Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 October 2022.

Joint statement delivered by Ireland on behalf of the UK and 78 countries on reprisals at the UN Third Committee.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 October 2022.

Statement by Alice Jacobs, UK Deputy Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Central African Republic.

Thank you President. I thank SRSG Rugwabiza for her briefing and I also welcome the participation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of CAR and the representative of Rwanda.

I will make three points in response to what we have heard today.

First, the United Kingdom welcomes the progress on the political track including steps to implement the Peace Agreement and preparations to hold local elections in January 2023. We strongly encourage the CAR authorities, with MINUSCA’s support, to build on political progress and ensure meaningful engagement with civil society, including women.

Second, freedom of movement is fundamental to MINUSCA’s work. We welcome the recent reductions in status-of-forces agreement violations and more widely the positive relationship that the SRSG has established with the CAR authorities. We very much hope this trend will continue.

We also encourage the CAR government to work in partnership with the UN Mine Action Service to tackle landmines and IEDs with more urgency. Explosive devices are a grave threat to civilian populations and their access to humanitarian assistance, as well as to the safety and security of peacekeepers. I join others in expressing deep concern at the attack of 3 October in which three Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and one injured, and offer sincere condolences to their families and to Bangladesh.

Third, the UK is alarmed by the dramatic increase in the number of human rights violations and abuses reflected in the Secretary-General’s report. The violence in the Central African Republic, including conflict-related sexual violence, continues to take a distressing toll on the population. It compounds an already acute humanitarian situation and risks undermining progress on reconciliation. The targeting of civilians not only by armed groups, but also by national forces and the Russian mercenary group Wagner, continue to play a destabilising role in the country and will not help long-term peace as others have also emphasised today. We call on the CAR Government to conduct full and timely investigations into allegations of human rights violations and abuses, to ensure that all perpetrators are held accountable.

Finally, President, we welcome the Secretary-General’s recommendation to extend MINUSCA’s mandate. It is vital that the Security Council supports MINUSCA’s crucial efforts to help the CAR Government build lasting peace. The SRSG and her team has our full support.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 October 2022.

Cross-regional joint statement by 71 countries at the UN Third Committee.

Today at the UN General Assembly Third Committee for Human Rights, the UK, Mexico, Liberia, Albania, Nepal, and the US co-led a cross-regional joint statement on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender equality.

With over 70 co-signatories to the statement, this is a demonstration of Member States’ commitment to protecting and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights in our work at the UN.

Minister Ford said:

“The UK’s vision is a world where women and girls have control over their own bodies, lives, and futures free from coercion and violence. To achieve this we must have strong, coordinated global ambition and action to support all women and girls to realise their rights. Today I am proud that we are leading the way with 71 of our partners from across the globe. Our historic joint statement at the UNGA Third Committee on Human Rights co-led with Mexico, Liberia, Albania, Nepal and US, has reiterated our commitment to work tirelessly together to advance gender equality and support the human rights of all women and girls everywhere.”

Cross-regional joint statement by 71 countries at the UN Third Committee

Statement delivered by Liberia on behalf of Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.

Mr. Chair,

Over the past three years, the Covid-19 pandemic has reminded us that gains on human rights and development are fragile and can never be taken as granted. The pandemic, and the measures needed to tackle it, have also disproportionately affected women and girls coming at a time when over twenty-five years of hard-fought gains on women’s rights were already seriously under threat. We continue seeing increasing attempts to unravel the international consensus on the importance of gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights.

Too many women and girls are still denied the right to make decisions about their own lives and are subject to sexual and gender-based violence, including harmful practices, with the tragic reality that one in three women worldwide has experienced violence in her lifetime. We must not waver in our commitment to promote, protect, respect, and fulfil the human rights of all women and girls across the globe. Persons in situations of vulnerability, especially women, adolescents and girls, must be kept at the center of our efforts. We must ensure that we continue to strive for a world grounded in principles of equality, dignity, and non-discrimination. We are determined to accelerate global action with attention to fostering resilience against shocks with a gender lens.

First, we know that societies that protect and promote the human rights of all women and girls and empower them economically and politically are more stable, peaceful, equal and prosperous. Women must be empowered to make their own choices and decide their own future, which is central to reaching their full potential, realizing gender equality and achieving sustainable development.  We must respect the bodily autonomy of women and girls throughout their lives by supporting them in exercising their sexual and reproductive rights, preventing all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination and eliminating harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage. Therefore, policies aimed at empowering women and girls must advance comprehensive access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, supporting all women and adolescents to make their own sexual and reproductive health decisions, including whether, when, and how many children to have, and to experience safe and supported pregnancy and childbirth.

Second, women and girls lift up their communities and we cannot build stronger societies without their full, equal and meaningful participation across all levels of decision-making.  Without access to sexual and reproductive health services and information on their rights, women and girls may experience barriers to full, equal and meaningful participation in the achievement of sustainable development.  As efforts turn to rebuilding and recovering from the pandemic, we must continue to advance gender equality and inclusive governance, particularly the meaningful inclusion and participation of adolescents and youth in decision-making. The world has the largest generation of young people ever.  They are making their voices heard, rightfully demanding participation, agency and leadership.  We must engage them meaningfully as equal partners in creating the path forward. Investing in healthy and educated adolescents, their capabilities, empowerment and resilience, the fulfillment of their human rights and gender equality, and their own ability for positive civic action and change is essential to build a brighter and inclusive future.

Third, the world must remain committed to accelerating the achievement of the SDGs and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

In closing Mr. Chair, rest assured that we will work tirelessly together to promote the human rights of all women and girls everywhere, including here through the negotiations of this Committee, under your most able leadership.

I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 October 2022.

Nick Ryder (FCDO) highlights the appalling environmental damage caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and efforts needed to rebuild Ukraine and its environment.

Thank you Mr Chair. Good morning from London. I would like to thank the Secretary General and the three panellists for their interventions. It is right that the OSCE continues to focus on this topic. Climate change remains an existential threat to our shared environment.

Mr Chair, as Mr Fedorenko, the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources has so eloquently set out, the environment is yet another casualty of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We have seen appalling environmental damage to Ukraine, such as degradation and pollution of land and water, which will take decades to remedy. Russia’s reckless attacks on nuclear facilities risk a catastrophe that could cause continent-wide contamination.

Russia is weaponising energy to support its illegal war and we cannot let it succeed. Energy should never be used as a tool of political coercion. Many countries have now recognised Russia as an unreliable supplier and are limiting their consumption of Russian hydrocarbons which are helping to fund Putin’s war machine. This is why the UK plans to phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of this year. Reducing our collective dependence on Putin’s oil and gas has a practical as well as moral imperative.

Russian forces have destroyed city after city in Ukraine. Helping to rebuild the country and its natural environment will be one of the great tasks for our generation. The UK and our allies will continue to make substantial financial and economic support available to Ukraine to strengthen the resilience of its economy. The UK calls upon the international community to put the principles of environmental protection and sustainable, low carbon development at the heart of this reconstruction effort.

Mr Chair, the brutal attacks in Ukraine have shown the environmental damage that militaries can do. But even militaries at peace can have significant environmental impact. In the UK for example, defence accounts for 50% of central government emissions. In future, our armed forces will embrace the green energy transition, trialling new types of vehicles, fuels standards, and energy storage. Our defence ministry’s Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach report sets out how we will do this.

Mr. Chair, I wish to conclude by highlighting again the importance of this topic. As we have seen in our own region, including recently in Central Asia, climate-related disruptions risk straining existing international security arrangements, creating new geostrategic flashpoints, and raising the potential for further inter-state military competition and conflict.

Finally, we once again call on Russia to cease all hostilities and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its troops and military equipment from all of Ukraine. Wars not only damage the environment but they also divert attention and resources away from addressing existential climate challenges and break down the cooperation needed to address them.