19th November 2020
Dayton. The very name evokes both peace and division. This 21 November marks the 25th anniversary of the accord secured in Dayton, Ohio, and then signed on 14 December in Paris. How do we mark this moment? The agreement reached on that distant air-force base has had a profound impact on the shaping of Bosnia […]
19th October 2018 Beirut, Lebanon
As Fayruz says….. bhebak ya lebnan. “Ahla wa sahla saadet el safir” said my welcoming team at the airport – “shoukran, please call me Chris, and do speak to me in Arabic” I said back. That was only 5 weeks ago – it seems much further back. Lebanon has a reputation for outstanding hospitality, stunning […]
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1st September 2016 Khartoum
Darfur: A green and pleasant land Last month I visited Darfur for the first time. My first impression was how green and beautiful Darfur is. We flew to Nyala via El Geneina in West Darfur and flying over Darfur I was amazed how green the countryside is at this time of year. Driving along the […]
16th March 2016 Beirut, Lebanon
It has been five years since the Syria conflict began. Five years of barrel bombs, mass executions and disappearances. Five years of people being forced from their homes because they fear for their lives. And for many of those who fled to Lebanon, what they expected to be a temporary move has become a painful […]
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4th November 2015
That media headlines are focused elsewhere, particularly Syria, makes it all the more important not to lose sight of the conflict on our own threshold in eastern Ukraine. The reduction in violence and destruction in the Donbas is welcome, giving a chance to restore services and make the region safer for the people who live […]
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9th October 2015
On 13 October there will be a High Level Review at the United Nations to commemorate 15 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. This was a ground breaking resolution that recognised not only the inordinate impact of war on women and girls, but also the pivotal role women should and do […]
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14th September 2015 London, UK
Last week I visited Rwanda for the first time. It gave me the opportunity to see the remarkable progress that this country has made since the devastating 1994 genocide. In my joint role at the Foreign Office and DFID, I was able to explore the full breadth of the UK’s relationship with Rwanda – a […]
16th January 2015 Beirut, Lebanon
All over the Foreign Office network, we draw on advice and analysis from our brilliant locally engaged staff. One of our colleagues here, Nadim Zaazaa, is leaving us to work on an exciting project – the UK-Lebanon Tech Hub. See here for more details. He shared with me some parting thoughts about the Middle East, […]
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2nd January 2015
The following is a guest blog by Steve Townsend, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy to the Holy See In his message for the World Day of Peace (1st January), Pope Francis has returned to the struggle against modern slavery. His address, entitled “No longer Slaves, but Brothers” highlights the many different faces of […]
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29th January 2014
This year agriculture is the main theme of the 22nd Assembly of Heads of State and Government at the African Union (AU) – the AU Summit, which is taking place this week. But African leaders are also deliberating on the peace and security of the continent. Country situations at the top of the agenda are […]