6th September 2016
Skopje, North Macedonia
I spent this morning in conversation with Macedonia’s Justice Minister Valdet Xhaferi and the Centre for Legal Research and Analysis (CLRA), a Skopje-based civil society organisation. The topic was how we can strengthen the judicial system in Macedonia. And our conversation formed part of the launch of a programme of activities led by the CLRA […]
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25th May 2015
Istanbul, Turkey
Three years ago today, a massacre took place in the Syrian village of Taldou in Houla, in northern Syria. According to the UN, 108 civilians were brutally murdered, including 34 women and 49 children. More even than the death toll, the clear sectarian nature of the killings sparked an international outcry. The UN and twelve other […]
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21st May 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
This week I attended an important conference at the Pontifical Santa Croce University, on “The New Climate Economy. How Economic Growth and Sustainability Can Go Hand in Hand”. It was jointly organised by the Dutch Embassy to the Holy See and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and brought together leading political figures, business […]
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23rd March 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Pope Francis is a powerful campaigner against corruption; the exploitation by the powerful of the vulnerable, the poor and the weak. He returned to this theme again on his recent visit to Naples, a city blighted by the corrupting influence of organised crime. “Corruption stinks”, he said, “corrupt society stinks and a Christian who lets […]
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11th November 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
By guest blogger Sarah Riley, Deputy Head of Mission at British Embassy Sofia. This blogpost follows Bulgarian Prosecutor General’s visit to the UK from 4 to 7 November 2014. Last week I spent two days in London with Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov, on his official visit to look at all aspects of the criminal […]
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13th August 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The following is a guest blog by Steve Townsend, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy to the Holy See On 13 August 1964, Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans made British judicial history, although not in a way they would have appreciated. They were the last people executed in the United Kingdom. Throughout the […]
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19th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The following is a guest blog by Simona Prete, Head of Communications. “Working for the British Embassy to the Holy See, I am privileged to meet and engage with remarkable women at the Vatican and in the Catholic network. Our Ambassador Nigel Baker noted on International Women’s Day: “the vital role played by women religious […]
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5th February 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
This time last year I wrote a blog about freedom of the media in Ukraine reporting on the latest press freedom index released by the international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. So I was intrigued to see Reporters without Borders publish their 2013 World Press Freedom Index recently. Since I arrived in Turkey a few months ago, Turkish journalists […]
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1st February 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
There are two fundamental planks of reform in Romania, on which the Romanian authorities are engaged in commitments to the International Financial Institutions and to their EU partners – the Stand-By Agreement with the IMF (plus the World Bank and EU) and the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for tackling corruption and judicial reform with the […]
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28th November 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
What do actors, newscasters, diplomats, writers, business leaders, journalists and politicians have in common? All have contributed statements to the UK in Turkey website to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This is powerful and important stuff. The UK supports the goal of tackling violence against women; and on 29 May, […]
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