UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum – UK statement [September 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum – UK statement [September 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 September 2022, relating to an event held in Prague on 8 September 2022.

    Justin Addison (UK Delegation to the OSCE) speaks at the Opening Session of the Forum about the effect Russia’s war against Ukraine is having on the region’s economies.

    The theme of this year’s Forum is sustainable economic recovery – a theme set last year when we were still reeling from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Back then, our most pressing issue was to find a way to limit and reverse the economic damage being done, whilst also accelerating the transition towards a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient form of economic development and growth.

    Times have changed.

    Even as COVID-19 continues to claim lives and livelihoods, and climate change threatens to undo hard won development gains, we are faced with a new threat. But this time it comes from the deliberate actions of one participating State.

    Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has become the region’s most pressing security issue. But until Russia is stopped, our collective economies will continue to suffer, with Ukraine suffering most of all.

    The economic dialogue that is necessary for economic cooperation and recovery is a function of political dialogue. But Russia has shown, through its complete disregard for international norms that it has no interest in political dialogue.

    Faced with appalling barbarism and war crimes, the international community rallied together to condemn the war and impose the largest and most severe economic sanctions Russia has ever faced.

    From the UK’s side we have sanctioned Putin’s corrupt cronies; frozen Russian state assets; cut off access to the UK’s financial services; hindered those behind Putin’s disinformation agencies, including RT and Sputnik; stopped Russian aircraft from flying or landing in the UK; and banned their vessels from our ports. We join others in our collective resolve to keep targeting Russia’s economy until Ukraine prevails.

    It is clear that President Putin did not anticipate this reaction. So accustomed is he to acting with total impunity within his own borders that he wrongly expected the world to turn a blind eye as his army crossed another’s. We now see him lashing out through crude attempts to weaponise Russia’s energy exports and use energy as a tool of geopolitical coercion. The dire consequences of this are felt across the globe, including by many States represented here.

    In order to better protect our societies from Russia’s aggression we must collectively increase our economic and energy resilience. This includes reducing reliance on Russian hydrocarbons; committing to energy and resource diversification; and expediting global clean energy transition towards net zero by 2050. The OCEEA’s work on energy network protection and sustainable energy production is central to these efforts.

    Resilience also requires deepening regional connectivity amongst peaceful neighbours; increasing cooperation over scarce resources such as water; and mitigating the worst effects of climate change together. We welcome the OCEEA’s support in fostering greater bilateral and regional co-operation in these areas.

    Russia’s war indeed affects us all. But we should not lose sight of who it affects most. When Ukraine has prevailed, and successfully defended itself against this aggressor, its economic recovery can be completed.

    The United Kingdom will push for immediate investment to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth. We need to need able to support those returning to Ukraine; we need to give people hope about the future; and we need to give them the means to be able to support themselves.

    Ukraine has shown itself to be a bastion of freedom and democracy. It is now the duty of those countries who believe in OSCE principles to do whatever it takes to support its sustainable economic recovery. Ukraine’s recovery from Russia’s war of aggression will be a symbol of the power of democracy over autocracy, of freedom over oppression. It will show Putin that his attempts to destroy Ukraine have only produced a stronger, more prosperous and more united nation.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister to tell UN General Assembly – I will lead a new Britain for a new era

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister to tell UN General Assembly – I will lead a new Britain for a new era

    The press release issued by Downing Street on 21 September 2022.

    • In UN address the PM will call on democracies to harness the power of cooperation seen since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to constrain authoritarianism.
    • PM will argue the free world must prioritise economic growth and security – including ending dependency on authoritarians – to win the new era of strategic competition.
    • UN speech will also stress the need to properly invest in our physical security and will recommit to spending 3% of UK GDP on defence by 2030.

    Prime Minister Liz Truss will use a speech in New York today (Wednesday) to warn fellow democratic leaders against any complacency when it comes to defending our values and preserving a world order that rewards freedom.

    At the first ever session of the UN General Assembly held in the shadow of a large-scale war of aggression in Europe, the Prime Minister will highlight the threat from authoritarian states working to undermine security and stability around the world.

    She will outline her vision for this new, more competitive era, which will require likeminded democracies to fight to defend our ideals. This fight begins with ensuring the UK and its partners have the strong economic foundations they need to constrain authoritarianism.

    The Prime Minister will outline her plans to build a British economy which attracts growth by rewarding innovation, championing investment and enterprise, and welcoming the best talent around the world.

    She will also set out the steps the Government is taking to ensure the British economy is free from malign interference. This includes increasing our energy independence and safeguarding the security of our supply chains.

    In her speech, the Prime Minister is expected to say:

    The commitment to hope and progress must begin at home – in the lives of every citizen that we serve…

    …We want people to keep more of the money they earn, because we believe that freedom trumps instruction…

    …We are reforming our economy to get Britain moving forward once again. The free world needs this economic strength and resilience to push back against authoritarian aggression and win this new era of strategic competition…

    …We will no longer be strategically dependent on those who seek to weaponise the global economy.

    As the UK boosts the dynamism and resilience of our own economy, the Prime Minister will also make the case for democracies working together to protect one another’s economic security.

    The strength of democratic economies, rooted as they are in the aspirations of their people, is a clear counterpoint to autocratic states, which sow the seeds of their own demise by stifling aspiration and creativity.

    The Prime Minister will make the case for harnessing that strength and denying authoritarian states the opportunity to manipulate the global economy.

    She will tell the UN General Assembly that the G7 and other likeminded partners must act as an economic NATO, collectively defending our prosperity and coming to the aid of any partner targeted by an aggressive regime.

    This economic security goes hand in hand with physical security. The Prime Minister will therefore reiterate her commitment to protecting the UK and our allies, including by increasing defence spending to 3% of UK GDP on defence by 2030.

    The Prime Minister is expected to say:

    Just as we are building a plan for growth at home, we are also developing a new blueprint for our engagement with the world.

    We will build resilience and collective security – because they are vital for freedom and democracy. We will be a reliable, trustworthy and dynamic partner.

    To ensure the UK’s diplomatic, military and security architecture is keeping pace with evolving threat posed by hostile nations, the Prime Minister has commissioned an update to the Integrated Review.

    The UK’s Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy was published in March 2021 – before Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine created the greatest security challenge ever experienced by NATO.

    Professor John Bew, the Prime Minister’s special adviser for foreign affairs and defence, will lead a Downing Street process to update the review.

    The refreshed strategy will ensure we are investing in the strategic capabilities and alliances we need to stand firm against coercion from authoritarian powers like Russia and China. The update is expected to be published by the end of this year.

    By properly investing in defence, the Prime Minister will ensure that the UK maintains our position as the leading security actor in Europe, so that we are ready to stand up for peace, prosperity and freedom across the world – just as we have done in Ukraine.

    The Prime Minister will highlight these efforts in her speech. She will pay tribute to the bravery and determination of the Ukrainian people, and commit to continue standing up for human rights and democracy around the world.

    The Prime Minister is expected to say:

    This is a decisive moment in British history, in the history of this organisation, and in the history of freedom.

    The story of 2022 could have been that of an authoritarian state rolling its tanks over the border of a peaceful neighbour and subjugating its people.

    Instead, it is the story of freedom fighting back… But this must not be a one off….

    …Britain’s commitment to this is total.

    Together with our friends and allies around the world, we will continue to champion freedom, sovereign and democracy.

    And we will define this new era as one of hope and progress.

  • PRESS RELEASE : PM meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida [20 September 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : PM meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida [20 September 2022]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 September 2022.

    The Prime Minister met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the UN General Assembly in New York today.

    Prime Minister Kishida expressed his condolences on the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. The Prime Minister thanked him for his words and said it was a great honour for the UK to receive Their Imperial Highnesses at the state funeral.

    Prime Minister Kishida welcomed the UK’s commitment to Japan and the Indo-Pacific region, as exemplified by our Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN, AUKUS and our application to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Kishida for his support for the UK’s application.

    The leaders looked forward to expanding the UK-Japan relationship, both if the UK joins the CPTPP and through investments in our shared defence and security such as the Future Combat Air System programme.

    The Prime Minister expressed her admiration for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic doctrine and outlined her plans for transforming the British economy to boost economic growth. The leaders agreed to work together to strengthen our shared economic and energy security.

    “The Prime Minister condemned China’s recent provocations over Taiwan, which threatened Japan’s Special Economic Zone. The leaders resolved to work together to tackle the strategic threat posed by China.

    “The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Kishida agreed on the importance of likeminded democracies working together, including through international institutions like the G7, to constrain economic, security and other threats from authoritarian regimes.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Media statement about the Priory Federation of Academies Trust [April 2012]

    PRESS RELEASE : Media statement about the Priory Federation of Academies Trust [April 2012]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 27 April 2012.

    A Department for Education spokesman said:

    The department’s investigation into the Priory Federation revealed serious failings of key individuals in relation to financial management. The Trust has accepted responsibility and the CEO has now left. The department has also referred this matter to the police.

    Unfortunately no system of financial audit can guarantee it will prevent all wrongdoing. When concerns were raised, the department carried out a full investigation. When its findings were provided to the Priory, its chief executive left the organisation the same day. The Priory Federation is also taking further action as set out in their response.

    The financial accountability systems in place for academies are more rigorous than those for maintained schools. Unlike maintained schools, academies must have their accounts externally audited. But lessons can always be learned and we will consider whether we need to strengthen our systems at federation level.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Schools minister Nick Gibb responds to ‘The Guardian’ website’s claims about cutting one-to-one tuition and Every Child programmes [April 2012]

    PRESS RELEASE : Schools minister Nick Gibb responds to ‘The Guardian’ website’s claims about cutting one-to-one tuition and Every Child programmes [April 2012]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 April 2012.

    In response to Polly Toynbee’s comment published on guardian.co.uk on 24 May 2010, School’s Minister Nick Gibb explains and justifies recent changes in the Department’s funding allocation arrangements.

    Dear Sir,

    Polly Toynbee is completely wrong to claim we are cutting support for children falling behind (The Guardian’s comment is free: 24/05/10).

    We’re actually doing exactly what the taxpayer expects – protecting core schools, college and Sure Start funding in the financial year 2010 to 2011 but not hesitating in cutting out bureaucracy, waste or unused spending.

    We are spending £256 million in the financial year 2010 to 2011 for 7- to 16-year-olds who need catch-up support in English or maths this year so no child due to receive help will miss out. But we are handing £47 million of centrally-held funding, unallocated by the previous government, back to the Treasury as part of our savings package.

    We will continue to spend £89 million this year in the Every Child schemes giving extra support for 5- to 8-year-olds in the three Rs. But we are able to release over £5 million, mainly from unallocated spending because the Department for Education had planned for a higher number of teacher leaders in writing than needed. All local authorities who want to take part in the programmes this year can still do so.

    And longer-term we are clear that while there will be difficult decisions ahead, we will take the right balance between urgent action to manage the public finances; protecting frontline education services; and using the pupil premium to give significant extra funding for disadvantaged children who need the most support.

    Yours faithfully,

    Nick Gibb
    Schools Minister

     

  • PRESS RELEASE : England’s 15-year-olds’ reading – over a year behind the world’s best [April 2012]

    PRESS RELEASE : England’s 15-year-olds’ reading – over a year behind the world’s best [April 2012]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 April 2012.

    GCSE pupils’ reading is more than a year behind the standard of their peers in Shanghai, Korea and Finland, research reveals today.

    Fifteen-year-olds in England are also at least six months behind those in Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Australia, according to the Department for Education’s (DfE) analysis of the OECD’s 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study.

    To match the attainment of pupils from Shanghai in the reading assessment:

    • The proportion of England’s pupils achieving five A*-C grades (including English and maths) at the end of Key Stage 4 would need to increase by 22 percentage points.
    • For all maintained schools in England this would be an increase from 55 per cent of pupils achieving the threshold measure (in 2010) to 77 per cent.

    The DfE’s PISA 2009 Study: How Big is the Gap? highlights how far England has slipped behind other nations in reading.

    Schools Minister Nick Gibb said that the Government was taking urgent action to ensure England could match those countries which had closed the gap between the achievements of rich and poor pupils, while raising the attainment of all.

    He said:

    The gulf between our 15-year-olds’ reading abilities and those from other countries is stark – a gap that starts to open in the very first few years of a child’s education. The Government’s focus on raising standards of reading in the early years of primary school is key to closing that gap.

    We are introducing a phonics check for six-year-olds, so those with reading problems can be identified before it is too late and can be given the extra help they need to catch up.

    Having learnt to read, they can then go on to read to learn, and to read for pleasure. Almost 40 per cent of pupils in England never read for enjoyment. The difference in reading ability between these pupils and those who read for just half an hour a day is equivalent to a year’s schooling at age 15.

    We are also bringing in a new spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary test for 11-year-olds and are re-introducing marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar in relevant GCSE exams.

    Nick Gibb added:

    Our writers – Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte, George Orwell and Ian McEwan – are the finest in the world. It is time we are also among the best readers in the world.

    The DfE analysis also calculates the reading gap in terms of GCSE grades. It puts Shanghai’s 15-year-olds the equivalent of 11 GCSE grades ahead of our pupils, while Korea’s are eight grades better off. Those in Finland and Hong Kong are seven grades ahead.

    This means that while a typical pupil at the end of Key Stage 4 in England achieves eight C grades in their best eight GCSEs or equivalent exams, one in Shanghai would score three As and five Bs in their best eight GCSEs – a total of 11 grades better off.

    Attainment gap between England and the countries performing significantly better than England in the PISA 2009 reading assessment expressed using various measures of attainment.

    Reading strand
    Difference in pupil attainment… 
    Comparison Country1 …in GCSE grades …in % pupils achieving 5 A*-C (inc. English and Maths) …in years’ progress
    Shanghai – China 11 22% 1.5
    Korea 8 16% 1.1
    Finland 7 16% 1
    Hong Kong – China 7 15% 0.9
    Singapore 6 13% 0.7
    Canada 5 13% 0.7
    New Zealand 5 13% 0.7
    Japan 5 11% 0.6
    Australia 4 9% 0.5
    Netherlands 3 6% 0.3
    Belgium 2 6% 0.3
    Norway 2 3% 0.2
    Iceland 1 3% 0.1

    Source: OECD, PISA 2009 Database

    The OECD PISA studies compare the abilities of pupils across a number of countries. The studies in 2000, 2003 and 2006 focused on reading, maths and science respectively.

    The 2009 study returned to reading as the main focus but also looked at maths and science. In the former, 20 countries scored significantly higher than England, with Shanghai top. England was also out-scored by Estonia, Iceland, Denmark and Slovenia. In science, Shanghai again leads the rankings. Estonia and Australia are among the nine other countries significantly ahead of England’s 15-year-olds.

    Across all three strands, England has tumbled down the international tables in the last nine years – from 7th to 25th in reading; 8th to 28th in maths; and 4th to 16th in science.

    The research shows that high-performing nations have the following in common. They:

    • recruit and develop excellent teachers
    • allow greater freedoms for schools and leaders
    • have clear standards, high expectations, and external exams
    • have effective identification and sharing of best practice
    • have clear, transparent and proportionate assessment and accountability systems.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Crisis-proofing the Single Market – equipping Europe with a robust toolbox to preserve free movement and availability of relevant goods and services [September 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Crisis-proofing the Single Market – equipping Europe with a robust toolbox to preserve free movement and availability of relevant goods and services [September 2022]

    The press release issued by the European Commission on 19 September 2022.

    Today, the Commission is presenting the new Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI). This crisis governance framework aims to preserve the free movement of goods, services and persons and the availability of essential goods and services in the event of future emergencies, to the benefit of citizens and businesses across the EU. While the Single Market has proven to be our best asset in crisis management, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted structural shortcomings hampering the EU’s ability to effectively respond to emergency situations in a coordinated manner. Unilateral measures caused fragmentation, worsening the crisis and affecting particularly SMEs.

    Executive-Vice President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, said: ”The COVID-19 crisis made it clear: we must make our Single Market operational at all times, including in times of crisis. We must make it stronger. We need new tools that allow us to react fast and collectively. So that whenever we face a new crisis, we can ensure that our Single Market remains open and that goods of vital importance remain available to protect European people. The new Single Market Emergency Instrument makes it possible.”

    Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “In the sequence of crises of the past few years, we worked hard to preserve a smoothly functioning Single Market, keep our borders and supply chains open and ensure the availability of products and services that our citizens needed. But we must be better prepared to anticipate and respond to the next crisis. Rather than relying on ad hoc improvised actions, the Single Market Emergency Instrument will provide a structural answer to preserve the free movement of goods, people and services in adverse times. The SMEI will ensure better coordination with Member States, help pre-empt and limit the impact of a potential crisis on our industry and economy, and equip Europe with tools that our global partners have and that we lack.”

    The Single Market Emergency Instrument complements other EU legislative measures for crisis management like the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as EU rules for specific sectors, supply chains or products like health, semiconductors or food security, which already foresee targeted crisis response measures. It establishes a well-balanced crisis management framework to identify different threats to the Single Market and ensure its smooth functioning by:

    • Creating a crisis governance architecture for the Single Market: A new mechanism to monitor the Single Market, identify different levels of risk and coordinate an appropriate response comprising several stages – contingency, vigilance and emergency modes. First, the contingency planning framework enables the Commission and Member States to set up a coordination and communication network to increase preparedness. Subsequently, when a threat to the Single Market has been identified, the Commission can activate the vigilance mode. Finally, in case of a crisis with a wide-ranging impact on the Single Market, the Council can activate the emergency mode. An advisory group, comprised of the Commission and Member States, will be established to assess a given situation and recommend the most suitable response measures. It will play an essential role throughout the whole process.
    • Proposing new actions to address threats to the Single Market: In vigilance mode, the Member States in cooperation with the Commission would focus on monitoring supply chains of identified, strategically important goods and services as well as on building up strategic reserves in these areas. When the emergency mode has been activated, free movement in the Single Market will be upheld through a blacklist of prohibited restrictions and, more generally, through reinforced and rapid scrutiny of unilateral restrictions. The Commission may also recommend Member States to ensure the availability of crisis-relevant goods by facilitating the expansion or repurposing of production lines or accelerating permitting. Finally, it may also recommend Member States to distribute the strategic reserves built during the vigilance phase in a targeted manner. New rules will also apply to facilitate public procurement of relevant goods and services by the Commission on behalf of the Member States both in vigilance and in emergency modes.
    • Allowing last-resort measures in an emergency: Under extraordinary circumstances, and only when the emergency mode has already been activated, the Commission may also make use of tools which will require a separate activation step. In this case, the Commission may issue targeted information requests to economic operators, which can be made binding. It may also ask them to accept priority rated orders for crisis-relevant products, in response to which firms must either comply or explain the grave reasons justifying refusal. Furthermore, the accelerated placing on the market of certain products through quicker testing and accreditation, including through conformity assessment, will ensure their availability during emergencies. Rules permitting such derogations are laid down in separate proposals for a Regulation and a Directive amending a number of product-specific regulatory regimes, which accompany the SMEI Regulation.

    Next Steps

    The proposals will now be discussed by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union. After adoption by the co-legislators, the Regulations will enter into force on the twentieth day following their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. 

    Background

    For almost 30 years, the Single Market has been the EU’s most important asset, offering certainty, scale and a global springboard for our companies, and wide availability of quality products and services for consumers. However, in recent crises, and particularly in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and citizens suffered from entry restrictions, supply disruptions and a lack of predictability of rules which fragmented the Single Market. Intra-EU export restrictions and travel limitations, adopted in response to the pandemic, but in many cases poorly designed and justified for that purpose, disrupted the free circulation of goods, services and persons, causing economic costs, delays and hampering the overall crisis response.

    The SMEI package presented today follows calls by the European Council, which in its Council Conclusions of 1-2 October 2020  stated that the EU should draw the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and address remaining fragmentation, barriers and weaknesses of the Single Market in facing emergency situations. In response, the Commission announced in its Updated Industrial Strategy Communication of May 2021 that it would present a dedicated instrument to ensure the freedom of movement of goods, services and persons as well as greater transparency and coordination in times of crisis. The European Parliament welcomed the Commission’s plan to present a Single Market Emergency Instrument and called on the Commission to develop it as a legally binding structural tool to ensure the free movement of persons, goods and services in case of future crises. Before presenting the proposal, the Commission undertook extensive consultations, including by publishing a call for evidence and a public consultation as well as a Member States’ survey, in addition to organising a large stakeholder workshop and numerous more targeted stakeholder consultations.

    For More Information

    Questions & Answers

    Factsheet

    Video on SMEI

    Proposal for a Regulation establishing a Single Market Emergency Instrument and repealing Council Regulation (EC) 2679/98

    Proposal for a Regulation for the laying down measures to facilitate the supply and availability of crisis-relevant goods in the context of a Single Market emergency and amending Regulation (EU) 2016/424, Regulation (EU) 2016/425, Regulation (EU) 2016/426, Regulation (EU) 2019/1009

    Proposal for a Directive amending Directives 2000/14/EC, 2006/42/EC, 2010/35/EU, 2013/29/EU, 2014/28/EU, 2014/29/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2014/31/EU, 2014/32/EU, 2014/33/EU, 2014/34/EU, 2014/35/EU, 2014/53/EU and 2014/68/EU and introducing emergency procedures for the conformity assessment, adoption of common specifications and market surveillance in the context of a Single Market emergency

  • PRESS RELEASE : Parents get the full facts about every secondary school [April 2012]

    PRESS RELEASE : Parents get the full facts about every secondary school [April 2012]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 April 2012.

    In recent years the main exam result information available has been the proportion achieving five A* to C GCSEs or equivalent, including English and maths.

    This year a new measure has been introduced, showing the percentage of children in a school who achieve the English Baccalaureate.

    And over 14 million “hidden” exam results have been opened up to the public so parents are able to rank schools by seeing:

    • The number of children who enter each GCSE subject in a school.
    • The number of children who get certain grades in each GCSE subject in a school (for example, the number of children who get A*-A in History GCSE).
    • The number and proportion of students in each school achieving five A* to C grades including English and maths, with and without GCSE equivalencies.
    • The number and proportion of students in schools taking each component of the English Baccalaureate – for each subject and the grades achieved in English, maths, science, languages and a humanity.

    This new data means that parents will get a proper and detailed understanding of the performance of local schools. They will then be able to make the most appropriate choices for their children. The new information will drive schools to improve standards across the board, not just in certain league table measures.

    Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

    We live in an age when people expect more information, not less, in all areas of life. Our schools should be no different. For too long exam results in schools have been hidden.

    Parents have been desperate for more information on schools but too little has been available in the past. By publishing all this data we are giving parents the ability to choose the right school for their child.

    It will drive standards across the board and ensure that schools are accountable for their performance.

    Today’s publication comes after school-by-school spending data for 2009-10 was also published alongside the January performance tables. This allows parents, researchers and the public to look at how much each individual institution spends per pupil on staffing, energy, catering and other costs.

  • PRESS RELEASE : PM meeting with President Macron [20 September 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : PM meeting with President Macron [20 September 2022]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 September 2022.

    The Prime Minister met French President Macron at the UN General Assembly in New York today.

    The Prime Minister thanked President Macron for his kind words following the passing of Her Late Majesty The Queen and they reflected on the warmth of international feeling towards His Majesty The King.

    The leaders welcomed the impressive advances made by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in recent days. They agreed on the importance of Ukraine’s friends and allies staying the course and supporting the country militarily, economically and politically.

    As our people face a difficult winter with huge uncertainty of energy supply and the cost of living, the Prime Minister and President Macron underscored the importance of working together to end reliance on Russian energy and strengthen energy security. We must continue to demonstrate to Putin that his economic blackmail over energy and food supplies will not succeed.

    The leaders agreed to enhance UK-France cooperation on energy to reduce volatility in the market and cut costs for households.

    The Prime Minister and President looked forward to strengthening our partnership with France and other likeminded European nations, including through the G7 and NATO.

  • PRESS RELEASE : COP26 President Alok Sharma calls for urgent climate action ahead of COP27 at UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC [September 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : COP26 President Alok Sharma calls for urgent climate action ahead of COP27 at UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC [September 2022]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 September 2022.

    • Mr Sharma will represent the UK government together with Prime Minister Liz Truss, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Minister for the UN Lord Ahmad and Minister of State Lord Zac Goldsmith
    • The COP President will participate in a range of UN and Climate Week NYC events, where he will urge climate leaders from governments, businesses and civil society organisations to accelerate more ambitious climate action
    • Mr Sharma will also co-chair the second Climate and Development Ministerial alongside the Rwandan Minister of Environment on 20 September

    COP26 President Alok Sharma will travel as part of the UK delegation attending the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He will also participate in Climate Week NYC events, held alongside UNGA, engaging with businesses, financial institutions and civil society to support greater progress on the Glasgow Climate Pact ahead of COP27.

    While in New York, Mr Sharma will emphasise the critical importance of sustained action to limit global temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees, particularly from major emitters. Mr Sharma will make clear that G20 nations must demonstrate leadership by delivering on the commitments collectively made in the Glasgow Climate Pact.

    As part of UNGA, the COP President will attend the UN Secretary-General hosted leader-level Climate Roundtable and also welcome the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warning for All initiative at a side event, where attendees will take stock of progress on addressing gaps in early warning systems for climate impacts and the need to scale up early action efforts.

    The Governments of the United Kingdom and Rwanda will co-host the second Climate and Development Ministerial meeting on Tuesday 20 September from the Microsoft UN Affairs Office. Building on the successes of the first Ministerial meeting in 2021, the COP26 President and Rwandan Minister of Environment will bring countries together to discuss the priorities of climate vulnerable countries, and chart a path to make tangible progress on them.

    Alok Sharma, COP26 President, said:

    Since last November when we met at COP26, the world has faced multiple global crises, precipitated by Vladimir Putin’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, which need immediate attention.

    However at the same time the chronic threat of climate change has worsened with the devastating floods in Pakistan, which have left a third of the country underwater, one terrible example of our changing climate.

    Therefore at this critical juncture less than two months before COP27, and just days ahead of the UNFCCC Synthesis Report deadline, it is more important than ever that all countries deliver on the commitments we made, collectively, in the Glasgow Climate Pact.

    The COP26 President will use sessions at Climate Week NYC to call for maximum ambition and accelerated progress from non-state actors. He will particularly focus on mobilising private finance institutions – through the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) network – to eliminate commodity-driven deforestation from investment and lending portfolios, advancing progress of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use agreed at COP26.

    Speaking at the Hub Live opening on 20 September, Climate Week NYC’s flagship event, the COP26 President will underscore the need for further, faster transitions in key sectors including energy and transport initiatives. He will address the link between energy security and climate security, highlighting that the commitments made at COP26 to urgently scale-up the deployment of clean power and phase down fossil fuel usage are more relevant than ever in the present global context.

    Mr Sharma will also underline the need for ambitious action across the transport sector by announcing the intention to launch the Accelerating to Zero Coalition. The coalition will build on the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Declaration launched at COP26, which aims to reach 100 percent zero emission cars and vans by 2035 in leading markets, and 2040 globally.

    The COP President will chair a roundtable to promote the Breakthrough Agenda Report, an independent progress assessment of the Breakthrough Agenda launched at COP26. He will encourage countries to implement an action plan the UK – as current secretariat of the Breakthrough Agenda – has developed based on the assessment, focusing on clean technologies and sustainable solutions in high emissions sectors to deliver the net zero transition.

    Following his attendance at UNGA and Climate Week NYC, the COP26 President will continue to work closely with Egypt’s incoming COP Presidency and other global partners to deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact and secure an impactful COP27 outcome.