Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office facts for kids
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 FCDO Main Building, Westminster |
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| Department overview | |
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| Formed | 1782 (as the Foreign Office) |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | King Charles Street London SW1 51°30′11″N 0°07′40″W / 51.50306°N 0.12778°W |
| Annual budget | £1.1bn (current) & £0.1bn (capital) in 2015–16 |
| Minister responsible | |
| Department executive |
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| Child agencies |
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The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a special department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It's like the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" in other countries. The FCDO was created on 2 September 2020. It was formed by joining two older departments: the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID). Before that, the FCO was created in 1968 by combining the Foreign Office (FO) and the Commonwealth Office.
The FCDO's main job is to represent the UK around the world and look after British interests.
The person in charge of the FCDO is called the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, or simply the "Foreign Secretary". This is one of the four most important jobs in the UK government's Cabinet. The other top jobs are the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (who handles money), and the Home Secretary (who handles home affairs). James Cleverly became the Foreign Secretary on 6 September 2022.
A civil servant manages the FCDO every day. This person is called the permanent under-secretary of state for foreign affairs. They are also the head of the UK's Diplomatic Service, which means they lead all the UK's diplomats. Philip Barton started this role on 2 September 2020.
A group of Members of Parliament (MPs) called the Foreign Affairs Select Committee checks how the FCDO spends its money, how it is run, and what policies it makes.
Contents
What the FCDO Does
The FCDO has several important jobs:
- Keeping the UK safe: They work to stop terrorism and the spread of dangerous weapons. They also try to reduce conflicts around the world.
- Helping the UK's economy: They work to increase what the UK sells to other countries and how much money is invested in the UK. They also help open up new markets and make sure the UK can get the resources it needs. They also support global growth that lasts a long time.
- Helping British people abroad: They offer modern and helpful services to British citizens living or traveling in other countries.
The FCDO is also in charge of the British Overseas Territories. These are places like Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands that are linked to the UK. Over time, different government departments have looked after these territories. Some people in the Overseas Territories feel that the FCDO isn't the best department to manage their relationship with the UK. They think a different approach, based on mutual respect, would be better.
FCDO Ministers
The FCDO has several ministers who help the Foreign Secretary with different areas of work:
| Minister | Role | What they focus on |
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| James Cleverly MP | Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs | Overall leader of the department; works with the Cabinet and National Security Council; handles strategy and intelligence. |
| Andrew Mitchell MP | Minister of State for Development and Africa | Focuses on Africa, international development, aid, global health, education, and humanitarian help. |
| Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP | Minister of State for Indo-Pacific | Works with countries in Asia and the Pacific, including China, Australia, and New Zealand; handles economic security and technology. |
| Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon | Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and the United Nations | Deals with the Commonwealth, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and the United Nations; promotes human rights. |
| Leo Docherty MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe | Focuses on Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; handles the UK-EU relationship, national security, and defence. |
| David Rutley MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Americas and Caribbean | Works with countries in the Americas and Caribbean, including the Overseas Territories; handles help for British citizens abroad and parliamentary matters. |
History of the FCDO
| Northern Department 1660–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
Southern Department 1660–1768 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
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| Colonial Office 1768–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
Southern Department 1768–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
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| Foreign Office 1782–1968 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries |
Home Office 1782–1794 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
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| War Office 1794–1801 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
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| War and Colonial Office 1801–1854 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
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| Colonial Office 1854–1925 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
India Office 1858–1937 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
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| Colonial Office 1925–1966 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries |
Dominions Office 1925–1947 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
India Office and Burma Office 1937–1947 Secretaries — Undersecretaries |
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| Commonwealth Relations Office 1947–1966 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries |
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| Commonwealth Office 1966–1968 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries |
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| Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1968–2020 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries |
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| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Since 2020 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries |
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How it Started (1700s)
The Foreign Office was first created in March 1782. Before that, there were two departments, the Southern and Northern Departments, that handled both foreign and local matters. When they combined, the foreign affairs parts became the Foreign Office, and the local affairs parts became the Home Office.
Growing Up (1800s)
In the 1800s, the Foreign Office sometimes even asked newspapers like The Times for information about other countries, because the journalists sometimes had better information than official sources!
The 1900s
During the First World War, a group called the Arab Bureau was set up within the Foreign Office to gather intelligence. Later, in 1946, the Foreign Office hired its first woman diplomat, Monica Milne.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1968–2020)
The FCO was formed on 17 October 1968. It was a merger of the Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Office. The Commonwealth Office itself had been created just two years earlier.
Between 1970 and 1974, and again from 1979 to 1997, the FCO was also responsible for international development, which means helping poorer countries.
Changes in the 2000s
From 1997, helping other countries became the job of a separate department, the Department for International Development.
In 2007, the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, looked at how the FCO worked. He decided they needed new goals. The FCO then focused on:
- Having a worldwide network of staff and offices to help the whole UK government.
- Providing three main services: supporting the British economy, helping British citizens abroad, and managing who comes to live in Britain.
- Working towards four policy goals:
* Stopping terrorism and the spread of dangerous weapons. * Preventing and solving conflicts. * Promoting a global economy that is good for the environment and grows well. * Helping international groups like the United Nations and the European Union work better.
In 2009, a new role was created: the Chief Scientific Adviser to the FCO. This person gives scientific advice to the department.
More Recent Times (2010–2020)
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In 2012, the FCO and Canada's foreign affairs department agreed to work more closely together. This included sharing embassy buildings and helping each other with services for their citizens abroad.
The UK also decided to open new diplomatic offices around the world to strengthen its international connections. Eight new embassies and six new consulates were opened.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (2020–Today)
On 16 June 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the FCO and the Department for International Development would merge. This merger created the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in September 2020. The idea was to make sure that UK aid money was spent in ways that matched the UK's goals overseas. Some former prime ministers and aid groups were concerned about this change.
In February 2022, the UK Minister for Africa announced a new £74 million plan to help women who own businesses in Nigeria.
Diplomatic Academy
In February 2015, the FCO opened the Diplomatic Academy. This is a special training centre for all government workers who deal with international issues. It helps them learn important skills for working with other countries. The Academy also works with universities and other diplomatic groups.
How the FCDO Funds Projects
The FCDO uses its budget to fund projects that match its goals. This includes money for Official Development Assistance (ODA), which is aid for developing countries, and other funds. These funds help with many different projects and support the FCDO's diplomatic work.
The FCDO also helps manage two big UK government funds that support the UK's security and aid plans:
- The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) – This fund helps reduce risks related to conflict in countries important to the UK.
- The Prosperity Fund – This fund supports economic growth and changes in countries that are partners with the UK.
- The Global Innovation Fund – This fund invests in new ideas that can help people living on less than $5 a day.
The FCDO also supports several academic funds:
- Chevening scholarships
- Marshall scholarships
- Domestic Programme Fund
- Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund (Darwin Plus)
- Science and Innovation Network
Changes to Aid Spending in 2021
In 2021, the UK government made adjustments to its overseas aid budget. This meant that less money was available for humanitarian help in places like Yemen and Syria. It also affected funding for fighting diseases like polio, malaria, and HIV/AIDS, and for girls' education around the world.
Investments
The Global Innovation Fund (GIF) has started investing in projects that help countries deal with climate change. This fund was launched at COP26 with help from the FCDO.
FCDO Services
In April 2006, a new agency called FCO Services (now FCDO Services) was set up. Its job is to provide support services to the FCDO and other government departments. It also offers these services to other governments and organizations that have close ties with the UK.
FCDO Services helps protect UK government systems from cyber attacks and manages secure computer platforms. It is a public sector organization that earns its own money by providing services, rather than being funded by the public.
FCDO Buildings
Besides its embassies in other countries, the FCDO has several buildings in the UK:
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office Main Building, King Charles Street, London.
- Abercrombie House, East Kilbride.
- Hanslope Park, Hanslope, Milton Keynes. This is where FCDO Services and other security departments are located.
- Lancaster House, St James's, London. This grand building is used for hosting important guests and international events.
The FCO used to also use the Old Admiralty Building in London.
The Main Building
The main FCDO building in London is a very old and important building. It was built between 1861 and 1868 and was originally home to four different government departments. The architect, George Gilbert Scott, designed it in the Italianate style, which looks like old Italian buildings.
In 1925, important agreements called the Locarno Treaties were signed in this building. The room where this happened is now known as the Locarno Suite. During the Second World War, this room was used for code-breaking.
Over the years, the building became very crowded. In the 1960s, some people even suggested tearing it down! But a public outcry stopped this from happening. Instead, the building was protected as a Grade I listed building in 1970, meaning it's a very important historical site.
From 1978, the Home Office moved out, which helped with space. The building then went through a huge £100 million restoration that lasted 17 years and finished in 1997. The beautiful Locarno Suite was fully restored and is now used for international conferences. The building is open to the public on special days each year.
Working with Other Parts of the UK
The UK's international relations are mainly handled by the FCDO in London. However, different parts of the UK, like Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, also have their own offices in places like the European Union, the U.S., and China. These offices help promote their local economies and make sure their interests are considered in the UK's foreign policy. Ministers from these regions can also attend international meetings if the UK government agrees.
See also
In Spanish: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y de la Mancomunidad de Naciones para niños
- Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office migrated archives
- Palmerston (cat), a famous cat who used to live at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Stabilisation Unit
- List of development aid agencies
