaker announced the publication of the Digital Diplomacy Review 2016, ranking foreign ministries around the world. The United Kingdom was top. […]
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30th March 2017 Skopje, North Macedonia
Getting your kilo of tomatoes
On 29th March, the Deputy Head of Mission, Paul Edwards, spoke at a national conference to discuss the effectiveness of the state and public administration. The conference was part of an ongoing UK funded programme on monitoring administrative justice. This is what Paul said about the link between public services and tomatoes: The UK has […]
29th March 2017 London, UK
Visit to Leicester Faith School
Last week I had the pleasure to visit Leicester, one of the most diverse places in the UK and home to the UK Premier League champions! I was there to spend time at an Islamic faith school to share my reflections with 14-16 year old young Muslims about my journey to the UK as a […]
29th March 2017 Tokyo
Behind the scenes at the museum: treasures from the natural world draw the crowds in Japan
A visit to one of London’s museums, with free entrance to the public, is one of the highlights of a trip to the capital for many tourists. For the Natural History Museum, a world-famous attraction, foreign visitors now make up around 60% of the five million people enjoying its galleries, exhibitions, events and education programmes […]
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