The statement made by David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, on 13 January 2024.
The elections today are testament to Taiwan’s vibrant democracy. I offer warm congratulations to the people of Taiwan on the smooth conduct of those elections and to Dr Lai Ching-te and his party on his election. I hope that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will renew efforts to resolve differences peacefully through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion.
The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, at the Ukrainian Rada on 12 January 2024.
Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of the Rada…
I come from the world’s oldest Parliament to address the world’s bravest.
And it is an honour to do so.
Every Parliamentarian serving in a democratically elected chamber treasures the ideal of freedom.
Your courage is defending it.
Even as the enemy came within 20 kilometres of this Chamber…
…with many of you personally targeted…
…you refused to be daunted.
You continued to sit and do your duty – as you have throughout this war.
Because this is where you express the sovereignty and independence…
…for which your people are prepared to sacrifice everything.
This is where you are keeping alive the cause of democracy…
…in defiance of the gravest threat we have faced this century.
So on behalf of Britain and all your allies:
Thank you.
Slava Ukraini.
President Zelensky, you are an inspiration, and, Volodymyr, I am proud to call you a friend.
President John F Kennedy said of the great Winston Churchill that he:
“Mobilised the English language and sent it into battle.”
Volodymyr, you have done the same…
…and English isn’t even your first language!
No leader this century has done more to unite liberal democracies in the defence of our values.
Thank you.
Above all, let me pay tribute to the people of Ukraine.
I first came to Ukraine ten years ago, in the year of the Maidan protests.
I remember the sense of nervous hope…
…as Ukraine looked towards a future as a sovereign European democracy.
And in each of my visits since this war began…
…even amidst all the rubble and destruction…
…the people I’ve met are more determined than ever to realise that dream.
The soldiers who even now fight to the last breath for every inch of ground.
The pilots making stunning blows against Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
The gunners beating impossible odds to defend your skies.
The engineers who defeated darkness during the most difficult winter in your history.
And the ordinary people of Ukraine, who have endured…
…more than anyone should ever have to bear.
Rockets and bombs deliberately aimed at homes and hospitals, shelters, and schools.
Torture, rape, children kidnapped.
You have met this depravity with bravery and defiance.
With your unique, unbreakable Ukrainian spirit.
And all of us in the free world, salute you.
We meet today at a difficult moment in the struggle for Ukraine’s freedom.
As always during conflict, there will be difficult moments.
But we must prepare for this to be a long war.
But I believe there is hope for us in the echoes of Britain’s own history.
If 1940 was our finest hour…
….and Ukraine’s was two years ago as you resisted the Russian invasion…
…then perhaps today is more like 1942.
That was a point in the middle of the war…
…when progress on the battlefield was hard…
…the defence industry was under severe strain…
…and populations were becoming weary.
It must have been hard to see the light ahead.
But they stood firm.
And although they did not know it then…
…for all the setbacks and difficulties that still lay before them…
…that was the moment the tide began to turn, and victory became assured.
I believe that the same will be true of this moment.
In the end, history tells us that democracies who endure will always prevail.
Putin cannot understand…
…that while you can kill individuals and destroy buildings…
…no army can ever defeat the will of a free people.
And that is why Ukraine will win.
Think of what you have already achieved.
Putin believed he could subjugate Ukraine by force in a matter of weeks.
Instead, with every rocket he fires the Ukrainian people become ever more determined…
…and their sense of nationhood becomes stronger still.
Russia’s military vastly outnumbers Ukrainian forces.
Yet you have already regained half of the occupied territory.
You have held the East, reopened vital shipping lanes to help feed the world…
…and increasingly made Crimea a vulnerability for Russia, not a strength.
These victories show: Russia can be beaten in its war of aggression.
It’s on track to lose nearly half a million men.
Putin has faced an attempted coup…
…been indicted as an international war criminal…
… presides over an economy severely weakened by sanctions…
…and has succeeded in persuading countries across Europe…
…to significantly increase their defence spending.
He is now reduced to begging Iran and North Korea for weapons…
…and desperately sacrificing hundreds of thousands more men…
…in the hope that Ukraine will yield, or its friends might walk away.
Well, Ukraine will not yield.
And the United Kingdom will never walk away.
From the very beginning…
…the British people spontaneously flew the Ukrainian flag – and I tell you that it flies still.
They felt moved to show solidarity with people they’ve never met…
In a country most have never visited…
Because of our shared faith in freedom, fairness and democracy.
We welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open hearts.
We trained tens of thousands of their Ukrainian comrades in arms.
we led the way in delivering…
Helicopters, ships, tanks, and armoured vehicles…
Air defences and electronic weapons systems…
Planeloads of anti-tank missiles like the NLAWs and Javelins…
Storm Shadows to reach behind enemy lines and defend against aggression in the Black Sea.
Humanitarian and economic support.
And the strongest set of sanctions ever to debilitate Russia’s economy.
I’m proud that we’ve provided over £9bn of support so far.
But I want to go further still.
Today, President Zelensky and I agreed a new partnership between our two countries…
…designed to last a hundred years or more.
Our partnership is about defence and security.
It is about the unique ties between our people and cultures.
It will build back a better and brighter future for Ukraine.
To attract new investment in jobs and homes…
To fund English language training for the Ukrainian people…
…as you make English the language of business and diplomacy.
And it will hold Russia accountable for their war crimes.
Because Russia must pay to rebuild what they have destroyed.
Perhaps above all, it will support Ukraine to complete the historic journey you have chosen…
…to becoming a free, independent democracy at the heart of Europe.
Ours is the unbreakable alliance:
The nezlamni allianz.
First, we will help you win the war.
Russia thinks that they will outlast us; that our resolve is faltering.
It is not.
In each of the last two years, we sent you £2.3bn of military aid.
This year, we are going to increase that…
…with the biggest single defence package so far…
…worth £2.5bn.
This package will include:
More air defence equipment, more anti-tank weapons, more long-range missiles…
Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells…
And training for thousands more soldiers…
Now in total, the UK will have provided almost £12bn of aid to Ukraine.
So be in no doubt:
We are not walking away.
Putin will never outlast us.
We are here for Ukraine –as long as it takes.
But the best way to make sure Ukraine has the weapons it needs…
…is to help Ukraine to produce those weapons themselves.
So our second action is to work with you to massively increase defence industrial production.
I believe this will be a source of huge economic strength and value for Ukraine in the future.
So even as the UK donates more equipment…
…we will help make you the armoury of the free world.
British companies like BAE Systems and AMS are already supporting your armed forces from within Ukraine.
And we will go further.
Starting today with £200m to manufacture thousands of new drones…
…both here in Ukraine and in the UK.
This is the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation.
Thirdly, today’s agreement supports your historic choice to join NATO.
Because I believe that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO.
But this isn’t just about how NATO benefits Ukraine.
It’s about how Ukraine benefits NATO.
Your understanding of modern war comes not from a textbook but the battlefield.
Your armed forces are experienced, innovative, and brave.
Ukraine belongs in NATO and NATO will be stronger with Ukraine.
Last year’s Vilnius Summit made important steps towards membership.
And I want us to be even more ambitious at the Washington Summit this June.
And we made you a solemn promise…
…along with 30 other countries…
…to provide new, bilateral security assurances.
Today, the UK is the first to deliver on that promise.
President Zelensky and I have just signed a new security agreement.
If Russia ever again invades Ukraine, the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance.
We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky…
Sanction Russia’s economy…
And work closely with allies to do so.
You will not have to ask.
You will not have to argue for what you need.
The UK will be there from the first moment to the last.
I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship.
With unprecedented security guarantees…
…it defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe…
…and sitting side by side among the free countries of the world.
In the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko…
…you have broken your heavy chains and joined…
The family of the free
Because in the end, this is about even more than security.
It is about Ukraine’s right as an independent nation to determine your own future.
And it is about the right of all nations – enshrined in the UN Charter – to determine their own future.
As Churchill said, there are two kinds of nationalism:
“The craze for supreme domination by weight or force” – which he called “a danger and a vice”.
Or the nationalism that comes from “love of country and readiness to die for country…
…love of tradition and culture…
…and the gradual building up…of a social entity dignified by nationhood”.
He called this: “the first of virtues”.
I can think of no better description of the two sides of this war.
Or a better description of the battle that will define our age.
Because while this war may have begun in the deluded mind…
…of a man in thrall to the mirage of a long-dead empire…
…if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop here.
That’s why President Biden, the EU, allies in NATO, the G7 and beyond…
…have seen the century-defining importance of this fight and they have rallied to your cause.
And we cannot – and will not – falter now.
Because aid to Ukraine is an investment in our own collective security.
Only a Ukrainian victory will deter Putin from attacking others in the future…
…and prove our enemies wrong…
…when they say that democracies have neither the patience nor resources for long wars.
This is the choice before us.
These are the stakes.
Waver now – and we embolden not just Putin, but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere.
Or rally to Ukraine’s side and defend our common cause…
…of democracy over dictatorship, freedom over tyranny, the rule of law over anarchy.
That is what you are fighting for.
And to echo Churchill:
We must give you the tools – and I know that you will finish the job.
Let me conclude with this final thought.
On one of the earliest days of the invasion…
In the darkness just before the dawn…
As Russian bombs fell on Kyiv…
President Zelensky stood outside the House with Chimaeras…
…and sent a simple, defiant message to the world:
Miy tut.
We are here.
Today, as the world asks will your allies waver…
Will our resolve weaken…
Will our belief in your success falter…
My reply is the same:
Miy tut.
We are here.
As a symbol of our nezlamni allianz…
…I bring you today the United Kingdom’s flag…
…signed by our country’s entire Cabinet…
…to stand here until the day of your victory and beyond…
…as a sign to the world that we are here…
…and we will always be with you.
Miy tut.
Slava Ukraini.
The comments made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 12 January 2024.
Volodymyr, thank you for the very kind honour you’ve just bestowed on me and for inviting me here today.
It is an honour to stand with you…
…and to send a message on behalf of the United Kingdom…
…and indeed your allies around the world:
Ukraine is not alone.
And Ukraine will never be alone.
Putin might think he can outlast us – but he is wrong.
We stand with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes.
Because this war is about Ukraine’s right to defend itself and determine your own future.
And the Ukrainian people’s historic choice…
…to be an independent democracy at the heart of Europe.
Your quest for freedom has inspired and moved the British people.
And for the free nations of the world, aid to Ukraine is also an investment in our own collective security.
Because if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there.
And our opponents around the world believe that we…
…have neither the patience nor resources for long wars.
So waver now, and we embolden not just Putin…
…but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere.
That’s why the United Kingdom – and the free world – will continue to stand with Ukraine…
…as we have since the very beginning of this war.
Judge our commitment to Ukraine’s freedom not by our words, but by our actions.
The UK was the first to train Ukrainian troops.
First in Europe to provide lethal weapons.
First to commit western battle tanks.
First to provide long-range weapons.
But we need to do more.
Our actions right now will determine the path of the war…
So, far from our resolve faltering, the United Kingdom is announcing today…
…the biggest single package of defence aid to Ukraine since the war began, worth £2.5bn.
This will include:
More air defence equipment…
More anti-tank weapons…
More long-range missiles…
Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells…
Training for thousands more Ukrainian servicemen and women.
And £200m to build thousands more drones…
…the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation.
In total, since the war began, the UK will have provided almost £12bn of aid to Ukraine.
And I’m proud that today, President Zelensky and I…
…have signed a new security agreement…
…that will form the core of a partnership between our two countries…
…that will last a hundred years or more.
This is the first in a series of new, bilateral security assurances promised to Ukraine by 30 countries…
…at last year’s Vilnius Summit.
And it says that if Russia ever invades Ukraine again…
…the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance.
We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky…
Sanction Russia’s economy…
And work closely with allies to do so.
You will not have to ask.
You will not have to argue for what you need.
The UK will be there from the first moment to the last.
And of course, we continue to support Ukraine’s journey to NATO membership.
You belong in NATO and NATO will be stronger with you.
I pay tribute to all those whose significant efforts made today’s agreement happen…
…from the Office of the President, to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and many others besides.
President Zelensky and his team serve not only their country but the cause of peace and justice.
The UK Parliament applauded your courage, resilience, and sincere love of for your country.
Even at a time of war, you are reforming Ukraine for the better.
And with your leadership, Ukraine will prevail.
Volodymyr, the UK stands with you.
I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship.
It extends security guarantees from the UK to Ukraine that are unprecedented.
It defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe.
And it says that Ukraine’s place is, without doubt, among the free nations of the world.
Be in no doubt:
We are not walking away.
Ours is the unbreakable alliance.
The nezlamni allianz.
And just as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine…
…so those same principles guide our actions around the world.
Let me say a brief word about the situation in the Red Sea.
Overnight, the Royal Air Force carried out strikes against two Houthi military facilities in Yemen.
I want to be very clear that these were limited strikes, carefully targeted at launch sites for drones and ballistic missiles.
Over recent months, the Houthi militia have repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea… risking innocent lives and causing huge economic disruption.
In December, we launched Operation Prosperity Guardian with our allies to bolster maritime security.
On 3 January, 14 counties issued a clear warning that attacks must cease.
On 10 January, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the attacks… and highlighting the right of nations to defend their vessels and preserve the freedom of navigation.
Yet the attacks have continued.
British and American warships have been targeted.
That’s why we’ve taken this further, limited action today… in self defence, consistent with the UN Charter.
In the face of this aggression, we will always stand up for the rule of law.
Thank you.
The statement made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 12 January 2024.
The Royal Air Force has carried out targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In recent months, the Houthi militia have carried out a series of dangerous and destabilising attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, threatening UK and other international ships, causing major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices. Their reckless actions are risking lives at sea and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week.
This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.
The Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter further Houthi aggression, and we urge them to cease their attacks and take steps to de-escalate.
The statement made by Lord Benyon on 11 January 2024.
Minister of State Rt Hon Lord Benyon gave a statement on the process and outcome of the 2023 DRC presidential elections.
Statement by Minister of State Rt Hon Lord Benyon:
I would like to congratulate President Tshisekedi on his re-election as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The United Kingdom commends DRC voters for their participation in the Presidential elections and their determination to exercise their democratic rights. We also welcome that voting was broadly peaceful and that elections took place on time.
We also acknowledge issues raised by electoral observation missions regarding the electoral process. I urge the Government of DRC to address these issues transparently and for all candidates to raise complaints or seek redress about the electoral process through peaceful means and engagement with the proper legal and constitutional channels.
The United Kingdom remains a committed partner to the people of DRC, and I look forward to working constructively with President Tshisekedi and his government in this second term. We fully support the President’s ambition to secure long term peace and prosperity for both DRC and the region and look forward to strengthening our bilateral relationship even further, particularly in trade and investment given the DRC’s participation in the upcoming UK African Investment Summit. I also encourage the President and his government to work with the region to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict and humanitarian challenges in the east of the country and an early return to the regionally led peace processes.
The statement made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 1 January 2024.
My thoughts are with all those affected by the earthquakes in Japan which have caused such terrible damage.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is a great friend of the UK and we stand ready to support Japan and are monitoring developments closely.
British nationals in the affected areas should follow the advice of the Japanese authorities.
The speech made by Nusrat Ghani, the Industry and Economic Security Minister, in London on 11 December 2023.
The UK has led the world in its support for Ukraine and its condemnation of Putin and his illegal war.
We were the first country to send our Prime Minister to Kyiv to meet with President Zelenskyy at the start of the war. We were at the forefront of providing military and humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people.
When it mattered, the UK stepped up to the plate.
In turn, this support has been recognised by the Ukrainian people, who dubbed the UK ‘Ukraine’s best friend’.
However, since the very start, we have also recognised that we cannot rely on military force alone.
Time and again, history has shown us that when economies fail, so do tyrants.
That is why, together with our allies, we have imposed the most severe sanctions Russia has ever faced in its history…
…targeting more than 1,900 individuals and entities and 19 Russian banks with global assets of £940 billion.
…effectively weaponising the Ruble and providing the financial punch to send Putin and his ambitions reeling.
Sanctions are an important tool in our diplomatic arsenal that allow us to respond to global threats not just with words but backed up with actions.
We estimate that without combined sanctions Russia would have over $400 billion more to fund its war machine.
We’ve used them not only to weaken Putin’s war efforts, but also to showcase our unyielding support for Ukraine, to deter corrupt activity and cyber-attacks and to demonstrate our condemnation of international human rights violations and abuses.
We also want to make sure that we respond to wider HMG international priorities, such as the threat of climate change- we can’t do that without engaging with countries at events like COP28 – so our trade sanctions work must be consistent, clear and boundaried to make diplomatic relations on other fora as constructive as possible.
My department, DBT, has played a significant part in this work, developing trade sanctions that have had a £20 billion impact on the Russian economy…including by barring Russian businesses from benefitting from our world -renowned services sector.
Thanks to these measures, imports to the UK from Russia have fallen by 94% since the start of the conflict. While UK goods exports have plunged by 74% and services exports have fallen by 50%. Make no mistake these measures are working.
Step by step the sanctions imposed by the UK and its allies are destroying Russia’s ability to maintain, upgrade, and modernise its economy.
…placing a chokehold on investment and productivity – the building blocks of the war machine – which means while Ukraine’s military equipment is improving, Russia’s is degrading.
Of course, the UK has used sanctions before – but never on this scale or scope or with this level of urgency.
As a result, we’ve become ever swifter and more capable at imposing such measures.
But we know we can’t be complacent. We need to stay ahead of those who dream up tricks to swerve sanctions or create workarounds.
Having one of the most robust sanctions regimes in the world is not good enough if we cannot have absolute, unwavering confidence that our rules are being enforced and that no one is exploiting loopholes in the system.
That is why we recently carried out a cross-government review of how we implement and enforce sanctions, which highlighted areas where we can do more.
For instance, we need an expanded toolkit of enforcement powers for trade sanctions breaches – just as we have for financial sanctions.
These additional civil enforcement powers will complement HMRC’s existing – and continuing – powers to take forward criminal prosecutions.
That expanded enforcement toolkit will also be crucial to our efforts – working in lock-step with our international allies – to clamp down on trade via third countries to Russia. These powers will allow us to act where there is a UK national or a UK registered company involved.
And internationally, we are working closely with US and EU sanctions coordinators to liaise with several third party countries to highlight the risks of circumnavigating trade sanctions and together to support them to enforce sanctions effectively.
This has included joint diplomatic outreach to countries where we are seeing spikes in trade of sanctioned goods with Russia.
For example, in recent months, we have sent joint delegations to countries like Kazakhstan, UAE and Uzbekistan, to highlight these risks… I have personally recently been to Kazakhstan and Mongolia and seen for myself the challenges we face.
But our coordinated efforts are paying off. A number of countries – including Turkey, Kazakhstan and Armenia– have announced concrete measures to reduce the risk of sanctioned goods reaching Russia.
So, you can see how it is critical that we act.
Today I am proud to say that this is exactly what we are doing, with the creation of the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation, or for short called OTSI.
The Office will build up our trade sanctions capability and make sure our sanctions regimes are as impactful as possible.
It will also crack down on companies that breach trade sanctions and so help to facilitate warmongers and tyrants to cling to power. Its remit will include the civil enforcement of trade sanctions, as well as providing guidance to business and supporting compliance.
We expect the Office to be ready to enforce trade sanctions next year once its new legal powers are in force.
Today’s announcement came from listening to business asking what more they need to know to get it right.
Most have been exemplary in their response to Russia’s invasion, experiencing the sometimes painful financial consequences of complying with these sanctions to stand up to Putin’s tyranny.
But we do recognise the scale and pace of sanctions-work has been challenging at times. The new office will do more to clarify our expectations and lend support to businesses, ensuring those who play by the rules won’t lose out to those companies that just don’t.
That is where OTSI will come into its own.
But we will also need business expertise, guidance and input to make sure the new unit is as effective and as impactful as possible.
In terms of its functions and responsibilities, OTSI will lead on the civil enforcement of trade sanctions. It will have a range of enforcement tools available including levying monetary penalties on those that break the rules and sanctions dodgers.
And while OTSI will sit within the Department for Business and Trade, its work will complement the work of other government departments and offices responsible for the implementation and enforcement of other sanctions regimes.
This includes the Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, which remains responsible for financial sanctions.
The Department for Transport, which remains responsible for transport sanctions. And the Home Office which is responsible for immigration sanctions and for Modern Slavery.
In addition, overall leadership of sanctions policy will continue to sit with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
OTSI is key in the Government’s delivery of its Economic Deterrence Initiative, announced by the Prime Minister earlier this year in the Integrated Review Refresh.
This Initiative is focused on strengthening our tools to deter potential aggressors and stop them in their tracks.
One of the key objectives of this Initiative is building expertise across government in the design, implementation, and enforcement of sanctions, as they achieve maximum impact.
The new office will better support the implementation and enforcement of all trade sanctions regimes – not just in terms of Russia but for rogue regimes right across the world.
In fact, Parliament will soon be considering the Government’s latest trade sanctions package, which includes further export and import bans and financial restrictions for Russia.
Crucially, this new package will also ban the export of a range of goods including the latest items Ukraine has encountered on the battlefield such as machine parts and chemicals, as well as products that raise revenue to fund Putin’s war machine.
In essence, once this legislation is passed only low-risk, humanitarian, food, and health exports to Russia will remain unsanctioned.
And there is more to come.
The UK remains committed to upholding the rule of law, which protects global security and human dignity in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable.
We are more united than ever in the pursuit of international peace, prosperity and sustainable development, and have strengthened our engagement with international partners beyond the G7
We’ve seen how well sanctions can work and we’re getting even better at using them.
That’s why I’ve no doubt that the Office of Trade and Sanctions Implementation will be a game-changer for the UK on the international stage, allowing us to move in lock-step with our allies on economic sanctions as they’re needed.
Sanctions are crafted to be targeted and focused to have maximum impact – we’ve used them to disrupt all avenues for Putin to pay for his illegal war.
OTSI will also be a game changer for British businesses at home where my department will help in building stronger international supply chains which are not dependent on malevolent foreign actors.
On Wednesday I’m hoping to launch my Critical Minerals imports supply chain paper to help businesses too.
In turn, this will translate into the prosperity and security that will benefit our citizens long into the future.
I’m really grateful to policy exchange for allowing me the moment today to launch OTSI, and I look forward to working with all of you especially if you’re a business so we can develop this work moving forward. Thank you so much.
The speech made by David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, in London on 7 December 2023.
Thank you for joining us in marking Human Rights Day.
75 years ago, in the aftermath of the horrors of the Second World War, the world declared that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. A universal entitlement. A simple truth. An historic step.
Tragically today, that principle is under growing threat. Autocracy rising again. New tech misused. Individual freedoms violated and abused.
I therefore make three commitments to you today.
First, the UK will continue to stand up for the rights of all.
As Foreign Secretary, I have sanctioned Hamas terrorists, and called on Israel to respect Palestinian civilians’ rights and freedoms. I have shown solidarity with the brave defenders of Ukraine, and backed the OSCE.
Any violation and abuse is wrong – be it Iran’s execution of juvenile offenders, the Taliban trampling on women’s rights or China’s suppression of dissent.
And so I am determined that the UK will: Hold malign actors to account. Offer support and sanctuary to victims. Defend the open international order.
Second commitment: we will champion the open societies which guarantee these rights in the first place.
Rights do not exist in a vacuum. The world’s poorest are increasingly found in states which lack respect for the rule of law, have high levels of corruption, and exclude citizens or communities.
As our new Development White Paper makes clear, we will focus on tackling these issues. This is vital to protecting individual rights and unleashing every individual’s potential.
Third, we do not seek to do this alone.
We are proud of Britain’s free and tolerant society. But countless individuals worldwide contribute to realising human rights globally. Britain stands together with allies, friends and partners – old and new.
We needed strength and unity to defeat Nazism. We needed strength and unity to realise the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And we need strength and unity to defend those rights today.
And if we show that strength and unity, there is no reason that we cannot prevail.
The speech made by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Foreign Office Minister, in Perth, Australia on 8 December 2023.
Thank you, Rebecca, for your kind introduction.
Firstly, I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and future.
I am delighted to join you all today – my fourth trip to Australia this year, and my third to Perth.
It is not just the beauty of this vibrant city, your family of black swans on the river, or your wonderful climate, that keep bringing me back. Although my friend Stephen Smith, Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK and fiercely proud former Federal Member for Perth, often teases me that it is!
The reason I keep coming back is Perth’s significance to AUKUS as the future home of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet. And, as you welcomed USS North Carolina into port in August, it was clear for all to see that the ‘Optimal Pathway’ is now underway.
The Royal Navy is looking forward to joining our American navy colleagues here more frequently from 2026, as our fleet of Astute class nuclear-powered submarines visits regularly, to strengthen our naval partnership to protect the region’s freedom of navigation across Indo-Pacific waters.
Your recent visitor USS North Carolina was a demonstration of the continuing steps forward in the long journey towards SSN-AUKUS become reality.
AUKUS is a security partnership of global significance.
Events in Israel and Gaza, and Russia’s continuing attack against Ukraine, remind us how events far from our shores reverberate at home, with implications for our security, our economy, and our society.
The UK government is under no illusion about the risks to global economic security if stability in the Indo-Pacific is shattered.
As an island nation and a global trading power, like Australia, the UK depends on open shipping routes and unimpeded sea lanes.
Free flows of trade, energy and data – above and below the surface – must be our continuing focus. Because the security of Indo-Pacific waters has a direct impact on my constituents in Northumberland as well as households across the UK and around the world.
That is why we recommitted our support to a free and open Indo-Pacific in our foreign and defence policy refresh.
AUKUS is the UK’s biggest investment in the stability of the Indo-Pacific, and broader global security, for half a century.
Its positive impact will be felt in the region, in our relationships with two of our oldest and closest allies – but also across defence, industry and academia in all three partner countries.
That is why I, and the UK Government, will do all we can to support you, bringing UK industrial and academic expertise honed over 60 years.
Taking on a nuclear-powered fleet is an enormous endeavour, and Western Australia is critical to delivering the availability and sustainment of this new generation of submarines for the Australian Navy, the workforce to support them and the infrastructure to underpin their requirements.
On each of my visits over the last year, I have met with critical stakeholders. And I am excited to say that on this visit I am really starting to feel the momentum picking up on real partnership building and the investment picture needed.
During this visit, I have met with leaders from Defence West, the Australian Submarine Agency, and Curtin University’s new AUKUS Workforce Alliance.
We have hosted Western Australian leaders in the UK, including the Honourable Paul Papalia, to share our knowledge and discuss the most effective relationships which can help you build this new, hugely complex, enterprise with the help of our experienced industrial enterprise.
And, of course, AUKUS isn’t only about submarines.
I’ve seen for myself the expertise and advanced capabilities within Western Australia’s defence sector.
From cyber to AI to remote operations, this region is well-positioned to do well from AUKUS Pillar Two. And from increasing collaboration with your UK and US counterparts.
Last week, AUKUS Defence Ministers made a series of major announcements on Pillar Two that will build our mutual deterrence posture to make us stronger and create lots of opportunities for our defence industries.
Joint exercises will continue to improve our ability to offset an opponent’s advantage, and increase the sophistication and impact of our autonomous naval systems.
We will accelerate the development of quantum technologies for positioning, navigation, and timing in military capabilities. This will bolster the resilience of our forces in the most challenging environments, and enhance stealth in undersea capabilities, which will also support SSN-AUKUS.
We will collaborate on the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability programme, which will use sites in all three countries to help identify emerging threats in space.
And finally, we are working on cyber security with critical suppliers to the naval supply chain, which will give us greater insight into the threats to AUKUS and how to address them.
The progress we are making proves that pooling resources and expertise, and focussing on interoperability, makes us stronger than we ever could be alone in tackling the present geopolitical strains.
AUKUS has global significance. But its impacts are also in our local communities. AUKUS will be delivered by Australian, British, and American workers, civilian and uniformed. It will create and sustain thousands of jobs, and boost and regenerate industrial heartlands.
The submarine enterprise – Pillar 1 – will bring together world-leading British design, with the very best technology, skills and industrial heft from all three partners.
In the UK we have now committed £4bn of contracts to design and manufacture the first components for SSN-AUKUS. Rolls Royce is expanding its nuclear reactor manufacturing site in Derby, and BAe Systems is working with the town of Barrow to expand its site and skills. Babcock is continuing to invest in modernising their delivery of submarine sustainment and maintenance, which you will want to tap into in order to save time re-inventing the proverbial wheel.
It’s good to see a few of the first cohort of workers from Australia embedded with UK and US counterparts, learning from the best and brightest in our defence industry.
But let’s be under no illusion the scale of the challenge, especially in relation to the pace required to get to the start line.
The scale and ambition of AUKUS is exciting for the defence industry. But at a time of heightened demand from Ukraine and Israel, and from other states who are bolstering their defences in light of Putin’s aggression, it will test the capability and capacity of defence sectors in all three partner nations.
So, we must work together to build the next generations of designers, project managers, engineers, welders, and technicians. As well as the nuclear, cyber and digital experts, who will play a vital role in delivering AUKUS.
These jobs demand unique skills and qualifications. Many require years of training. Developing the required workforce growth, without draining the existing skills bases, needs planning and investment.
We also need to ensure our people can move easily between the three countries, to enable them to exchange knowledge, skills and experience. I know that the mobility agreement we agreed as part of our UK- Australia FTA last year will be important in supporting that flow.
AUKUS is a multi-generational as well as multi-national endeavour, which will require us to adapt in order to continue to pull in the same direction.
For the partnership to work to best effect, we need to ensure legal and regulatory frameworks are complementary. US ITAR controls being reviewed and legislated at the moment by US legislators, will enable us to navigate a path through export control regimes, so our industries can work more closely together.
AUKUS is already changing how we work together, and we are working to overcome the challenges that arise from it.
In the UK we are investing in our new Nuclear Skills Taskforce, to boost the capacity of our sector. We have appointed a cross-government Director-General of AUKUS, to provide leadership and enhance coordination.
We must now work trilaterally to ramp up our engagement and delivery of urgent activity with industry. That’s why I was so pleased to hear about the brilliant Aukus Workforce Alliance created between HII, the US industrial maintenance lead for Virginias, Babcock, the UK’s industrial sustainment lead for UK Astutes and three Australian universities – Curtin, University of New South Wales and University of Adelaide. Forward thinking for the long-term skills challenge.
We have established an AUKUS Defence Industry Forum, which will bring together governments and industry from all three countries to help drive forward delivery of advanced capabilities. And we have initiated the AUKUS Defence Investors Network to strengthen financing.
To conclude, the scale of our ambition for the trilateral AUKUS partnership is vast, and there are enormous opportunities and responsibilities for government to enable industry to deliver the policy aims needed.
Delivering across both Pillars of the partnership will be an exceptionally complex challenge. But it is a challenge we can overcome by working together.
We must keep at the front of our minds at all times why we are doing this – we have a responsibility together to provide defence capabilities which will be capable of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific – not just for our trading and security interests, but for our neighbours, friends and allies.
Global maritime security is under pressure – our challenge is to assure it in order to:
These conversations are critically important to helping policy makers set this enormous project on the right road. So, thank you firstly to Senator Linda Reynolds for asking whether I would support this – of course!; and to Gordon Flake and the US Asia Centre and Business News for making it a reality.
So – please do tell me what you think we need to do to deliver our shared ambitions for AUKUS, drawing on the rich talents of the people and businesses of Western Australia. The simple question is are we going fast enough to enable you to deliver the requirements to sustain and maintain a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines here in Western Australia? Our mission is to reassure allies – and that will be achieved if we assure ourselves we are going hard and fast enough to meet delivery of the challenge.
I know you won’t be shy in sharing your views, that’s one of the wonderful characteristics of Australians!
Thank you.
The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, in Dubai on 1 December 2023.
I’m here at COP28 with two clear messages…
First, the world needs to do more to tackle climate change.
We’ve made real progress – including at the Glasgow summit…
…but the climate science and mounting evidence of climate-related disasters…
…show we’re not moving quickly or effectively enough.
So I’m calling on major emitters to dramatically accelerate delivery on what they’ve already promised.
Everyone can do more.
And let’s be very clear – the UK is leading the charge.
We’re absolutely committed to our Net Zero targets.
We’ve already decarbonised faster than any other major economy.
Our emissions are down 48 percent since 1990.
Compared to limited cuts from others.
And a 300 percent increase from China.
We’re also one of the largest climate donors, because we want to help those suffering the impacts of climate change.
My pledge from September of £1.6 billion for the Green Climate Fund was the UK’s biggest single climate change commitment.
And we’re going further… announcing £1.6 billion today for renewable energy, green innovation and forests…
…delivering on the historic Glasgow deal to end deforestation – because we can’t tackle climate change without nature.
We’re also leveraging the genius of the City of London to deliver billions more in private finance.
Again the UK is leading by example… and we need others to step up.
Because my second message is this…
As I said in September, we won’t tackle climate change unless we take people with us.
Climate politics is close to breaking point.
The British people care about the environment.
They know that the costs of inaction are intolerable.
But they also know that we have choices about how we act.
So yes we’ll meet our targets…
…but we’ll do it in a more pragmatic way, which doesn’t burden working people.
We’ve scrapped plans on heat pumps and energy efficiency, which would have cost families thousands of pounds.
We’ll help people to improve energy efficiency and cut bills – but we won’t force them too.
We’ll support nature across the UK.
Just this week I announced a huge new effort with 34 landscape recovery projects, a new national park – and more.
And we’ll harness the opportunities of technology and green industry to deliver net zero in a way that benefits the British people.
And today I can share more proof on the progress we’re making.
I’m pleased to announce a new deal between Masdar and RWE…
…which includes a commitment to jointly invest up to £11 billion into the UK’s new windfarm at Dogger Bank – which will be the biggest in the world.
This is a huge boost for UK renewables…
…creating more jobs…
…helping to power 3 million homes…
…and increasing our energy security.
And, by the way, this comes just days after we announced £30 billion of investment at our Global Investment Summit… and £21 billion of investment from South Korea.
We’ve quite frankly never seen a week like it.
In Dubai today, I’ve also had conversations with a range of leaders – including Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan – about the situation in Israel and Gaza.
Our position is clear and consistent.
We’ve been categorical in our support for Israel’s right to self-defence and to go after the architects of the atrocities of 7th October…
…while stressing Israel’s obligation to act in line with international humanitarian law.
I strongly welcomed the pause in fighting to get hostages out…
…and we’ve been using the opportunity to get more aid into Gaza.
The UK has trebled its aid, but still not enough is getting in via Rafah and other crossings.
So we are actively exploring other routes, including by sea.
The breakdown of the truce today is deeply disappointing, not least because a growing number of hostages were coming home.
I pay tribute to the role of Qatar in helping facilitate these efforts – and I hope the process can be resumed.
We want all the hostages released – and in this initial phase all women and children should be freed.
I’ve said before that the number of civilian casualties and the scale of the suffering has been far too high.
So the return of hostilities is concerning to us all.
We’re making it clear that Israel must take maximum care to protect civilian life.
We’re opposed to anything that would involve the mass displacement of people.
We need to ensure that there are viable designated areas where safety can be guaranteed.
And we need to ensure that critical infrastructure like water supplies and hospitals are protected.
Again, we’ve been consistent on all of this.
So I support the civilian protection plans outlined yesterday by the US Secretary of State.
Indeed this has been a central theme in our discussions with regional leaders here, including Israeli President Herzog.
Ultimately we will redouble our efforts create a political horizon in which hostages are freed and security, safety and dignity is assured.
We will continue to work with our partners to create a lasting peace…
…beginning with practical steps that address the crisis now.
Thank you.