The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for protecting and promoting British interests worldwide. It leads the nation's foreign diplomacy, international development assistance, and global diplomatic network while providing consular support to British citizens abroad. The department was established in September 2020 by merging the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, tracing its direct administrative lineage back to the creation of the original Foreign Office in 1782.