Foreign Office bloggers this week
MI6, Fairtrade, football and Sri Lanka were amongst the subjects discussed by Foreign Office bloggers this week.
This week Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Martin Uden discussed how the EU/South Korea Free Trade Agreement moved a step closer and the opportunities for British business in South Korea.
Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt posted a video blog about his recent visit to Sri Lanka looking at how British aid is making a difference to resettlement and reconciliation efforts.
Ambassador to Bolivia Nigel Baker highlighted the benefits of Fairminded and Fairtrade gold certification that “requires minimum standards to guarantee social development, proper labour conditions (such as safe working standards and proper management of toxic materials), environmental standards and compliance with legislative protection for workers.”
In Sudan, Ambassador Nicholas Kay talks about his visit to the Blue Nile State which is “one of three focal states in the north selected by the UK for its Safety and Access to Justice Programme. Funded by DFID for four years, the programme aims to support a transformation in Sudanese policing: from being a police force to being a police service”
Trade Advisor Patrick Thomas at the British embassy in Washington underlined the importance of the Doha Trade Round in 2011 noting that completion “could add $170 billion annually to the global economy at a time when growth is badly needed”
MI6, Art and Freedoms was the title of Ambassador to the Ukraine, Leigh Turner’s blog post looking at an exhibition by British artist James Hart Dyke entitled “A Year with MI6”.
In the Philippines Ambassador Stephen Lillie looks at how British residents are promoting football as a way to help under privileged children.
These are just a selection of the blogs published this week on our Global Conversations blog site.