13th October 2025| blogs.fcdo.gov.uk
There are certain skills you expect to need when working in multilateral diplomacy. Like negotiating. Public speaking. And building relationships with people from wildly different cultures, backgrounds, and coffee preferences. And then there are the surprise skills. Anyone who survived the last Human Rights Council session now carries a qualification in obstacle course orienteering, a diploma […]| Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
In September, I went on 2 international visits as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls. The first to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina (9 to 10 September) to attend the Berlin Process Gender Equality Forum, and the second to New York (21 to 23 September) to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).| Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
It’s a nice line. But I’m not having it. The big drawback with diplomatic life is the goodbyes. And at the UN they never end. No sooner have you got used to having someone around and, just occasionally, grown a little fond of them, than they clear off without a thought for the middle-aged emotional […] The post Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs.| Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
On 24 June 2025, I travelled to Geneva to mark International Day of Women in Diplomacy, celebrating the important role women have played - and will continue playing - in building peace, fostering inte| Foreign Office Blogs
On 8 March 2025, to mark International Women’s Day, I was proud to be appointed as the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls by the Foreign Secretary. In this role, I will work alongside the Foreign| Foreign Office Blogs
I’m back where I started. Sort of. When I began doing whatever it is we do out here, (let’s call it endurance diplomacy) it was the 58th session of the Commission on Human Rights. The Roman Empire hadn’t long since fallen, smart phones were yet to excite and then blight our lives and the Human […] The post The Long Haul first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs.| Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
Zdravo! The Serbian word for 'hello' or ‘hi’ actually means that you wish someone good health. We all want good health for ourselves, our family and our friends. In almost every country in t| Foreign Office Blogs
This International Day of Education, it’s impossible to ignore the climate and environment crisis. 2024 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record, and the last ten years have been recorded| Foreign Office Blogs
I recently had the honour of accompanying His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije back to the UK. It was for a special reason. The Serbian Orthodox Church has created a new diocese of Great Britain and I| Foreign Office Blogs
Today (25 November) we acknowledge International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women to highlight the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) and its impact on climate action. The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It threatens economic, environmental, and social security. For women, girls and gender-diverse people, the crisis is even […] The post The climate crisis and gender-based violence first appeared on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs.| Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
