Public diplomacy

Young professionals around the world are striving to compete in today’s global economy. As individuals have become more interconnected with their counterparts across the...

Skip to content Miriam Escofet 25th July 2020 Painting Her Majesty Image ©Aliona Adrianova During my first meeting with Foreign Office Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Simon McDonald in March 2019, when we discussed ideas for the portrait of The Queen that he wanted to commission, I was delighted to hear that he wanted it to feel intimate. He wanted to express Her Majesty’s humanity, rather than creating a more traditional, grand, regal representation. Her Majesty has a close and longstanding relationship with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Her reign is already the longest of any monarch in British history, taking in 14 different Prime Ministers and 13 US Presidents. The Queen has received thousands of foreign Ambassadors and she has personal experience of nearly every country that the UK has bilateral relations with, having undertaken State Visits overseas to over 100 countries. The Queen has hosted 111 incoming State Visits during her reign, from 62 different countries to the UK...

Thanks to the love of the Serbian Bishop Maxim from California we have a special opportunity to read the valuable book, "Christian Heritage of...

«Сложно представить человека в здравом уме, который пошел бы читать сайт Россотрудничества» Российская гуманитарная внешняя политика не должна предлагать универсальных «пакетных» решений, нужно исходить из...

Skip to content Aidan Liddle UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament Part of Conference on Disarmament 7th July 2020 Geneva, Switzerland Disarmament blog: what’s the point of the Conference on Disarmament? The Conference on Disarmament resumed its 2020 session on Tuesday, after a break of 122 days. (We had been supposed to meet a week earlier, but technical problems with the new remote participation platform meant the meeting was cancelled at the eleventh hour.) But did anyone miss the CD while it was silent? Should it just have stayed that way? First, the case against. While the track record of the CD and its predecessors include the three main WMD treaties, amongst others, it hasn’t launched a new negotiation since the CTBT was concluded in 1996. Every disarmament treaty since then – the prohibitions on land mines and cluster munitions, the Arms Trade Treaty, and, yes, the TPNW – has been negotiated elsewhere. Far from fulfilling its mandate as “t..

Skip to content Dragana Drndarevska Legal adviser, Coalition Margins Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia Part of UK in North Macedonia 7th July 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia Despite all the obstacles the fight for LGBTI equality continues Photo credit: Vancho Dzambaski- Pride Parade 2019Last year, a Pride Parade took place in Skopje for the first time. The Parade was a protest and shall remain so until LGBTI people are able to enjoy all human rights and society is fully liberated. However, last year there were several reasons to celebrate. The Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination was adopted after long postponement, guarantying LGBTI people equality in every area of living. In addition, the Law on Criminal Procedure was amended with respect to hate crimes, thus providing LGBTI people explicit protection against violence and other hate crimes for the first time. The success was the result of the efforts invested by LGBTI organizations and their partners from civil..

Skip to content Robin Barnett Ambassador to Ireland, Dublin Part of Coronavirus (COVID-19) 3rd July 2020 Dublin, Ireland Guest blog on UK-Ireland connections from Catherine Page, a deputy to Ambassador Robin BarnettBy endurance we conquer – what Shackleton can teach us todayWe have all had to find sources of inspiration to help us in the last few months. Mine came on one of many local lockdown walks in Dublin, when I passed a house with a plaque to “the Antarctic Explorer and Leader of Men”, Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose childhood home it had been. I have been inspired by Shackleton for a long time, since I was 17 and went on an expedition which re-traced his journey to the Antarctic island of South Georgia. But it felt particularly appropriate to find him again now – to be reminded of his story of grit and determination at a time when we have all been searching for these too, and to recall his family motto: “by endurance we conquer”. Because if I had to sum up 2020 so far in one word ..

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 3rd July 2020 Vienna, Austria Online Q&A for UK nationals in Austria – Monday 6 July Do you have questions about how the UK’s exit from the EU affects you? The embassy is running an online Q&A session on Monday 6 July. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team here and colleagues in London have continued to work closely with the Austrian authorities to ensure rights of British citizens living in Austria to continue to live and work here are protected, and any actions you need to take are communicated clearly and in good time. The Austrian government have not yet announced the exact details of the registration process you will need to follow, but the actions you can already take are on our living in Austria guide. Please sign up for email updates on that page. The Q&A will be on our embassy facebook page. On Monday 6..

Poznato je da se moć u politici lako oseti, ali teško definiše. Meka moć podjednako je kompleksna i teško uhvatljiva, ali je u globalizovanom...

Skip to content Matt Field British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina 19th June 2020 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Digital Transformation in the Public Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina In the time of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, virtual reality, big data, and many more are now transforming societies, economies, institutions and businesses across the globe. Governments worldwide are strategically leveraging new technologies to fundamentally improve policies, decision-making, public services and systems. Yet the full potential of digital government worldwide, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina, remains largely untapped. Global practice shows that to build a public sector fit for the future, governments must “reinvent” themselves. Digital transformation is not just about new technologies, but requires an overhaul of organizational structures, work processes, skills, culture and mindset. This applies not only to governme..