9th March 2021
Skopje, North Macedonia
Results of the ‘Improved productivity through better labour legislation in North Macedonia’ Project “Globally, women will likely experience a significant burden on their time given their multiple care responsibilities as school closures and confinement measures are adopted, possibly leading to reductions in working time and permanent exit from the labour market. In some contexts, and […]
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8th February 2021
Belgrade, Serbia
In this strangest of years, international cooperation has taken on a different aspect. Border closures, quarantine and testing regimes have never before been part of my daily diplomatic vocabulary. Though as a well travelled diplomat vaccination has long played a small but important part in my professional life. The world faces a common challenge that […]
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14th January 2021
Geneva, Switzerland
At last November’s Meeting of States Parties of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the UK announced that it would be funding research to investigate and provide recommendations on innovative financing options for the mine action sector. I am pleased to say that, after a competitive tender process, our Mine Action Team in London has appointed […]
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21st September 2020
Belgrade, Serbia
I was recently asked to open a conference on communications. Because of the public health situation the conference was held virtually, that is to say, online. It’s a dangerous thing to be an amateur opening a conference of professionals. To do so using their own medium was, to use typically British irony, ‘courageous’. I realised […]
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31st August 2020
Guangzhou, China
In March, a large shipment of thousands of masks, gloves, overalls and goggles arrived in Birmingham. Stapled to the side of each of the crates was a quote, in both Chinese and English, attributed to William Shakespeare: ‘He that is thy friend indeed, he will help thee in thy need.’ (“岁寒知松柏,患难见真情.”) This consignment was one […]
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30th July 2020
Geneva, Switzerland
These are such strange days. We still don’t know if this will prove to be a painful but relatively short-lived episode of global distress or if we’re in this for the much longer haul. Will we look back on this as a defining moment of international cooperation to overcome one of the greatest health challenges […]
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