Confessions of a Comms Officer visiting the UN

As the working day begins in midtown Manhattan, amidst the horns of yellow cabs, rising steam from the sidewalk, and overwhelming odours of Starbucks coffee, I report for my first day at the UK Mission to the UN.

Congo: on the edge

Donald Trump or Joseph Kabila? Which of these men will have the biggest impact on the world in the next year? Ok, so it’s probably Donald Trump. But Joseph Kabila could be close behind. He has the potential to prevent or create turmoil in the second biggest country in Africa and in the wider…

13 champions working to end the AIDS epidemic forever

It’s the second leading cause of death for adolescents around the world. It’s the epidemic that all epidemics are measured against.

AIDS is the silent killer that has taken the lives of more than 39 million…

Are you still watching?

Aleppo, the UN, and the latest addition to my Netflix queue

Global mission to eradicate online child sexual exploitation

“When my time is up, have I done enough”?

On Saturday, I had the incredible privilege to see the penultimate performance of the original cast of ‘Hamilton’ in Manhattan…

“We had a chance today to help those people, to stop the bombing, to let aid in. We have once again failed, but we must keep trying until we succeed.”

Statement by Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, UK Permanent…

Too little, and far too late

As I often say in the UN Security Council: I’ll be brief.

I spent yesterday morning in a closed meeting in a room just outside the iconic Security Council at UN Headquarters. I heard from the leading advisors who know the situation on the ground in…

Opening a window in the smoke-filled room: Twitter and the #nextSG

Six years ago to the day, I signed into Twitter for the first time. At the time I was studying for exams and though I had a budding interest in the UN, the concept of diplomacy was frankly pretty alien.