Among my blessings in life is having an Irish mother-in law and I’m just back from a post-Council trip where my wife did some digging into her family history.  A good number of her relatives were refugees fleeing persecution in both Eastern and Central Europe from the late 19th Century.  Ireland was where they were […] The post Wearing Thin first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

Crimea is a special and, in many regards, unique place in Ukraine. It has a distinctive climate, breathtaking views of sea and mountains that can’t be found anywhere else in the country. It has a multi-layered history with a rich heritage stretching from ancient to modern times. This is the context that created an incredibly […] The post Crimea: a place to remember, learn from and return to first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

The world is increasingly polarised on LGBT rights.  There is progress to celebrate, but concern is also growing over a rollback of rights which is accelerating, not just in Africa and the global south, but also in parts of the global north. In the past year, we have seen increased attempts to introduce anti-LGBT legislation […] The post Reflections on IDAHOBIT: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

The UK is committed to strengthening the UK-Australia climate partnership and collaborating internationally to tackle climate change and ensure energy security. With rising temperatures and worsened extreme weather events leaving people hungry and forcing them from their homes, these challenges cannot be ignored. Last week, I addressed key players across industry and government at the […] The post Value with Values: UK Commitment to Climate Partnership first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

Speech delivered on April 23, 2024 at the Launch of National Teachers Network & Training of Trainers Programme  It’s a pleasure to be with you at this launch of the National Teachers Network & Training of Trainers Program. Congratulations to everyone involved in getting this exciting initiative to this point, and to everyone who is […] The post Good English – A Key to Panama’s Future Success first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

The 2030 target to halt and reverse forest loss, which was agreed by over 140 states at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP26 is coming more sharply into view.  The UK is committed to working with all our partners, including specialist organisations such as the European Forest Institute, to make it a reality. […] The post Forests in focus on International Day of Forests first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

First printed in the physical edition of La Prensa on 27th of  February 2024. Twenty-five years ago I had the good fortune to be living in Russia. My wife and I spent almost four years in Moscow. We felt so lucky to be able to travel all around that most extraordinary country. In many ways, […] The post Russia – 25 years of broken hopes and smashed dreams first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

Almost a decade ago, the world agreed that by 2030 we must achieve gender equality and empower ALL women and girls. But, in 2024, we are nowhere near achieving this. Why?  Rather than countries coming together at the United Nations to make progress, a vocal minority are actively trying to undermine gender equality through the UN.   The post Gender equality is non-negotiable first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

Being part of the educational process in each country requires a person to have a set of different skills among which being a leader and influencing community changes through policy-making and future generations. Working as a professor means being a researcher at the same time, and those two areas are the ones that complement one […] The post There are no borders in knowledge, those are just contours of new horizons and possibilities first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more

World War I was a defining moment in history, a global conflict that changed the course of nations and lives forever. It touched every corner of the world, including this very country where I have the privilege to serve as His Majesty’s Ambassador. Here, under the Macedonian sky, lies a significant site that has a […] The post Remembrance of WW1 Veterans in Skopje: Lessons for a United NATO Alliance first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs ..read more