Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 April 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Libya.

I will focus on three elements that are central to the current situation in Libya. Firstly economic governance, then sovereign resources, then migrants and refugees, and then I’ll look at the way forward.

First, the United Kingdom welcomes the milestone agreement on a unified budget reached on 11 April. 

This provides the opportunity to improve economic governance across Libya and strengthen the independence of its financial institutions. 

We welcome US efforts to facilitate this agreement and urge all parties to implement the budget in full.

We encourage all Libyan stakeholders to use this milestone confidence‑building measure, both to help rebuild trust between institutions and across political divides. 

We urge all sides to engage constructively and overcome the obstacles to progressing the SRSG’s roadmap. 

We reiterate our firm commitment to an inclusive political process, facilitated by the UN, which works towards national elections and safeguards Libya’s unity, sovereignty, and stability.

Second, this Council’s recent renewal of the Libya sanctions regime demonstrates our collective commitment to safeguarding Libya’s sovereign resources. 

Strengthened measures to prevent oil smuggling, alongside continued protections for frozen assets, will help ensure that Libya’s wealth is preserved for the long‑term benefit of the Libyan people. 

We call on all Libyan stakeholders to respect the independence of Libya’s institutions, including the National Oil Corporation and Central Bank of Libya, in order to ensure they can work without interference or politicisation.

Third, we remain deeply concerned by the situation of migrants and refugees in Libya, including reports of trafficking, abuse, and informal detention. 

We welcome the authorities’ ongoing cooperation with international partners, including on voluntary returns. But we urge continued efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and close informal detention centres to strengthen protection of migrants and refugees, uphold human rights, and support safe and dignified returns.

In conclusion, President, inaction is not an option. 

The Libyan people continue to seek unified governance that can provide security, stability, and opportunity. 

We urge all parties to prioritise citizens’ interests, to engage seriously with the SRSG’s roadmap in line with this Council’s Press Statement of 3 March, and to support a credible political process that can deliver enduring peace and shared prosperity.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 April 2026.

An FCDO spokesperson said:

DPRK’s ballistic missile launches on 19 April are another breach of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), destabilising regional peace and security.

The UK continues to urge DPRK to stop provocations, to engage in meaningful diplomacy and return to dialogue.

STORY

Britain has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in South Sudan, warning that continued fighting is worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis and putting more civilians at risk. In a statement to the UN Security Council, UK Deputy Permanent Representative Archie Young said the violence between the main parties to the peace agreement was causing fresh displacement, serious human rights abuses and further destruction in places including Akobo.

The UK said South Sudan’s leaders must meet their obligations under international law, protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need without obstruction. Young also pointed to reported abuses including conflict related sexual violence and the recruitment of children, saying the crisis could only be resolved through an inclusive political process involving all key parties, including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition led by First Vice President Riek Machar.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 April 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan.

Thank you, President.

I congratulate SRSG Gbeho on her appointment and thank her and USG Fletcher for their briefings and clear steps. I also pay tribute to her predecessor, the late Fink Haysom, for his extraordinary contribution to the United Nations and the cause of peace.

In the context of this fragile and deteriorating situation, I will make three points.

First, calling for the protection of civilians; second, on the importance of an inclusive political dialogue; and third, on the critical role of the UN peacekeeping mission.

As we have heard very clearly from the briefers today, the continued fighting between the two main parties to the peace agreement is displacing civilians and compounding an already acute humanitarian crisis.

The Secretary-General’s reporting highlights serious human rights violations and abuses, including conflict‑related sexual violence and the recruitment of children.

In Akobo civilians have been killed, hundreds of thousands displaced and infrastructure destroyed, exacerbating the suffering of the South Sudanese people. We call on South Sudan’s leaders to comply with their obligations under international law, including the protection of civilians and to allow unhindered humanitarian access to reach those in need.

Second, the United Kingdom recognises that the only solution to the current crisis in South Sudan is through the immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition, led by First Vice President Riek Machar.

We welcome the appointment of AU Special Envoy President Kikwete and the close cooperation between the UN, AU, IGAD and other stakeholders including the Troika to support a resolution to the current crisis.

We strongly urge the transitional government and other parties to fully engage with these efforts and heed the appeals from the international community to return to the political process.

Third, we underscore and praise the vital role played by the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. It is regrettable that the South Sudanese authorities have continued to obstruct the mission’s ability to deliver its mandate in full.

This prevents the mission delivering necessary tasks including the protection of civilians and supporting humanitarian assistance in volatile and hard-to-reach areas. We call on the transitional government to cooperate fully with UNMISS.

As this Council considers the mandate for the mission, we will need to ensure it is credible, deliverable and responsive to conditions on the ground.

Thank you.