Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 September 2022.

UK Ambassador Bush thanks Belgium as incoming Forum for Security Co-operation chair for their planned focus on Russia’s unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack on Ukraine.

I would like to thank you Mr Chair for your clear opening statement and for outlining Belgium’s priorities for the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) this trimester.

Mr Chair, Belgium assumes the FSC Chair just over six months since Russia’s unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack on Ukraine. An invasion that was and continues to be in blatant violation of OSCE principles and commitments. Russia’s indiscriminate attacks have had a disproportionate impact on children and civilians. So it is timely and appropriate for the FSC’s Security Dialogues to shine a spotlight on such aspects of Russia’s invasion, including on Children in Armed Conflict and the Women Peace and Security Agenda.

Children in Armed Conflict is not an issue commonly discussed at the FSC, but these are not normal circumstances. President Putin’s war of choice has had a harrowing impact on Ukraine’s 7.5 million children – on their health, education and family life. There is ample evidence that Russia is committing at least four of the six Grave Violations against children, as set out in UNSCR 1261. According to UNICEF, the war has killed or injured nearly a thousand children – an average of five per day. For those remaining, UNICEF estimates that one in ten schools have been damaged or destroyed – often through deliberate attacks. Evidence suggests that many Ukrainians – including children – have been forcibly deported against their will to Russia. Those fleeing violence are at significant risk of family separation, violence, abuse, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Countless people will bear the social and psychological trauma for years to come.

Mr Chair, the conflict in Ukraine has served to further demonstrate the continued importance and relevance of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The women – and men – of the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to fight bravely to defend their homeland. Civilians caught up in the invasion, a large majority of whom are women, have been victims of heart-wrenching crimes against humanity. Many of them have been displaced from their homes and left with an uncertain future. Despite this, in times of war, women are also often the first responders to a crisis, stepping up to serve their communities. This is true in Ukraine, where women have been instrumental to the humanitarian, political, and security efforts in the defence of their country including the collection of evidence, to help bring the perpetrators of war crimes to account. We look forward to discussing how women’s full, equal and meaningful participation can support better outcomes, including in Ukraine. This issue continues to have the overwhelming support of participating States.

Mr Chair, on day 196 of an invasion which President Putin seemingly thought would be over in a handful of days, Russia has yet to achieve any of its strategic objectives and has suffered such significant military attrition that there will be a long-lasting impact on Russia’s armed forces and its future combat effectiveness – one that will last for years. At the same time, it is Russia’s own aggressive actions that have directly resulted in NATO growing stronger: welcoming new members; strengthening its forward presence; transforming the NATO Response Force – boosting its ability to defend every inch of Allied territory.

Above all, Russia’s invasion has demonstrated the strength, resolve and determination of the courageous Ukrainian people as they defend their homeland. Whilst the FSC took a pause over the summer period, our Ukrainian friends – fighting for their freedom – could not. The UK’s military assistance, along with that of our Allies and partners, continued in earnest to support Ukraine as they fight a war they did not choose, against an enemy who has demonstrated a total disregard for international law, sovereignty, independence, and fundamental human rights.

I would like to conclude by welcoming our Belgian colleagues as FSC Chair in this trimester. It is vital now more than ever to ensure the integrity of this Forum so that it remains able to fulfil its mandate. Conventional Arms Control, and Confidence and Security Building Measures remain crucial for security in the OSCE area. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown that the instruments were not the issue – political will was. The UK remains committed to all Confidence and Security Building Measures, including the Vienna Document, provided that all participating States fully abide by their commitments under international law, including the Helsinki Final Act and UN Charter. In this regard, we also note that whilst Belarus remains a member of the troika during this trimester, one cannot hide from the fact that it remains an active supporter and enabler of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. I wish you, Mr Chair, and your able team here in Vienna and in Brussels the best of luck in the coming months and assure you of the full support of the UK Delegation.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 September 2022.

He the Governor’s address at a joint press conference with the Hon Premier and Hon Minister of Education in response to tragic events over the weekend.

Good evening Turks and Caicos.

For those listening on radio I’m speaking to you from the Premier’s Office. With me I have: the Premier, Hon Charles Washington Misick; the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Education, Hon Rachel Taylor, in whose Constituency the tragic events of this weekend unfolded. Many members of Cabinet are with us in the room.

The tragic events, of the weekend, that the Commissioner will talk to in some detail don’t, for the moment need any further description from me other than to say that this weekend, the historic community of Five Cays, at the hands of a small number of criminals, degenerated into a lawless place of gang and gun violence and lethal retribution. Fear stalked a community where citizens should be able to go about their lives feeling safe in the streets that most grew up in.

The Premier, Commissioner, Honourable Taylor and myself, were in Five Cays this morning talking to residents, shop keepers and school aged children. It didn’t take them long to tell us they were frightened. We promised them we would deal with this, and we promise you. We do that against a back-drop – and we shouldn’t hide the fact – that we know there are those determined to continue this cycle of violence and that for some, they are beyond reason.

We therefore stand together as one team determined to deal with this. We have different responsibilities and different powers that overlap and these powers are best deployed in concert – be that operational command of the Police, the ability to fund different branches of government and pass laws, the opportunity to bring in international support and provide oversight and the need to work closely with the community.

Along with all members of Cabinet and the NSC we also have the ability to bring multiple arms of Government together – often convened through the NSS. When she speaks, Honourable Taylor may touch on such longer term initiatives that she champions in her crucial role of Minister for Education. Whatever, a National Security Council meeting convenes tomorrow, that will develop and strengthen the immediate response we are going to collectively describe to you now.

Before I say anything further, let me say this. Those who are intimidating a whole community are small in number. They can think no further than their ego, reputation or their wallet. While they seemingly live in the moment, unthinking of the consequences to themselves or others, all that will eventually happen, and faster than many imagine, is that they will die at the hands of a rival, or be imprisoned.

One of our media outlets talked about these young men walking with a metaphorical target on their backs and that is right. It’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ one of these two outcomes occur. We all have enough evidence, in terms of what is happening to the young men who choose this way of life, to know that this is true.

For today though, I’m going to keep my intervention short and describe the immediate action that is underway to bring in strategic support to our overall enforcement posture.

I will end with an action that you can take that may well be more important than anything I say today. I thank the Beckles and Cox family for alerting the Territory to this, in their plea, over the weekend, a weekend that saw them bury Justin. Channelling the families voice, of a wholly innocent victim of gun crime, is where I want to end my intervention.

First, lest there be any doubt whatsoever, and addressing this particularly to the Residents of Five Cays, there is only going to be one outcome to the immediate problem we face – it is going to be dealt with – firmly – because it has to be dealt with. If it isn’t, chaos reigns. This result isn’t discretionary – it has to happen.

Second: The Tactical Unit of the Police were in Five Cays in the early hours of this morning. They were there again around midday. Over coming days, they will be making arrests against a list of individuals that we believe are responsible for this mayhem. If this is ‘you’ I strongly suggest that, if and when the Tactical Unit confront you, you immediately lie down with your arms out-stretched showing beyond any doubt that you are not armed. If a Police Officer fears for his life, or another’s life, his rules of engagement are very clear and unfortunately very final. They are well trained, well-armed, and you won’t win.

Third: Police resources are presently being reconfigured to ensure the thin blue line that stands between the population and the criminals prevails. More Police will be visible. The Commissioner may say more on this but that operational planning has been done and is now being executed.

Fourth: I’ve requested Helicopter support – from the Cayman Islands – with night-time surveillance capability. This can provide an over-watch for Policing operations and for the community. I am grateful to the Governor, Premier and Commissioner in Cayman – and colleagues in London that this has been very quickly supported. It will arrive shortly and it will be in direct support of our police force. The surveillance it can provide (close in – or stood a long way off) is a very significant Force Multiplier to law enforcement.

Fifth: I was in a senior officials meeting this morning with UK Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office colleagues laying out the challenge we faced in TCI over this weekend. In terms of the Overseas Territories it will be one of the first things new UK ministers will be briefed on. The officials are anyway familiar with the context because many have visited.

The UK has been building lines of capability within our Police Force. But as of my meeting today with UK officials, we are now working through how we can deliver a far more significant uplift to the UK’s direct support in terms of forming a unit focussed on ‘Gangs, Guns and Drugs’. The preparatory work has been done though a report the Commissioner and myself had already asked UK policing to prepare. In agreement with the Commissioner, a senior UK Police Officer will be making recommendations shortly that the UK can act on. My aim would be that they not only deliver results quickly but also build up the local forces capacity while being under local Police leadership.

Sixth, and this is slightly longer term, the procurement of a sophisticated surveillance aircraft by the UK – with state of the art collection capabilities, night and day, but with great persistence is now well underway with suppliers expressing their interest. It will make an enormous difference to securing our borders not just from the large people trafficking sloops – who we are now adept at intercepting – but also the fast boats that bring in guns, drugs and ammunition. Such fast boats will not know they are being observed until they are interdicted and the Police’s Marine Branch is doubling in terms of manpower with three new vessels procured this year. Such an aircraft can also provide the type of over-watch to our communities and Policing Operations that the helicopter we are bringing in from Cayman, will do quickly.

Seventh, we now have in place the agreements and technical capability to allow us to intercept, track and analyse those who are involved in gangs and serious organised crime including people smugglers and those bringing in arms, ammunition and drugs. To switch it on we have the legislation – best of breed in the Caribbean – in terms of democratic legitimacy and judicial oversight – is drafted, will come to Cabinet and the House shortly, and that will then enable this type of capability to protect the Islands not only from those who believe they have the free run of our streets, but also believe they can command, communicate and co-ordinate their illegal activities internally and internationally with impunity through the digital and telecommunications world.

Eighth: the Director of Public Prosecutions has been invited to ask for that support from the UK that he believes he needs to tackle these complex crimes. The UK’s Ministry of Justice will, they told me today, support.

Beyond these eight actions there is much more that can be said about how individuals can support the Police. Much of this has already been said and perhaps others will repeat it. There is though one thing you can do within your family, right now, wherever you are in TCI, that doesn’t involve the authorities, and in the long term it may be the most effective thing you can do.

If you are the father, the mother, the brother, the sister, the cousin, the uncle, a friend, of someone you love and someone who you believe risks being on the fringes of this activity, then say something very clearly to them, preferably tonight.

Which is, if you continue on this road, you are going to be drawn into a world where you either die or you go to prison. If, for example, you are found with a weapon – that is a mandatory seven years in gaol. It may well increase and that will form part of our discussion at the NSC. If you kill someone, that’s thirty years in gaol. If you kill two people, you die in gaol.

If the person you love as a member of family, or as a friend, has come into the possession of a firearm, tell them they have to give it up. Nothing good will come of it. The thoroughly decent young man, Justin, whose funeral I went to on Saturday, would be alive today, had a weapon not been so readily available. A trivial argument escalated beyond all reason.

So as a ninth action – done in memory of Justin Cox-Beckles – we will bring back the gun amnesty in the hope that the tragic events of the weekend, and the common sense and love of family members, can now prevail on those who are at the start, rather than the end of this journey. A press release will follow on this, with detail, after the National Security Meeting.

I now hand over to the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Premier Misick…

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 September 2022.

Thank you President, thank you Secretary-General, thank you Director General Grossi.

I would like to start by commending IAEA Director General Grossi and his staff for their visit to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant under extremely challenging circumstances.  We welcome the IAEA’s ongoing presence there.  I also offer my thanks to Ukraine for helping facilitate the visit.

The IAEA has assessed that the physical integrity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been violated several times. With the publication of today’s report, the IAEA has confirmed the presence of Russian military personnel, vehicles and equipment in the plant.

We understand that in some cases, Russian military equipment has been as close as 60 metres to the nuclear reactors.

The report also confirms the immense stress and pressure under which the brave Ukrainian staff are working.  They are no longer workers, but hostages, being held at gunpoint.

By choosing to invade a nuclear power plant, and putting Zaporizhzhia in the cross-fire, Russia is playing roulette with nuclear safety.

As long as Russia’s occupation of the plant continues, its safe and secure operation cannot be ensured.

Any measures to address nuclear safety at the plant should therefore involve the full withdrawal of Russian troops and personnel.

President, this is the third meeting Russia has called on this issue in recent weeks. But we should be under no illusion.

The situation at Zaporizhzhia is entirely of Russia’s making.

It is Russia’s invasion that has disrupted the operation of nuclear facilities across Ukraine.

It is Russia that is jeopardising the safety of millions in the region who would be affected by a nuclear incident.

And it is Russia that can resolve the situation by immediately withdrawing its forces from Zaporizhzhia, and all of Ukraine, and ceasing its senseless and reckless aggression.

Thank you President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 September 2022.

Thank you President,

Let me join others in thanking our Chinese colleagues for a successful and well-run Presidency in the month of August and in congratulating France on assuming their Presidency for September. We wish you the best and you can count on our support.

I also thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing and his continued leadership of UN peacekeeping.

President, on behalf of the United Kingdom. I pay tribute to those peacekeepers who lost their lives this year. Peacekeeping relies on the dedication of our personnel. We must do all that we can to support them – to provide the necessary training and equipment, improve awareness of threats, and ensure appropriate medical provision.

The UK continues to play its part, training thousands of peacekeepers each year. As a top contributor of extra-budgetary funds – donating more than $3.5m in 2021 – we are supporting key reforms in areas such as peacekeeping intelligence, situational awareness and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse. We provided expertise to support the IED review referred to by USG Lacroix earlier today.

Since 2020, UK peacekeepers deployed in MINUSMA have demonstrated the value of new, proactive approaches to protection of civilians, reconnaissance and civilian-military coordination.

We are encouraged by the ongoing implementation of the Integrated Peacekeeping Performance and Accountability Framework, which should underpin higher standards of safety and security and mandate delivery. And we continue to support evidence-based assessment of mission performance and integrated planning through the Comprehensive Performance and Assessment System.

We also remain committed to advancing the participation of women through UK support for the Senior Women Talent Pipeline and the Elsie Initiative Fund, to which we have contributed $7.5m to date.

President, in the last year peacekeeping operations have faced challenges which hamper mandate delivery and threaten safety and security. Thanks to Brazil, in July we discussed the increasing threat posed by anti-UN disinformation campaigns in contexts such as Mali and the CAR, following the deployment of the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group, as well as in the DRC. And we have seen numerous examples of freedom of movement restrictions and violations of status of forces agreements in Mali, Abyei and elsewhere. As USG Lacroix said, the UN should address rising levels of distrust through better strategic communication, but host governments must also uphold their responsibilities to protect UN personnel and comply with status of forces agreements.

The UK will remain a strong supporter of the Action for Peacekeeping agenda and A4P+ priorities. We call on all stakeholders to play their part in making UN peacekeeping the best it can be.