DIPLO Blog

Skip to content Katie Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) Apprentice Guest blogger for FCO Careers Part of FCO Apprenticeship Schemes 3rd February 2020 United Kingdom Katie: a day in the life of a Foreign Office apprentice Katie is a Level 3 Business Administration Apprentice, working in the Project Task Force at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). My typical day at the Foreign OfficeI don’t think there is a typical day at the Foreign Office! I am based within the PTF (Projects Task Force). We work on time-limited projects on priority issues, covering all areas of the office. During my time in the department I have worked on projects within Crisis Management, Communications as well as a Minister’s Office, to name a few. On a daily basis, as well as project work, I also provide administrative support to the PTF such as helping with the project bidding rounds and providing updates on project resourcing and the department’s budget. I spend around 6 hours a week working on my apprent..

Skip to content Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State (Minister for the Commonwealth, UN and South Asia) and Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Guest blogger for FCO Editorial 31st January 2020 Reflecting on 200 years of Antarctica Antarctica – the name conjures up images of extraordinary natural beauty, inhospitable conditions and heroic, sometimes ill-fated, human endeavour. These days, it might also bring to mind worrying images of the impact of climate change, as huge sections of the ice-shelf break away, and majestic Emperor penguins struggle to survive. It is hard to believe that, 200 years ago, this vast, white continent was unknown to – and untouched by – humankind. No-one is quite sure who actually sighted it first. Two men claim that prize: Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, an Estonian on a Russian naval expedition, and the Royal Navy’s Edward Bransfield, both of whom spotted it in late January 1820. Later that yea..

Skip to content Christopher Pincher Minister of State (Minister for Europe and the Americas) Part of Brexit 22nd January 2020 London Living in the EU: an update on your rights as a UK national An outreach event in Aarhus for UK nationals in Denmark, hosted by the British Embassy in Copenhagen.At the end of January, the UK will leave the EU. Although the UK will begin a new kind of relationship with Europe, your rights as a UK national living in the EU are protected for life. Our embassies are working with EU countries to ensure that you continue to get the support and advice you need. If you live in Ireland, your rights are already protected under the Common Travel Area agreement and you do not need to take any further action. What happens nextYou can continue to live and work in the EU as you do now because the Withdrawal Agreement (the ‘divorce deal’ between the UK and EU) protects the rights of UK Nationals already living in the EU, and those moving there before 31 December 2020. O..

Skip to content Leigh Turner Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna Part of UK in Austria 16th January 2020 Vienna, Austria Great theatres: in London and Vienna Where in Vienna can you find a portrait of Elizabeth the First, which features also Romeo; Juliet; and the only known self-portrait of Gustav Klimt? A wise person has brought to my attention the depiction by Gustav Klimt on the ceiling of the Burgtheater, Vienna’s sumptuous theatre, of Shakespeare’s “Globe” Theatre. A painting of a theatre, on the ceiling of a theatre. Meta. When you look at the detail, it gets even better. You can examine the detail in cool and stupendous close-up at this co-operation between Google and the Burgtheater, (click 19 times to the right). Thanks to this digital technology, you see the painting at the link in far more detail than would be possible with the naked eye, from the steps below (I know, I’ve tried). You c..

Skip to content Chris Trott UK Ambassador to South Sudan Part of UK in South Sudan 14th January 2020 Juba, South Sudan Twenty wishes for 2020At the start of the year I have been discussing with my team @UkinSouthSudan what we would like to see happen this year. While this list is by no means exhaustive, and we may be overly optimistic if we think we will see it all come true, I hope at least some of the following 20 wishes for 2020 will become a reality this year. Cessation of hostilities holdsHumanitarian situation improves with greater security and access granted to allow all those in need to receive life-saving supportAid workers are no longer targetedFighting with non-signatories to the peace agreement stops, and the parties convince them to join the process by making genuine progressThe formation of a single national army allows the security sector to provide genuine security for all South Sudanese rather than serving the objectives of a single party to the agreementResolution of..

Skip to content Leigh Turner Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna Part of UK in Austria 14th January 2020 Vienna, Austria New video: an update for UK nationals in Austria Video Script: Where are we with Brexit? The Withdrawal Agreement Bill is working its way through Parliament in London. Once confirmed in the UK, it has to be agreed by the European Parliament. The UK will then leave the European Union, with a deal, on 31st January at 11pm UK time. At this point, we will enter a “transition period” or “implementation period” until 31st December 2020, during which the UK and EU will negotiate our future relationship. You may still hear talk about a possible “no deal” during this time, but this refers mainly to our future relationship in areas such as trade, and not your right to live in Austria. So, what does this mean for UK nationals living in Austria now, and what action do you have to take? The W..

Skip to content Matt Field British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina 13th January 2020 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020 VISION 2020 is written with 3D colorful numbers standing on a white surface - 3D rendering illustrationNew year, new start. Many of us will be looking ahead to what 2020 holds in store, probably with some nervousness, but hoping for positive change. Here in the British Embassy there will be lots of continuity – working to deliver citizen-focused change that increases opportunity, reduces corruption, strengthens the rule of law, and improves public services. But every year is different, and there are some major events in front of us. At the end of this month the UK will leave the EU. Just as Brexit was a democratic decision, so we respect the decision of BiH to work towards joining the EU. As I have explained many times, this does not mean less of us and our support. Quite the opposite. We are increasing our cooperation, our programmes, our staffing, and our v..

Skip to content Aidan Liddle UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament Part of Conference on Disarmament 10th January 2020 Geneva, Switzerland Disarmament blog: disarmament in 2020 2020 is going to be a hugely important year for multilateral disarmament in Geneva. The biggest event of the year, of course, is the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which takes place in New York over April and May. The RevCon’s job is to look back over the last five years and “identify the areas in which, and the means through which, further progress should be sought in the future,” as well as addressing the strengthen the implementation of the Treaty and further its universalisation. That task takes on extra significance this year, the 50th anniversary of the Treaty’s entry into force, and the 25th of its indefinite extension. No-one doubts that this RevCon takes place in an extremely difficult context; expectations for success are low. But the U..

Skip to content Leigh Turner Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna Part of UK in Austria 10th January 2020 Vienna, Austria A tobacco bust in SlovakiaAt a nondescript warehouse in Eastern Slovakia, fine tobacco dust fills the air, and the lungs of the workers. The remote building has been sealed carefully to keep any smells and sounds hidden from the outside world, which might give away its true nature. When Slovak officers arrive, they act quickly, arresting 47 people involved in the production of illegal cigarettes. Many of these dangerous products would have crossed the Channel into the UK black market. The raid was the result of close cooperation between the HMRC team based at the British Embassy Vienna and the Slovak authorities. Our Fiscal Crime Liaison Officers are part of a global network responsible for stopping crimes that hurt the UK’s tax revenues. There are 47 HMRC officers posted in 37..

Skip to content Laura Clarke British High Commissioner to New Zealand and Samoa, Governor of the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands. Part of UK in New Zealand 7th January 2020 Wellington, New Zealand Here’s why the UK wants to strengthen its relationship with New Zealand Māori British High Commissioner to New Zealand, Laura Clarke, with Charlotte Gibson of the Ngati Oneone iwi (tribe), following the delivery of the expression of regret in Gisborne.Writing in The Guardian, Laura explains how the UK and Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand are looking to the past to build stronger relationships for the future. The connections between the UK and New Zealand are such that we feel instantly at home in each other’s countries, sipping a flat whiteor an English Breakfast tea. We have a similar sense of humour, a similar sense of adventure, similar tastes. There is so much that feels familiar. But perhaps the greatest joy of my first two years as British high commissioner to New Zealand has ..