Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Congratulations to everyone who has been recognised in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List 2024. Eighty-four people have received awards for their exceptional service to the UK overseas or internationally, including for contributions to British foreign policy and international development, as well as voluntary and charitable work. Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, said: “At a time of intense global challenge, I am as ever deeply impressed by the exceptional work being done by individuals around the world. “I congratulate the recipients of His Majesty’s Birthday Honours this year and thank them for their dedication and service. They are a shining example of the impact the UK can have internationally.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eHCUxmXc

In an historic first, tech companies from across the globe have committed to developing AI safely. On day one of the #AISeoulSummit, 16 leading tech companies from OpenAI to Meta have signed up to the ‘Frontier AI Safety Commitments.’ AI tech companies will each publish safety frameworks on how they will measure risks. The companies have committed to not developing or deploying AI models if the risks cannot be sufficiently mitigated. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eru_VSsj Amazon | Anthropic | Cohere | Google DeepMind | G42 | IBM | Inflection AI | Microsoft | Mistral AI | NAVER Corp | Samsung Electronics | Technology Innovation Institute | xAI | Zhipu AI

We’re hugely proud that two FCDO colleagues have been recognised in the latest Civilian Gallantry List, published earlier this month.   Lawrie Elsdon-Dew has been awarded the King’s Gallantry Medal for protecting others during a nine-day siege midst fierce fighting outside the the British Embassy in Sudan in April 2023.    Stephen Ellison has been awarded the King’s Commendation for Bravery for rescuing a stranger from a river in Chongqing, China, in November 2020.    Read more ⤵  https://lnkd.in/ecRDV6en

Access to safe, quality higher education raises earning potential for women and girls. It brings freedom, boosts prosperity and strengthens global security. This new £45 million funding will help reform the university systems in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa.

The first shipment of UK aid has left the port in Cyprus.  Jointly with the US, Cyprus, and other partners, we have created a sea route between Cyprus and a temporary pier off Gaza that allows ships to bring international aid directly over the shore.  Our initial contribution totals nearly 100 tonnes of shelter coverage kits. We are working hard to get more aid into Gaza. https://lnkd.in/e2ZBJ623 

Yemen is suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. More than half of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance. Nearly half of all Yemeni children under five are suffering from stunting due to years of malnutrition. UK aid is being increased to help ⤵

👋 👩⚕️ Meet our medics: Kathleen Shields is a children's nurse who normally works with the NHS in Manchester. At the UK-Med field hospital in #Gaza, she cared for ill and injured children including newborn babies. ➡ Learn more about our work in #Gaza: https://lnkd.in/e5BuEhfm

Why does our foreign policy matter to you? Here's my answer.

The UK has today rolled out a package of measures in response to Russia's attempts to undermine European support for Ukraine ⤵️

Did you know the Blue Belt Programme is the largest marine protection programme in the world?     It's aim: Support the protection of 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030.    How? By enabling the UK Overseas Territories to safeguard their vast and unique waters.    Read more ⬇