Category: Press Releases

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 27/10/2019.

The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary outlined the UK government’s reaction to the announcement of the death of Daesh’s leader.

The UK has played a leading role in the Global Coalition Against Daesh, working hand in hand with international partners to defeat Daesh. Since the Global Coalition commenced in September 2014, it has helped to liberate more than 7.7 million and 110,000 square kilometres across Iraq and Syria from Daesh.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

“The death of Baghdadi is a significant milestone in the coalition’s work to defeat Daesh but it is not the end of the threat.

Daesh has imposed terrible suffering on innocent civilians. The UK will continue to work with our international partners to bring this to an end.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“ISIS is one of the most murderous terrorist organisations of our generation. Their leaders have twisted Islam to groom thousands of people into joining their evil cause.

I welcome the action that has been taken. The world will not miss Al-Baghdadi.

The UK has played a leading role in the Global Coalition Against Daesh, working hand in hand with international partners to defeat the group and we will continue to do so.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 28/10/2019.

Minister for Asia and the Pacific Heather Wheeler gave the keynote speech at the One Young World Summit networking dinner at Lancaster House on 24 October.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to welcome you all to London on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, and to welcome the tenth One Young World Summit back to the UK, where it all began.

Lancaster House has hosted many an historic diplomatic occasion – prior to this evening’s! This is a night up there with them all.

From the Coronation Banquet thrown by Winston Churchill, and the founding negotiations of NATO in the 1950s; you guys are making history where history had been made.

To more recent State Visits by President Obama and President Xi Jinping and last year’s Commonwealth summit. Last time I was here was for the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting.

Working together

What all these occasions have in common with this evening is that they are all about bringing people together to make the world a better place. I am not going to sing the song.

That applies as much to local politics as to international diplomacy. I was first elected as a Councillor at the age of 22, and I have been Member of Parliament for the lovely constituency of South Derbyshire since 2010. I may be a Foreign Office Minister but the needs of my constituents are always still a massive priority for me. When I get back at midnight I will have a packed few days in Derbyshire.

Each Friday I meet people for open-door, face to face “surgeries”. I need to be ready to consider questions about anything from the price of heating, and how to access services, to problems with parking and planning permission. Maybe even visa issues. It is a constant reminder that politics is about real people with real concerns.

I am pleased and stunned that One Young World is also alive to the practical nature of the challenges in front of us. And that it is an engine of ideas for responding to the concerns of real people around the world.

These certainly are interesting times, both here in the UK and globally.

Global Britain

We in the UK are leaving the European Union and reshaping our place in the world as a truly Global Britain. A country that is loyal, energetic and committed – to friends both near and far, new friends and old friends.

We live in a time when people across the world are re-engaging with politics and the issues that matter to them – which is great. The job of those of us in government is not to pay lip service to them, but to listen and learn, to stay true to our values, and to act in the best interests of the people we serve.

It is an approach that I take in both local politics and international affairs.

Let me leave you with 3 messages about what that means for the UK, with our newfound freedom on the world stage.

First, we are going to engage more, listen more, and do more.

We have expanded our diplomatic service and we are opening new posts, meaning ours will be the third largest diplomatic network in the world, after the US and China. We will be more open than ever before to foreign visitors, students and workers.

Second, the UK will continue to play a leading role in global affairs, defending our interests and promoting our values as an active global citizen and a force for good in the world.

That means continuing to work for global peace, security and prosperity as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and a leading member of NATO, the G7, G20 and the Commonwealth.

Our Commonwealth delegates will have heard my colleague Lord Ahmad talk on Monday about the critical importance of that organisation as a global voice and influence.

The UK’s role as a force for good also means continuing to support the world’s most vulnerable people, through our generous humanitarian and peacekeeping funding, and through helping countries build resilience to climate change.

Climate change

We have already helped tens of millions of people to adapt to our changing climate, and now we are doubling our support for international climate finance, as our Prime Minister announced at the UN Climate Summit in September. One of the first things he did as the new Prime Minister.

We were the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. We will continue to invest in clean energy, we will build sustainable infrastructure, and we will share British expertise in science, innovation and green finance.

Next year we are hosting COP26 in partnership with Italy, up in Glasgow. We want to raise the level of global ambition and the sense of urgency, to prevent further catastrophic global warming and help the worst affected countries adapt to the impacts that are already being felt.

My third and final message to you today is that we need you – young politicians, thinkers and entrepreneurs – to get stuck in, and offer your ideas on how we can fix the problems we all face, and make the world a better place.

Chevening

This is one reason why the UK is offering more of our brilliant Chevening scholarships. Some of you are already Chevening scholars, or applying to be.

If you don’t know about it, the Chevening programme brings bright young people to the UK to study in our fantastic universities, and then afterwards they join a global network of 50,000 alumni.

So many of them are now in positions of influence that we call them Changemakers.

They include the youngest minister in Botswana’s history; a distinguished Indian conservationist, and the first female judge in in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, who has made a huge difference to women and other marginalised members of society.

Get on the scheme and go for the stars because you are the ones who will change the world.

If you want to make a positive difference in this world, be it in government or the judiciary, or through business or civil society, you will find a supportive partner in the UK government.

So make the most of the Summit. Enjoy London. Keep in touch.

And most of all – whether big or small, local or international – always strive to make a positive difference.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 28/10/2019.

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

Madam President, the UK remains concerned by the negative trends in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We continue to be deeply concerned by ongoing Israeli settlement advancements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in violation of international law. We urge Israel to fulfill its obligations as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

I would also reiterate here the United Kingdom’s position that annexation of any part of the West Bank would be destructive to peace efforts and could not pass unchallenged. Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law.

Madam President, we are troubled by the increase in settler violence. Many recent incidents – including assaults on Palestinian farmers, the setting fire to olive trees and stealing of produce – have coincided with the Palestinian olive harvest, which began earlier this month. The Israeli authorities have a responsibility to provide appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

We are also extremely concerned that the number of structures demolished this year has increased by almost 40 percent compared to the same period last year. We condemn the demolition of Palestinian property and evictions of Palestinians from their homes.

Ongoing and periodic tensions on Haram al-Sharif, or Temple Mount, are a further source of concern. We recognize that Jerusalem holds huge significance and holiness for Jews, Muslims and Christians and reiterate the fundamental necessity of maintaining the status quo at the holy sites.

Turning to Gaza, Madam President, the reduction in violence at the border fence is welcome and we urge continued calm. Indiscriminate attacks against civilians are unacceptable and unjustifiable. Hamas and other terrorist groups must cease all actions which are violent or provocative. The United Kingdom fully supports Israel’s right to defend its citizens from such acts of terror.

I would also like to echo the concern relayed by the special coordinator that Hamas is putting children at risk of violence at the demonstrations at the Gaza fence. Children should never be the target of violence. They must never be put at the risk of violence or encouraged to participate in violence. It is totally unacceptable that Hamas and their operatives have been cynically exploiting the protests for their own benefit. Hamas must cease all actions which proactively encourage violence or which put civilian lives at risk.

The United Kingdom underlines the damage that Israeli restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza. We call on Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to work together to ensure a durable solution.

In more positive developments, Madam President, we welcome the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the transfer of tax revenues. We urge Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue to work together to meet their obligations under the Oslo Accords. And we continue to urge the Palestinian Authority to make reforms to prisoner payments, ensuring it is needs-based, transparent and affordable.

Madam President, we welcome the work by the Palestinian leadership towards genuine and democratic national elections for all Palestinians.

Madam President, we need a viable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, which addresses the legitimate concerns of both parties. That means we need genuine and committed engagement from both Israelis and Palestinians, including the end of actions which undermine trust and threaten the viability of the two-state solution.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 29/10/2019.

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

Thank you very much, Mr President.

The UK was pleased to vote in favour of the resolution that South Africa proposed today and we are very grateful for your efforts to secure Council consensus on this resolution and the efforts of your mission.

We welcome the resolution’s focus on implementation. Implementation is the United Kingdom’s main priority on Women, Peace and Security as we look forward to the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1325 next year. We believe that this resolution represents the final push that the Council needs to provide on implementation. From the United Kingdom’s perspective, our focus should now be on delivering on the ambition of the full existing framework of Women Peace and Security resolutions, and not producing more texts.

Turning to the text itself, we endorse its confirmation of this Council’s call for full – and I stress that word “full” – implementation of SCR 1325 and its encouragement of increased engagement by Member States and UN agencies, as well as increased support for civil society.

Mr President, the emphasis on full implementation – and again I stress “full” – is vital. The implementation gap is visible right the way across the Women, Peace and Security agenda; we have not seen sufficient progress in ensuring women’s meaningful participation, or in increasing the number of women in peacekeeping, nor in building an effective response to conflict-related sexual violence.

In all cases, Mr President, this needs to include sexual and reproductive health services. I know that not all member states agree with this but from the perspective of the United Kingdom, SRHR and their services are a vital part of public services for women in all countries and a vital part of ensuring that women can play a truly equal role in the building of their countries.

We welcome the resolution’s support for the creation of safe and enabling environments for civil society, as well as the importance of funding, which we consider essential for organisations and individuals to carry out their work, free of interference and free from fear.

However, I have to say, Mr President that the United Kingdom was disappointed that the Council did not seize the opportunity for a resolution more ambitious in scope.

Firstly, we believe that the resolution would have broken new ground if it had included explicit language on women human rights defenders and their protection and their security. The work of women human rights defenders is essential to the functioning of democracy and the maintenance and achievement of peace.

Secondly, we regret it wasn’t possible to include broader recognition of civil society’s role in implementation. We talk a lot about implementation in meetings and events in New York, but civil society – especially women at the grassroots level – are responsible for making this Council’s resolution a reality on the ground. They are the ones on the front lines, and they need increased recognition and support in order to effect greater and more effective change.

Thank you, Mr President.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 09/01/2020.

Delivered by Ambassador Neil Bush at the OSCE Permanent Council on 9 January 2020 in response to a speech by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Mr Chair, Ambassador Igli Hasani,

I align with the statement delivered on behalf of the EU and wanted to add some remarks in my national capacity.

We warmly welcome the Prime Minister to Vienna and thank him for outlining the priorities of the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship in 2020.

The UK is a strong proponent of the OSCE, which is a critical multilateral institution for European and Euro-Atlantic security. At the heart of the OSCE is conflict prevention and conflict resolution. These require a number of elements – upholding OSCE principles and commitments; having an effective early warning system; mediation; monitoring; and ensuring no abuse of power in individual countries.

We welcome your Chairmanship’s prioritisation of conflict resolution, including the work of the Special Monitoring Mission and the Trilateral Contact Group, as well as the resolution of the other protracted conflicts in the OSCE. We too attach great importance to the work of the OSCE’s field presences across the region.

As incoming Chair of the Security Committee – I would like firstly to thank Albania for this opportunity, and His Excellency the Prime Minister for identifying as priorities organised crime, countering violent extremism and cybersecurity. We will work with your delegation to finalise a work plan for the year and will brief the Permanent Council on this in February.

As chair of the Men Engage Network, I commend your focus on the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 and the promotion of the role of women in peace and security. Nationally, we have identified as a priority, the need to increase the number of women mediating and meaningfully participating in peace processes. It is well known that this meaningful participation of women brings more informed decision-making and more sustainable results on the ground. It is key to achieving durable peace.

Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict remains a top priority for the UK. Our aim is to tackle the stigma endured by survivors of sexual violence, secure justice for survivors and shatter the culture of impunity by bringing those responsible to account, as well as strengthen efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict.

We also appreciate your planned focus on combating violence against women. A society where individuals enjoy the same opportunities, rights, obligations and security regardless of their gender should not only be an aspiration. We should all take tangible steps to achieve this.

We wish the CiO and the excellent team in Tirana the very best in the important year ahead in the OSCE. You can be assured of the UK’s support.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 09/01/2020.

Statement by Ambassador James Roscoe at the Security Council briefing on UNOWAS.

May I join others in welcoming you to the chair and welcoming you and your other co-elected members of the Council. We look forward to working with you.

In the context of this briefing, we also welcome particularly the delegation in Niger. We know from last month that you have suffered first hand the consequences of violence in the region. You have our condolences for the losses to your armed forces.

It’s also very good to see SRSG Chambas back in the chamber to brief us. We welcome the very productive role that UNOWAS has played in the region. In particular, we welcome the role that you play, sir, through your good offices. People don’t always see the result of that work because it is, by its very nature, diplomatic and quiet. But we know it goes on and we know it makes a difference, so thank you to you and your team for that.

We’re also very grateful to the Secretariat and Secretary-General for their report on the trends in the region. As others have said, these continue to be of significant concern, particularly on the security side, but also on the humanitarian side. Because the security side is so bleak, the impact on the broader development opportunities in the region are also very affected.

We wanted to cover three areas today. The first is security and to talk about that in a little bit more detail. The second is elections, and we’ve heard a bit about that already today. And the third is to focus on the underlying causes of conflict and what we can do to address those once the security situation is addressed.

On the security and humanitarian side, as I said, we’re continuing to be concerned about the damaging cycles of violence that we’re seeing. And I think, Mr Chambas, you called them “unprecedented” and the spike between the year before last and what we saw last year was exponential. So a real cause for concern, particularly the deterioration in central Mali, an area where we’re separately sees this council, and northern Burkina Faso, since the last report.

The increased violence is exacerbating an already perilous humanitarian situation, particularly in central Mali and Burkina Faso. The UK has just released a further 20 million pounds in additional humanitarian funding in the Sahel on top of the 50 million pounds we’re already spending to help address this situation. I think we all need to think again about whether we’re doing enough in this region to look at the humanitarian situation.

It’s also worth just noting, as others have said, that we also need to ensure and states in the region need to ensure humanitarian access for those who do deliver that humanitarian response. We need to ensure that they’re able to get to the regions they need to and given the protection they need, both legally and in security terms.

I think the main point is that security needs to be this council’s principal focus. We cannot help those who urgently need assistance unless we can help the states that they are in to bring the security situation there under control.

Like many others in this chamber, we heard the African Union talk in the middle of December, when we last touched on this issue, about the variety of regional initiatives that we now have on the security front. And I wonder if one thing that this council might want to consider is whether we can help bring some coherence, to those to look at how we map those, look at whether the current issues we have are addressing the concerns that we have, whether they’re duplicative or complementary. So, I just think that’s something we can consider in due course in line with the African Union advice.

Turning now to elections, again, I think it’s useful to hear that there has been progress in the region and there are some upsides over the last year on the political front and on the election front. We agree with the emphasis, Mr Chambas, you’re placing on helping states deliver credible elections over this next period. And from our perspective, freedom of assembly and expression are essential to that, so we hope in particular you will send that message to states in the region. But in the context of the deteriorating security situation we’ve already touched on, we have to help states avoid these elections becoming flash points of violence or enabling abuses of power, as this will only exacerbate conflicts and violence further. Citizens must be able to exercise their democratic rights to votes without fear of intimidation or retribution. We stand ready to do what we can with your advice to support those.

In terms of the underlying causes, the immediate humanitarian and security efforts to support the elections and the wider region are obviously critical, but we must also do what we can to address the root causes of these conflicts and violence. And I think one of the interesting things that we see in the report is that, in the countries themselves, there is a growing recognition of the need to address those underlying issues, but it’s very difficult to do so in the absence of proper security that states can do something. They can work to address long-term governance issues by reducing abuses by security forces. We can help governments to build their legitimacy by providing inclusive and accountable basic services where they’re able to do so – and that’s something I think we should give more focus on. And it’s good to see the report looking at giving UNOWAS the ability to help the UN in the region to think about the development assistance that it can provide when it can provide it. These kind of interventions will help build the foundations for stability that the region so desperately needs.

So, Mr Chambas, we thank you, we thank your team. This is an incredibly important region and you have a challenging year ahead, but you have our full support.

Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 08/01/2020.

The Foreign Secretary calls for urgent de-escalation following an attack on Iraqi military bases.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

“We condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting Coalition – including British – forces.

We are concerned by reports of casualties and use of ballistic missiles.

We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation.

A war in the Middle East would only benefit Daesh and other terrorist groups.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 07/01/2020.

Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Dr Andrew Murrison calls on Israel to halt settlement expansion immediately.

Commenting on Israel’s announcement of plans for new housing units across the West Bank, Dr Andrew Murrison, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, said:

“The UK condemns the Israeli government’s advancement of yet more plans for over 1,900 housing units across the West Bank.

It is the UK’s longstanding position that settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the viability of the two-state solution.

We call on Israel to halt settlement expansion immediately.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 29/10/2019.

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

Well, thank you very much indeed, Madam President, and thank you for coming here today. And thank you, particularly along with the German Minister, for creating an environment where over two thirds of the people sitting around this table are women. So that is fantastic, a taste of things to come, and I hope you will visit us often.

I also wanted to congratulate you for the fantastic record of South Africa with that 30 percent figure that you gave us and your military colleagues sitting in the chamber. That’s incredibly impressive. Thank you for your commitment to carry on producing women for these peace support, peacekeeping operations. The United Kingdom joins you in that commitment. Sadly, we’re only at 17 percent so you have a march on us, Madam President, but I think nevertheless, there is all more that all of us can do in that regard.

As other speakers have said, this is a timely debate a year ahead of the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1325. It’s a good opportunity for us to reflect on the achievements and challenges in fully implementing that resolution. But as we’ve heard from all the fantastic briefers today and as the Executive Director of UN Women eloquently made clear, we must raise our ambition. We must commit to even more radical change and we need to ask ourselves, 20 years and 10 resolutions later, why is there still such a stark implementation gap when all the evidence suggests that incorporating gender perspective helps achieve sustainable peace and security?

So I think, again, as the Executive Director of UN Women said, that’s a question we need to ask ourselves all the time as we design any peace process or any international mechanism, project, programme; how can we make sure that we’re living up to the full implementation of 1325? And this obviously means putting a particular focus on designing inclusive processes from the outset. Arms and territory shouldn’t be the only reason that negotiators get a seat at the table. That’s not right morally, it’s not sensible economically, and it’s not sensible and feasible if you want a just and a lasting peace settlement.

Madam Chairman, this year the UK funded the Gender Action for Peace and Security to deliver consultations with civil society in our nine National Action Plan focus countries and we did this because we wanted to better understand how we can identify and therefore, overcome those gaps. So we are taking concrete steps to promote and protect women peace builders and human rights defenders. We are providing sustainable multi-year funding and we’re ensuring that we practice what we preach in terms of representation and policy.

As I look ahead to 2020, I hope we can have an effort right the way across the United Nations, not just in New York, but right across the whole UN system in the field and in the other headquarters buildings to focus efforts on full implementation of 1325. For our part, we will be particularly working on increasing women’s meaningful participation in peace processes, notably in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Yemen and the German Minister explained very eloquently what was happening in Afghanistan so I won’t repeat that. In Yemen, the United Kingdom is funding a Gender Advisor and other senior inclusion positions within the US Special Envoy’s Office so that we can build on his work to take forward women’s participation in the peace process. In South Sudan, ahead of November’s deadline for a transitional government, we are continuing to work with local women’s groups to advocate for an inclusive process. And of course, with my very good friend and colleague, the Afghanistan PR, we have set up a women’s group in New York, of which the US Ambassador is also part of, to take forward the participation of women in that very important peace process.

If I can turn to the UN, and again a number of our speakers mentioned the UN, the UN obviously has a huge role to play in implementing 1325. On the 19th anniversary, so with a year to go to do something about it, the United Kingdom would like to invite the UN to make progress in three particular areas. Firstly, to establish a strong formal working relationship with the Global Alliance of Women Mediators. This will ensure women mediators have access to key peace actors and are systematically considered for deployment as negotiators, mediators and advisors. Secondly, UN processes need to set the gold standard for inclusion and UN Special Envoy should be held to account on their commitments to implement 1325. And finally, ensuring UN-led peace processes are closely supported by gender experts to guarantee gender perspectives and this needs to be integrated throughout the mission. This is not a desirable, it’s not a nice to have, it’s an intrinsic part of any successful peace process.

In conclusion, Madam President, 2020 is not just about 1325. Next year marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing platform, the 70th anniversary of the UN, the fifth anniversary of youth peace and security, and ten years until the deadline to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. We cannot let this moment slip through our fingers. Now is the time to make progress on WPS in gender equality and the UN and the member states have a responsibility to deliver all of this next year.

Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 29/10/2019.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN at the Third Committee session on the Committee for the elimination of racial discrimination.

Mr. President,

I have the honour to read this statement on Xinjiang on behalf of a group 23 countries including:

Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United States of America and of course the United Kingdom.

We share the concerns raised by the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in their August 2018 Concluding Observations on China regarding credible reports of mass detention; efforts to restrict cultural and religious practices; mass surveillance disproportionately targeting ethnic Uighurs; and other human rights violations and abuses in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

We call on the Chinese government to uphold its national laws and international obligations and commitments to respect human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, in Xinjiang and across China. The Chinese government should urgently implement CERD’s eight recommendations related to Xinjiang, including by refraining from the arbitrary detention of Uighurs and members of other Muslim communities. In view of these concerns, we call on all countries to respect the principle of non-refoulement.

Furthermore, we call on the Chinese government to allow the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Special Procedures immediate unfettered, meaningful access to Xinjiang.

Mr. Chair, I’ll close with a question: What measures should the Chinese government undertake to address the concerns raised in CERD’s Concluding Observations regarding restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief and the right to freely participate in cultural life?