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The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland welcomes the discussions held during the 64th round, and commends the Co-Chairs for their continued efforts to facilitate dialogue among all participants.

The United Kingdom reaffirms its strong support for the Geneva International Discussions (GID) as a vital platform for addressing the consequences of the 2008 conflict in Georgia and promoting long-term peace and stability in the region. We commend the Co-Chairs for their continued efforts to facilitate dialogue among all participants.

The UK reaffirms its full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. We continue to call on the Russian Federation to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.

We welcome the discussions held during the 64th round, particularly the focus on security arrangements, non-use of force and humanitarian issues – including freedom of movement, documentation, and the rights of displaced persons. We regret that the agenda item on internally displaced persons and refugees could not be addressed due to a walkout by some participants, and we urge all parties to engage constructively in future rounds.

The UK remains deeply concerned by the ongoing restrictions on freedom of movement and the human rights situation in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We again call for full access for international humanitarian and human rights mechanisms.

We look forward to the next round of discussions in November 2025 and encourage all parties to engage in good faith to achieve tangible progress for the benefit of all conflict-affected communities.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland condemns Russia’s latest aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities, which have killed civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure, and highlights the UK’s recent sanctions package in response to Russia’s use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Thank you, Mr Chair. Last week in this Council we said that Russia had launched its biggest aerial attacks of the war so far. One day later, it was already out of date.  Last Friday, on 4 July, Russia broke its record again, launching overnight 539 drones and 11 missiles at Ukraine. Apartments, businesses, a school, a medical facility and other civilian infrastructure were damaged. A thick smoke cloud hung over central Kyiv, prompting health warnings. And, overnight on Tuesday, 8 July, Russia exceeded that again, launching 728 drones and 13 missiles at Lutsk and other Ukrainian cities. This was the largest such attack in the war to date. Russia shows no sign of letting up these aerial assaults. The barrage and destruction continue.

So far in 2025, Russia has launched over 20,000 drones at Ukraine. That’s around 3,500 per month. This is more than 3.5x the average in 2024. Russia has launched the nine largest daily air attacks of the war in the past six weeks.

Mr Chair, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recently published its periodic report on the human rights situation in Ukraine. It stated: “Our findings strongly suggest a failure to distinguish between civilian and military targets, and to take all feasible precautions to verify the military nature of those targets – or worse, an intentional decision not to.”

These aerial attacks are not the actions of a government that is serious about peace.  President Putin has demonstrated that amply in recent days by repeating his maximalist objectives for the war. Following his call with the Kremlin on 3 July, President Trump told reporters that he was ‘very disappointed with the conversation’ because Putin was ‘not looking to stop’.

Mr Chair, the statement published last week by the Dutch and German intelligence services indicating Russian use of chemical weapons on the front line is deeply concerning. The OPCW has now published three reports confirming the presence of CS gas in samples collected by Ukraine from the battlefield. We will not ignore such disregard of the Chemical Weapons Convention. That is why the UK announced a second package of sanctions this week against two senior Russian military officials and a Russian research institute for their involvement in Russia’s chemical weapons violations.

Mr Chair, we must also redouble our efforts to support Ukraine to get through this, and to rebuild after the war is over. The Ukraine Recovery Conference being held in Rome this week is a pivotal moment for the international community to demonstrate its commitment. In total, the UK has committed £5.3 billion in non-military support to Ukraine. The World Bank has estimated that Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction needs will cost USD $524bn over the next decade. Early recovery and reconstruction are vital to get through the war and secure a just and lasting peace. It is essential for all countries to step up their support, ensuring a unified and effective response to Ukraine’s recovery needs. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland thanks Austria’s Court of Audit for their professional work as External Auditor, and urges other participating States to engage constructively towards agreeing an OSCE Unified Budget.

The United Kingdom thanks the Secretary General, and representatives of the Austrian Court of Audit and the Audit Committee for their presentations today and their comprehensive reports.

The External Auditor and Audit Committee reports provide an important overview of the OSCE’s financial health, and oversight of the organisation’s administration and internal controls. We recognise that the audit assessments have been made in the context of significant ongoing challenges – including the impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the continued non-agreement of the OSCE Unified Budget.

The UK welcomes the unqualified opinion of the External Auditor that the OSCE’s financial statements for 2024 presented fairly the financial position of the organisation. We appreciate the Austrian Court of Audit’s professional work in this role, and warmly welcome your earlier agreement to extend for a further two audit cycles until July 2026.

Mr Chair, it is vital for the work of all OSCE structures that participating States agree a Unified Budget for 2025 and beyond. As the Reports and presentations this morning clearly illustrate, the continued non-agreement of the Unified Budget – and the lack of an updated Post Table – continue to severely constrain all parts of the organisation in delivering their mandates. We again urge all participating States to engage constructively with budget proposals and ensure the organisation is able to carry out its work effectively in line with the OSCE principles we have all signed up to.

We welcome the assessments in the Reports that the OSCE’s overall financial liquidity remains sound. We commend the OSCE executive structures for their ongoing work to adapt to the financial challenges facing the organisation, and for helping to maintain continuity of business. We also appreciate the tireless efforts of successive Chairs-in-Office – Malta and Finland – in advancing budget proposals and agreeing additional expenditure authorisations.

I again thank the Austrian Court of Audit and the Audit Committee for the comprehensive reports. As always, the UK looks forward to engaging constructively on the report recommendations.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland honours the memory of those killed in the Srebrenica genocide, and underlines the UK’s support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its ongoing efforts to build a stable, inclusive country for all its citizens.

Madam Chair, 30 years ago in Srebrenica, genocide took place in Europe for the first time since 1945. Over 8,000 innocent men and boys were brutally killed in a single month that summer, and more than 20,000 women and children were forcibly uprooted from their homes. We honour the memory of those killed, pay tribute to the survivors, and stand firm alongside them in their pursuit of justice and reconciliation.

On 16 June, the UK marked our National Srebrenica Memorial Day at a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral, attended by the Deputy Prime Minister. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina this week for the official Commemoration at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found that several individuals were guilty of genocide in Srebrenica. Acknowledgement of that fact should in no way be seen as an attempt to blame an entire country or people for the suffering of another, and it should not be a cause for tension and division. Rather, it is a basis on which true reconciliation can be achieved.

The UK stands with Bosnia and Herzegovina in its ongoing efforts to build a stable, inclusive country for all its citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and to heal the divisions inflicted by war. It is deeply troubling that divisive and inciteful rhetoric, reckless secessionist ambitions, and direct attacks on the Dayton Peace Agreement – which remains Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional framework – continue to threaten peace and stability.

Madam Chair, this will be the fourth successive year that we mark this anniversary in the shadow of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Terrible events such as the genocide at Srebrenica show the consequences of inaction. We owe it to the victims to create societies that are stable, inclusive and cohesive, and to fight against prejudice, hatred, fear and division. Remaining true to our shared commitment to the concept of comprehensive security, articulated by the Helsinki principles and central to membership of the OSCE, remains the best way to achieve this.

Only through such collective responsibility can we honour the past, respect the survivors’ enduring efforts, and work to ensure that atrocities such as the Srebrenica genocide are never repeated.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2025.

UK Closing Statement for the 59th session of the HRC. Delivered at HRC59 in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr President.

We would like to make closing remarks on three resolutions.

In respect of L.20, the UK’s commitment to the safety of journalists and media freedom is unwavering. In accordance with international law, surveillance or interference with encryption technologies must be necessary, proportionate and subject to proper safeguards. Without such safeguards, journalists’ lawful activities should not be investigated or interfered with – either domestically or extraterritorially. In the UK, our investigatory powers legislation protects journalistic freedom by including specific safeguards for confidential journalistic material.

In respect of resolution L.17 on climate change, the UK is concerned that the significance of the Paris Agreement is inadequately reflected. We emphasise that the Paris Agreement is a freestanding treaty and not an annex to the Framework Convention. The UK is fully committed to the Paris Agreement, which urges all parties to tackle climate change in light of different national circumstances.

Human rights must be respected and protected when taking action to address climate change. However, climate finance, debt relief, climate justice and technology transfer are not prerequisites to the realisation of international human rights obligations.  International human rights law does not recognise the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, which is specific only to certain international environmental treaties.

Finally, with respect to L.8, the UK has long been a supporter of better and more affordable access to medicines in low- and middle-income countries. However, to maximise the prospects of successfully and sustainably achieving this, technology transfer needs to be on voluntary and mutually agreed terms. The UK has consistently raised its concerns about the phrase “unhindered access” in this and other fora.

The UK thanks the core groups for their constructive engagement on these resolutions.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the Oral Update of the Independent Expert on Central African Republic (CAR). This statement was delivered on 4 July 2025 during the 59th session of the HRC in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr Vice President,

We thank the Independent Expert for his update and welcome the Central African Republic’s continued cooperation with his mandate.

As the Central African Republic continues to strengthen its human rights framework, we welcome the appointment of 11 new commissioners of the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission. And we  encourage a timely resumption of the Commission’s activities.

However, we remain alarmed that reports of human rights violations and abuses continue to increase across the country. We reiterate our call for the Central African Republic to initiate court proceedings to hold to account members of armed groups accused of human rights violations and abuses.

Mr Vice President, holding credible and secure local elections is a crucial step to strengthen local governance ahead of presidential and legislative elections next year. The UK strongly encourages CAR to protect civil and political human rights throughout the electoral period. This is an important opportunity for CAR to demonstrate their commitment to democracy.

Mr Agbetse, following the recent postponement of local elections, how can this council support the timely and inclusive delivery of elections for the people of CAR?