About the FCO

'Better World, Better Britain', the UK's national security and prosperity depends on how we work with other nations. This requires a modern and effective Foreign and Commonwealth Office that is clear about its role and focuses effort where it will make the most difference. Our work falls into three main parts: supporting the British economy, supporting British nationals abroad and supporting managed migration for Britain.

Operating in a global environment

We have over 260 British Embassies/Consulates in more than 190 countries and over 10,000 local staff. Globalisation means greater connections and interdependence through travel, trade and communication. What happens in one part of the world — whether political, economic or social — can impact the UK.

The FCO helps to maintain close relations with other nations, over issues such as pandemics, financial stability and security concerns including weapons proliferation. It's important for us to reach out to people from different cultures who hold different views, and is core to the success of our UK and locally-engaged staff working together for UK interests.

Diversity

The FCO seeks strength through diversity, is firmly committed to equal Opportunities and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability. We encourage applications from suitably qualified people from any background and our aim is to represent the whole of 21st century British society. We organise and participate in several schemes that actively promote greater diversity in our recruitment intake and you can read about these in more detail on the main FCO website.