Category: Press Releases

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 09/12/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).

Thank you very much, Madam President, and how nice to see you in the chair.

Madam President, the United Kingdom welcomes the efforts of UNOCA – and thank you to SRSG Fall for your briefing and your work and that of your team. We welcome the efforts of UNOCA in monitoring, political peace and security developments and trends in Central Africa this year. We welcome the good offices deployed, the work on conflict prevention and mediation, your support to peace and security initiatives and your efforts to enhance coherence and coordination in the subregion. And I want to say how important we also think it is that you continue your efforts to support ECCAS and ECCAS members in their work to strengthen and reform the organisation. UNOCA should look to enhance its work on early warning and analysis alongside greater coordination with UN country teams in the subregion going forward.

With this focus on conflict prevention in mind, let me turn to some specific country areas within UNOCA’s mandate. The UK continues to share the concerns set out in the report about the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon. We welcome the reports and information that humanitarian access in areas of Cameroon, controlled by the government of Cameroon, have improved significantly in the past few months. All parties, though, need to do more to ensure humanitarian access is protected. And I must particularly condemn attacks on health, infrastructure and personnel on schools, teachers, parents and children, as set out in the UNOCA report. Human rights violations and abuses committed by all sides must stop and all allegations must be investigated.

And let me say how much the United Kingdom welcomes the government of Cameroon’s steps to convene a national dialogue, and alongside that, the release of detainees. The government of Cameroon now needs to ensure that the key recommendations from the national dialogue are implemented, including strengthening bilingualism in the education and legal systems; decentralisation through granting special status to the northwest and southwest regions; and taking steps to engage diaspora groups. I stress again, these are the government of Cameroon’s own intentions, own policies, but we believe that urgent follow-up on those recommendations is vital to maintain momentum. Put simply, words need to be matched by actions. Failure to do so will only cause the already concerning situation to deteriorate further. And the United Kingdom remains willing, as it has been throughout, to support the government of Cameroon in carrying out these recommendations and urges all UN bodies to to do likewise.

Now, Madam President, a united approach on Cameroon is important. The recent joint Commonwealth-Francophonie-African Union visit to Cameroon helped promote the restoration of peace in the northwest and southwest regions. We look forward to hearing about the follow-up recommendations from this joint visit. It’s imperative that the regional and wider international community continues to support credible peacebuilding efforts, including through the mechanism of the Peacebuilding Fund, and urgently responds to the growing humanitarian need. We believe that regional and subregional organizations such as the EU and actors play an integral role, and we hope for further joint visits by the United Nations and the African Union to Cameroon and neighbouring countries.

Let me welcome the OHCHR technical mission to Cameroon, which was, of course, at the invitation of its government, and urge prompt, continued and full cooperation between all sides to ensure the protection of civilians and accountability. And it’s important that there’s follow-up to the visit, including on impunity. Freedom of political expression, must be respected at all times, including in the run up to the forthcoming legislative and municipal elections.

Madam President, let me turn briefly to the situation in the Lake Chad Basin. SRSG Fall reminded us in his briefing, and of course, in his report, on the impact of climate change in that space. The UNOCA report highlighted deplorable high levels of violence and human displacement resulting from Boko Haram and ISWA attacks on civilian and military targets. Now, the United Kingdom recognises the important role of regional countries in supporting stability in the Lake Chad Basin, including through the Multinational Joint Task Force and of course, their hosting of refugees. And a number of us were able to hear from the executive secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission during the Peacebuilding Commission annual session this week on progress made with respect to the regional stabilisation strategy. And all I’d say is I think that we need to do more to ensure full implementation of SCR 2349 to tackle security, humanitarian and development crises in the region.

And we fully support the cooperation that’s been exhibited between UNOCA and UNOWAS, and we’re very pleased to hear about the joint visits between SRSGs Fall and Chambas, and we look forward to a an update when your report on those visits is ready and any conclusions you’re able to draw together on the way forward.

The United Kingdom welcomes the progress made to date by President Touadéra and the CAR authorities since the February peace agreement. We also welcome the reactivation of the CAR-Cameroon and CAR-Republic of Congo Bilateral Commissions and the advocacy role played by UNOCA in helping to bring these about.

We remain extremely concerned by the ongoing political challenges and human rights situation in Burundi and its humanitarian consequences. The elections scheduled for next year are a critical moment for Burundi and we urge the government to work with all parties to ensure a fair and peaceful election.

Let me conclude, Madam President, by noting again that the report and the briefing set out a number of areas where the UN, in its form of its Secretariat, where the agencies, funds and programmes, where member states can support countries and the region in conflict prevention and conflict resolution. We all need to rise to that challenge, and UNOCA is key to that.

Thank you, Madam President.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 10/12/2019.

Delivered by Philip Barton at the 2019 OSCE Ministerial Council in Bratislava on 5 December 2019.

Thank you Madame Chair,

I would like to start by thanking the Chair in Office, Miroslav Lajčák and the Slovak Government for their warm hospitality and all their efforts over the last year.

Every year, we come together and we focus on the same serious security challenges Europe faces. We know that the OSCE’s comprehensive body of principles and commitment holds the solution. The question is whether we have the political will to honour those commitments.

This year, I see a smidgeon of hope.

Hope that the Normandy Summit next week will mark the start of progress towards peace in eastern Ukraine and bring much needed respite to the people of Donbas.

The UK commends President Zelensky’s clear commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict. I hope Russia will play its part by immediately ending support for the so-called separatists, and by upholding its Minsk commitments. We also hope to see an end to the daily intimidation and restrictions experienced by the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission.

I call once again for Russia to end its illegal annexation of Crimea and underline the UK’s unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Madame Chair, as the Foreign Minister has just outlined, Georgia’s sovereignty is also being violated. For the Georgian people living close to the Administrative Boundary Line, hope is in short supply. The conflict there has divided villages and isolated communities for far too long. Let me also reiterate the UK’s support for OSCE efforts to resolve the conflicts in Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Reducing military risk is fundamental to our comprehensive and co-operative security. The OSCE conventional arms control framework provides the vehicle. If we all demonstrate the necessary political will to implement it fully in letter and spirit. We continue to see the benefits of Vienna Document Modernisation, to rebuild trust, increase confidence and enhance military transparency.

We hope that the rare consensus found last year on the Safety of Journalists signals renewed respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights. But we are not naïve. Frankly, the human rights picture in parts of the OSCE region is worsening, with unjustified restrictions on civil society, human rights defenders, and independent media.

We also hope that the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 brings comprehensive implementation of OSCE gender commitments. Throughout the region we should make gender equality an integral part of our policies.

Let me end by underlining the UK’s strong support to the OSCE – and by pledging our support to the incoming Albanian Chairmanship, as well as our solidarity in the wake of the tragic earthquake.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 11/12/2019.

Statement by Susan Dickson, UK Minister Counsellor and Legal Adviser at UN, at the Security Council debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Thank you, Mr President. I would like to thank the President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Judge Carmel Agius, and Prosecutor, Mr Serge Brammertz, for their briefings to the Security Council today.

It has now been two years since the Residual Mechanism assumed full responsibility for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia’s residual functions, alongside those of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. During this time, the Mechanism has continued to make commendable progress in carrying out its mandate. However, there is still more to do to guarantee the legacy of the ICTY and the ICTR.

2020 will be a significant year for the Mechanism, with their ambitious plans to conclude the Stanišić and Simatović retrial and Mladic appeal at their Hague branch and the Ingabatware and Turinabo et al. cases in Arusha. This will be in addition to their other mandated functions. We commend the ongoing work to find efficiencies and to harmonise and apply the most effective practices and approaches across the branches, including the unified judicial database, making it a truly unified institution.

The United Kingdom will continue to support the Mechanism for the remainder of its mandate. However, there is much to do since, as well as ongoing cases among other things, witnesses need protection, missing persons need to be found and domestic prosecutions need assistance. The Mechanism will need the ongoing support of Member States to ensure its mandated functions are completed.

Mr President, I am pleased to note that the process for appointing a successor to Judge Ben Emmerson, for whose contribution the United Kingdom was grateful, is well underway, and we hope will be concluded soon, bolstering the judicial roster of the Mechanism. At this point, may I also take opportunity to thank Peru for its effective chairing of the informal Working Group of International Tribunals.

Mr President, we congratulate the Mechanism on the successful conclusion of its first review hearing and welcome the outcome in the Ingabatware case. We also welcome the subsequent indictments against Ingabatware and the five accused in the Turinabo et al. case. It is vital that witnesses are protected and the integrity of the proceedings conducted by the Mechanism is maintained. We therefore welcome these important steps to hold accountable those who interfere with witnesses. We note the decision yesterday, mentioned by the President, that the Ingabatware contempt case will be joined with the Turinabo et al. case, and are pleased that this will not result in a significant delay to these cases.

I would also like to remind Member States of the importance of cooperating with the Office of the Prosecutor to find the eight remaining Rwandan fugitives still at large so they can be transferred to the Mechanism without further delay. We agree with the Prosecutor that this is vital to international peace and security. Acting to apprehend fugitives must be treated as a priority by states if the painstaking work undertaken by the Prosecutor’s office is going to lead to concrete results. We also at this stage express our serious concern at denial of the Rwandan genocide as mentioned by the Prosecutor.

Turning to The Hague, we note the progress made in the Mladic and Stanišić and Simatović cases and are pleased that these are due to conclude by the end of next year.

However, despite some progress between some countries of the Western Balkans, we are disappointed that regional judicial cooperation, denial of war crimes and glorification of war criminals remain significant challenges to accountability and ending impunity in the region. When Leaders signed the Joint Declaration on War Crimes at the 2018 London Western Balkans Summit, they agreed to underline the importance of “supporting, and removing impediments to, effective regional cooperation” and to “rejecting use of hate speech and glorification of war crimes”. The United Kingdom calls on them to ensure they are taking every step possible to honour their commitments, including improved co-operation with the Mechanism.

In this week marking International Genocide Remembrance Day, it seems particularly appropriate for us all to seek to work together to try to ensure that the Mechanism makes progress in its very important work.

I thank you, Mr President.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 11/12/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on DPRK.

Thank you, Madam President.

Madam President, we gather today in the name of prevention. International peace and security is under threat, owing to the unabated development of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons technology by North Korea. Despite concerted and good faith efforts by the US to negotiate a solution, this year has seen 13 sets of illegal ballistic missile tests.

We gather today also to send a message to Pyongyang: it is not too late. You can prevent the situation worsening. You should seize this diplomatic opportunity that has already been repeated in the Council this session. The united expressed will of the Security Council is that North Korea should begin a process of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation. The UK will continue to work with international partners to support this goal.

Madam President, it bears repeating what is at stake. As the China Permanent Representative said, this is truly and quintessentially a matter for the Security Council and only the Security Council of international bodies can really deal with such a challenge deriving from weapons of mass destruction and proliferation. It’s a vital issue. It is hard to discern, Madam President, what lies behind the provocative and dangerous moves by North Korea.

Since May 2019, they have tested three different types of short range ballistic missiles, and these tests have demonstrated substantial progress for this illegal and reckless weapons programme. As other representatives have said, each test is a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. And the Council needs to support the rigorous enforcement of its sanctions in the face of such violations. And I just wanted at this point to endorse what the French representative said about the humanitarian angle with which we agree wholeheartedly. The sanctions regime imposed by the Council will remain in place until North Korea takes concrete steps towards denuclearisation. Further breaches of Security Council resolutions, whether they’re ballistic missile launches, space launch vehicles or nuclear tests, will only harden the resolve of the Council.

There are further implications in possessions of such weapons. It’s in no member state’s interest to see North Korean technology and expertise proliferate across borders. As next year we face the anniversary of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it becomes a very important moment to resolve this issue.

Madam President, we should not forget the suffering of the North Korean people. The human rights situation in North Korea is disturbing. They are the worst offender on the Global Slavery Index, and 179th out of 180 in the Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Human rights has a critical role to play, and we urge North Korea to concentrate on improving the lives of its most vulnerable people.

Madam President, all states have an obligation to enforce this council’s sanctions. We urge action to address the continued reports of fuel shipments to North Korea in violation of the mandated annual imports cap. And we urge vigilance against North Korea’s illegal fundraising activity, including its use of cyber attacks. And we remind states, if I may, Madam President, that all North Korean overseas workers earning income should be repatriated by 22 December this year.

Madam President, our message as a Council must be united and it is clear. Continued development of programmes in violation of Security Council resolutions will not be tolerated. We urge North Korea to change course, to engage in meaningful negotiations with the United States and to begin a process of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation.

Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16/12/2019.

Statement by Ambassador James Roscoe at the Security Council briefing on peace and security in Africa.

Madam President, our thanks first to you and to Cote d’Ivoire for convening today’s important debate and also our thanks to our briefers for giving us their time and and their insights.

Madam President, the deteriorating situation in West Africa is a source of major concern, as we’ve heard from everyone around the Council today. This was underlined again by last week’s terrorist attack in West Niger in which many Nigerian soldiers lost their lives. And our condolences go to the families of these troops and of all those civilians, national forces and UN peacekeepers who have suffered at the hands of violent extremists in West Africa.

As we’ve heard, too, the UN has a vital role to play in supporting national and regional efforts which address the drivers of violence. But this instability cannot be solved by the UN alone, nor through purely military or counter-terrorist initiatives. We need to address the underlying drivers of this conflict. Strengthening stability and security across West Africa requires a comprehensive approach to the interconnected drivers.

In too many parts of the region, corruption, failure to provide basic services and the lack of economic prospects for young people combine to provide fertile grounds for extremist groups. The impacts of climate change cause shocks and stresses which exacerbate the risks of inter-communal violence, including by contributing to competition over scarce resources. And serious organised crime networks, often operating across national boundaries, exacerbate instability and prey on local communities in the absence of state authority.

Madam President, tackling these challenges requires a comprehensive approach across all three pillars of the UN system: in peace and security, in development and in human rights. And it requires coordinated work from all partners.

We recognise the important role of regional efforts to tackle terrorist groups, including through the G-5 Sahel Task Force and the Multinational Joint Task Force, just as we commend the efforts of regional organisations, including the AU and ECOWAS. For our part, the UK is set to deploy 250 personnel to Mali in 2020 to provide vital long-range reconnaissance capabilities to MINUSMA. And we have contributed over $6.6 million in bilateral funding to support the operation of the MNJTF and $2.4 million to the G5 Sahel Joint Force.

And we are working closely with West African partners to support nationally and locally-led conflict prevention efforts to prevent both extremism and intercommunal violence. For example, in northern Nigeria, UK development funding, worth nearly $50 million over five years, is currently supporting initiatives to increase economic opportunities for marginalised youth. And in Borno state, we’re providing a further $28 million in funding for projects to reduce young people’s ability to recruitment by violent extremist groups.

But while individual initiatives like this matter, we know that long-term solutions to instability are grounded in prosperous and inclusive economies. And to that end, the United Kingdom is proud to be hosting a UK Africa investment summit on the 20th of January in London in order to mobilise high quality international investments for the region.

Madam President, we need to also deliver long-term solutions because there are no quick fixes to such complex issues. And while states must, of course, take the lead in delivering for their citizens and finding political solutions to conflicts, there is more the UN can do to support them. A coherent “whole of UN” approach is required. This should include work by UN country teams to support national efforts to prevent violent extremism from taking hold; following a proper assessment of the capacities, capabilities and resources nationally; and we are keen to see more coherence coordination between UNOWAS and the UN development actors in the region. And we should continue our work through the counterterrorism and sanctions committees to deny terrorists access to arms, to funding, and to bring them to justice, as well as supporting member states in strengthening their own counterterrorism frameworks and capacities.

We should also scale up efforts to address the root causes of instability in the region through focussed and coordinated peacebuilding programmes. In this regard, we are very pleased the Secretary-General has recently re-approved Mali’s eligibility for access to peacebuilding funds. The UK remains one of the biggest supporters of the Peacebuilding Fund, having doubled our contribution to $43 million in 2018. And we look forward to continuing to work with the Peacebuilding Support Office and Peacebuilding Commission to leverage those resources for the benefit of the communities facing the challenges of inter-communal violence and of terrorism.

Madam President, I’ve had the privilege to serve in in West Africa to travel extensively around the countries of the region, so this is an issue which is very close to my heart. And I think we just need to focus on three particular areas. I think the UN needs to come together to focus more fundamentally on them, but essentially the three ingredients are: security – and we talked about this already – but progress will not be made unless states can provide security within their territory and can work together across boundaries and borders to deliver this within the region. So we need to work together to help them build that capacity.

But security will only be sustained if governments work to deliver good governance and the rule of law. And many of us have spoken about this; we set this out very clearly in SDG 16. This is the key precursor to investment and growth. And investment and growth when it comes can help deliver the third ingredient, which is economic growth and development. This lifts people out of poverty and this stops people being tempted down the routes in the path of violence.

So I think, you know, we’ve heard everyone this morning talk about these things. The challenge is how we deliver them. And I think in that regard, it was very interesting to hear the African Union talk about this concept of recess, to look again at all the multiple initiatives that we have across the region – I think there were 15 or so that were mentioned – and see how we can bring greater coherence to them so that the UN in the region can work better together to deliver them.

For our part, the UK will continue to play our role in partnership with the UN and with our friends across West Africa.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16/12/2019.

Statement by Tom Woodroffe at the General Assembly on strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance at the UN.

Thank you Madam President and good afternoon, colleagues. And may I start by aligning the United Kingdom with the statement delivered by the European Union earlier this morning.

Mr President, the needs of people affected by crises around the world have never been as high or as pressing as they are today. In 2020, nearly 168 million people in 53 countries – and that is one in only 45 people in the world – will need humanitarian assistance and protection. In many cases, crises are lasting well over 10 years. We are facing an increasingly diverse range of crises: armed conflict that endangers millions of lives in Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Nigeria; Ebola continues to threaten development in DRC and Uganda; and, as the tragic floods and cyclones in southern Africa have demonstrated, climate change has led to more frequent and extreme weather events. And violence against aid workers and violations of international law are on the rise.

In order to tackle these challenges, it is more important than ever for the international community to come together to harness our resources and ideas to anticipate better the humanitarian challenges and assist those most in need.

Mr President, the United Kingdom is proud to be the third largest bilateral donor of global humanitarian funds. We provide multi-year bilateral humanitarian funding to tackle over 30 crises, substantial core funding to the UN and Red Cross Movement, and have been the largest supporter of the Central Emergency Response Fund since its establishment. However, with crises affecting more people for longer periods of time, the international community needs to be better at supporting those most in need – even if it means doing things differently. Member states have provided a record $16 billion of humanitarian funding in 2019. But this is still not enough to cover global needs. So the UK continues to work towards a more efficient and effective humanitarian system. We are proud of our commitment to double our use of cash in crises by 2025 and are working with partners to drive better data and assessment of need as well as a response prioritisation. We are keen to explore how member states can renew momentum to deliver on humanitarian reform priorities. This includes fostering a more accountable humanitarian system, including to those it is there to serve. And we are keen to work together to develop a new and stronger approach to managing the risk of crises. As well as improving our responses, we must continue to improve the ways we anticipate and prepare for them. Disasters and crises should no longer be treated as unpredictable catastrophes. So to save lives, we need to act earlier and invest better in prevention, resilience, preparedness and risk financing. That is why the UK recently supported the launch of a Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership of the UN Climate Summit. This provides an exciting opportunity and a global platform to scale up investment in early action and preparedness.

Mr President, the UK would like to express its severe disappointment that member states have been asked to consider amendments today. We urge all states to reject any attempts to undermine sexual and reproductive health, rights and services. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls should be at the core of principal humanitarian action. Effective, equitable and participatory humanitarian action cannot be achieved without understanding and responding to the specific priorities and capacities of diverse women, girls, men and boys. And this includes ensuring women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes and their full enjoyment of all – and I stress all – their human rights. The UK is proud to be a global leader in efforts to eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls, including conflict related sexual violence and advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Our commitment remains unwavering and we will continue to push for these to be central to humanitarian responses.

In 2020, we will all need to do more to face the scale and severity of the challenge ahead. The UK will continue to fight towards delivering principled humanitarian action to those who need it most. We will continue to push for improved coherence to better tackle protracted crises and reduce humanitarian needs.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16/12/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, UN Security Council Briefing on Afghanistan.

Thank you very much, Madam President. And thank you to the Special Representative and Ms Khurram for their really helpful briefings and nice to see Ms Khurram here again. And thank you to my colleague, the Afghan Ambassador. We’re very pleased to be part of the Group of Friends of Women in Afghanistan and it’s very heartening to hear so much support from colleagues around the table. So thank you very much for that. And also, big thank you to the Indonesian Foreign Minister for her guidance as well.

First of all, I think for the Special Representative, it’s a huge thank you once again for what you’re doing and for the work of UNAMA in incredibly challenging circumstances. So thank you for that. And I’d like to come on in a minute to the three main issues of today: the peace process, the elections and economic development.

But at first, I just wanted to add the United Kingdom’s voice to all those condemning the attack on the UN vehicle in Kabul last month and the recent attack that killed Dr. Nakamura. We join all those who lament the loss of these fine colleagues. We send our sympathies and our condolences to their families and to all those who knew them. There is absolutely no justification for these disgraceful acts of violence. The Taliban claim to speak for the people of Afghanistan and yet if they do not take part directly in such attacks, they certainly create an environment where such attacks become possible. And in that connection, I would like to mention the Taliban attack on Bagram last Tuesday, which killed two civilians and injured many more. And the United Kingdom calls on the Taliban to end such attacks in order to give Afghans a chance for the stable and just peace that they so much deserve.

Turning to the peace process, we share the view of other members that only a political process can deliver a lasting and just peace. And a deal between the US and Taliban is crucial to unlocking intra-Afghan talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. The United Kingdom also hopes talks can resume soon, but it’s clear the Taliban need to firmly commit to a concrete reduction in violence as a matter of urgency. The Taliban needs to show it’s serious about peace, the Afghan people need respite from the awful violence, and we need to create a conducive environment for these crucial intra-Afghan talks to succeed.

Madam President, I’ve mentioned the vital role that women have to play in the peace process and I join my colleagues in once again underscoring that. I wanted to commend you now on the opening of the Nationwide Global Open Days on women, peace and security with the symposium in Kabul in October.

My second point concerns the Afghan presidential elections. Madam President, we join others in calling on all stakeholders to respect and uphold the integrity of the electoral management bodies as they work to complete the process and deliver the results in a timely manner.

We welcome UNAMA’s continued engagement around the elections with national and international partners. And we likewise support UNAMA’s call for transparency, impartiality and independence as the results of process. It was good to see that the Independent Electoral Commission will be able to move forward with recounts in the remaining provinces. We hope this process can move forward expeditiously and transparently and we look forward to preliminary results.

My last point, Madam President, is on Afghanistan’s economic development needs, regardless of what happens in the months ahead. Afghanistan will continue to have considerable economic development and humanitarian needs, as the Indonesian representative so clearly set out. Financial commitments made at the Brussels Summit in 2016 will run out next year. The UK supports the holding of a pledging conference in 2020 to address the financing gap and identify development priorities for the remainder of the transformation decade. And we therefore welcome, Madam President, the work that UNAMA is doing with the Afghan government in preparation for the 2020 Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan and the initiation of discussions with potential hosts for that event.

Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 18/12/2019.

The UK’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Julian Braithwaite delivers statement to the Human Rights Council in response to the oral update of High Commissioner on Ukraine.

Thank you, Mr President,

The United Kingdom thanks the Deputy High Commissioner for her update and welcomes the 28th report of the OHCHR Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

Fighting regrettably continues in and around civilian areas of eastern Ukraine in this fifth year of the conflict. In this reporting period, we saw 42 civilian casualties, seven of which were children. We remain concerned about mines and explosive remnants of war, which continue to cause fatalities on both sides of the Line of Contact. We call on both sides to better protect civilians.

Russia continues to commit human rights violations in illegally annexed Crimea. We condemn the arbitrary arrests, detentions and crackdown on freedom of expression, all aimed at intimidating the people of Crimea. Russia continues to ignore UN General Assembly resolution 73/263. We urgently call on Russia to allow international monitoring organisations access to the peninsula.

We are particularly concerned by reports of torture, ill-treatment and denial of medical care to persons unlawfully detained in Crimea and Russia. Following the release of Oleg Sentsov and four other Ukrainian detainees on 7 September, the released men informed the OHCHR of torture, including electroshocks, threats of sexual violence, suffocation, and beatings, during their time in detention. Over 86 Ukrainian political prisoners remain in detention in Crimea and Russia. We call on Russia to immediately end this appalling treatment and release all remaining Ukrainian political prisoners.

Madam Deputy High Commissioner,

What can the international community do to help end the ill-treatment and torture of detained Ukrainian citizens in Crimea and Russia?

Finally, I would like to thank Deputy High Commissioner Gilmore for her for her years of exemplary service and her contributions to the cause of human rights around the world. Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 18/12/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on South Sudan.

Thank you very much, Madam President. And let me, like others, thank Special Representative Shearer for his briefing and not only that, but for his work and that of all his team out on the ground of South Sudan. We really enjoyed coming to see you, David. We were impressed by what you and your team were doing and we really want to thank you. And I’d also like to very much thank Ambassador Wronecka for her tireless efforts as the chair of the 2206 Sanctions Committee.

Madam President, this is our first Council meeting since the 100-day extension, but it’s not the first time that the parties have failed to deliver progress. We are over one third of the way through the 100-day extension. And I believe that this council must repeat and reinforce the clear and united message that we delivered collectively in Juba: that all parties must seize this opportunity and agree the steps that are necessary to form an inclusive government. And those steps include, of course, efforts to make progress on cantonment. And we heard from you today, SRSG Shearer, about the importance of resources being delivered into those cantonment sites, of food being delivered, of training being conducted and a genuine reintegration taking place to ensure security for all in South Sudan. I also very much want to pay tribute to those efforts of the Vice President of South Africa, David Mabuza, on the thorny question of states in South Sudan. It’s a crucial issue, one that we perhaps have to recognise that there may not be fully resolvable before the hundred days are over. But we do need commitment by the parties to continue to engage in that process and I very much welcome that, those efforts by the South African Vice President.

Of course, Madam President, we welcome the recent meetings and positive statements that have taken place between President Kiir and Dr Machar. But I have to say that so far we haven’t seen those shift the dial and I want to stress today the importance of actions and results, as well as statements and promises. And I echo the need expressed by others to resolve the status of Dr Riek Machar. I just do not understand how he does not hold a South Sudanese passport while he’s busy negotiating to be part of the South Sudanese government. And I hope that this can be sorted out quickly as a gesture of good faith and that his status can be resolved by the region.

Madam President, to achieve these ends, we strongly welcome the region’s engagement and leadership. History has shown that without external pressure, the parties fail to act and we therefore urge our partners in the region, particularly IGAD, to redouble efforts to ensure progress. We believe that the IGAD 50-day report will be an important moment. The Security Council must work hand-in-hand with IGAD, that is key, and I think we should consider in our consultations how we could deepen that cooperation. Madam President, we also need to look beyond the 100-day extension and issues around South Sudan’s future. It is deeply concerning that subnational communal violence remains at worrying levels across the country. And the persistence of conflict related sexual violence, as evidenced in the Secretary General’s report, is extremely worrying. All parties to the conflict must take immediate action to stop conflict related sexual violence. We welcome UNMISS’ focus on this important issue and its support for efforts to end impunity for such crimes. And I want to strongly support my Belgian colleagues intervention on this point and echo concerns over the re-appointment of the Gany County Commissioner. Humanitarian partners continue to face high levels of bureaucratic impediments to humanitarian access and serious insecurity and the urgency, as others have said, has only been further deteriorated by the recent flooding; the worst in 30 years with almost 1 million people affected. The UK’s contribution has been of 210 million dollars in 2018 and we continue to do all that we can to improve the situation.

Madam President, in closing, let me stress that the ongoing ceasefire must continue to hold and the two leaders must commit – must unequivocally commit to that ceasefire and to peace. This council must stand ready to support the parties in coordination with IGAD and the African Union to support the parties forward on the pathway to peace, to make necessary compromises. That cannot happen unless the best interests of the people of South Sudan are prioritised over the self-interest of the elite.

Madam President, there must be consequences for those who do not live up to their responsibilities to bring about a lasting peace in South Sudan. Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 18/12/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the Middle East.

Thank you Madam President.

Thank you Special Coordinator Mladenov for your briefing, and for the work you and your team do in difficult circumstances.

Thank you also to Ms Raemer for your briefing and the perspective you shared.

Madam President, three years since the adoption of resolution 2334 by this Council, the United Kingdom notes with concern the Secretary-General’s assessment that the situation on the ground since then has only deteriorated.

In light of the continued increase in Israeli settlements, we reiterate that settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution.

The United Kingdom notes the Israeli Defence Minister’s instructions to act for the advancement of a new Jewish neighbourhood in Hebron. We understand that this does not signal the start of a formal planning process; however, if such plans were to advance this would be of grave concern given the sensitivities of the location.

Demolitions of Palestinian-owned homes and structures have also increased. The UK is concerned in particular by the targeting of donor-funded structures in Area C – which are provided on humanitarian grounds to support vulnerable communities.

As we have made clear before, any suggestion that parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories should be annexed is contrary to international law, damaging to peace efforts and could not pass unchallenged.

Madam President, as the UK made clear last month, following the escalation of hostilities in Gaza, the indiscriminate attacks against Israeli civilians by Palestinian Islamic Jihad were completely unacceptable.

All countries, including Israel, have a legitimate right to self-defence, and the right to defend their citizens from attack. In doing so, it is vital that all actions are proportionate, in line with International Humanitarian Law, and are calibrated to avoid civilian casualties.

It is critical that the Palestinian leadership continue their efforts to tackle terror and incitement. Israeli security forces must also avoid the use of excessive force and we encourage Israel to properly investigate all potential breaches of law, holding those responsible to account.

The UK is concerned to hear of a further increase in the number of attacks by settlers on Palestinians. As the Occupying Power, Israel has a responsibility to protect the Palestinian population. We urge Israel to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice.

Turning to positive steps, the United Kingdom welcomes the progress made on implementation of the AHLC-endorsed package of interventions for Gaza, but we remain concerned by the dire humanitarian situation. We call again on Israel to ease restrictions on water, electricity, and movement and access, which impact the livelihoods and life prospects of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and breed resentment.

We welcome the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate, and encourage partners to step up with more funding and more predictable disbursements as the UK has done.

And we welcome continued work towards genuine and democratic national elections for all Palestinians, which is crucial to the establishment of a viable and sovereign Palestinian State.

Finally, Madam President, at this highly sensitive time in the region, we call on the parties to show real leadership, including the willingness to make tough compromises, in order to achieve a secure Israel, standing alongside a sovereign Palestinian state.

Thank you.