Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 July 2026.

Ambassador Holland thanks the Director of the OSCE’s Conflict Prevention Centre for the institution’s work across the region, which remains crucial at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, with Russia’s malign activities a key factor.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Director, Dear Kate, thank you for your report and for your leadership of the Conflict Prevention Centre in what you rightly describe as a highly challenging operating environment. Please also pass on our thanks to your hard-working and brilliant team.

As your report makes clear, the context in which the CPC operates is marked by heightened geopolitical tensions and increasing polarisation. At the heart of this challenge lies Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and its continued hybrid activity across the OSCE region. These actions fundamentally undermine our shared security and reinforce the importance of strong and effective conflict prevention tools.

The Russian Federation has a long track record of establishing frozen conflicts on its periphery which it uses as tools to manipulate and to control.  Georgia has been under hybrid attack from Russia since the 2008 war which saw 20% of Georgian territory effectively annexed. We reaffirm our full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call on Russia to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, and rebuild the trust that underpins the OSCE and our common security.

Dear Kate, against this backdrop, your report clearly demonstrates the central role of the CPC, its impact across the region, and the breadth of its reach. The United Kingdom places particular value on its core functions: providing early warning and situational awareness; delivering timely, fact-based reporting; facilitating dialogue and mediation; and maintaining strong connections between the Secretariat, participating States, and field operations.

We are grateful in particular for the CPC’s role in coordinating the Support Programme for Ukraine. This work is vital in helping Ukraine to address the consequences of Russia’s aggression and in strengthening resilience across civilian institutions. And in this context, I am pleased to announce a further UK contribution of about half a million Euros to support this programme.

We also note the CPC’s continued engagement across key regions. Its support to mediation and dialogue processes – including the Transdniestrian Settlement Process and the Geneva International Discussions – underlines the enduring importance of sustained attention to Moldova and the South Caucasus. The CPC’s ability to connect field insight, analysis, and dialogue facilitation remains a critical asset.

The CPC plays a pivotal role, but, like the organisation as a whole, does not always get the recognition it deserves, though I note your great work on digitalisation from your presentation.  I would welcome your thoughts, Director, on whether there is scope to increase the Centre’s visibility?

Director, we reiterate our strong support for your mandate and for the role of Director CPC. Looking ahead, we note ongoing discussions on the structure and resourcing of the Secretariat and we stand ready – alongside other participating States – to work in partnership with you and with the Secretary General on the future structure and focus of the CPC. Your report rightly highlights the need to ensure that the Centre remains flexible, responsive, and adequately resourced to meet evolving challenges. And we strongly agree with that.

Mr Chair, in an increasingly contested security environment, the CPC’s ability to link early warning with action, and policy with implementation, remains essential. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that this capability is preserved and strengthened.

I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 July 2026.

Denmark, on behalf of the UK and 38 other countries, reaffirm commitment to the absolute prohibition of torture, condemning its continued use across the OSCE region, including by Russia and Belarus.

Thank you, Mr. Chair,

I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the following 40 participating states: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia Herzegovina, Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the European Union and its Member States, including my own country, Denmark.

The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture provides us with an opportunity to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to prevent and eradicate torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The prohibition of torture under international law is absolute and unconditional.

Civil society organisations, human rights defenders, media and international bodies have all reported the use of torture by a number of participating States. There can be no doubt that torture is a grave assault on human dignity. Yet worryingly, such acts continue to be perpetrated in the OSCE region.

Such practices stand in stark contrast to the spirit of the Helsinki Final Act and to the human rights commitments that all participating States have undertaken since.

Various international mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, and ODIHR report that members of Russia’s forces have committed widespread and systematic acts of torture and ill-treatment against prisoners of war and civilians.

Staggering accounts from Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees describe torture and ill-treatment experienced during detention by Russian authorities clearly indicating patterns of systemic abuse.

In addition, the lack of Russian cooperation with independent international monitoring mechanisms is alarming. Constrained access to places of detention and external verification denies redress for the victims. This is a continuation of the abuse.

In Belarus, the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in 2026 documented widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment. This includes beatings, electric shocks, forced psychiatric treatment, sexual violence, and inhumane detention conditions.

We condemn these gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the strongest possible terms. We regret the decision of the Russian Federation to withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ECPT) and urge them to reconsider before the withdrawal becomes effective by November this year.

We recall the commitments by all participating States undertaken in the 2020 Tirana Ministerial Council Decision on the Prevention and Eradication of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and call for their full implementation throughout the OSCE region.

These commitments are unequivocal: no exceptional circumstances, whether armed conflict, security concerns or states of emergency, can ever justify torture. We welcome the Swiss Chairpersonship’s important work developing a Roadmap on the Prevention and Eradication of Torture in the OSCE region.

Mr. Chair,

Torture does not end when the act itself ends. It leaves victims and survivors with deep, long-lasting trauma, affecting them both physically and psychologically. And its impact extends to families, communities, and societies as a whole.

Fighting torture and ensuring accountability requires a joint effort, grounded in a victim- and survivor-centred approach. Victims and survivors must have access to effective remedies, including justice, redress and rehabilitation.

This includes ensuring access to appropriate medical, psychological and social support, particularly for victims of sexualized torture, conflict-related sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse.

We welcome the survivor-centred approach reflected in the Charter of Rights of Victims and Survivors of Torture as presented by the UN Special Rapporteur on torture. Independent and impartial efforts to document, investigate and prosecute such violations remain essential. The relevant OSCE,

UN and other international accountability mechanisms play an important role in this regard. To this end we recognize the important, autonomous mandate of ODIHR and their valuable contributions towards efforts to combat torture and uphold human rights across the OSCE region.

We urge the participating States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) as well as its Optional Protocol (OPCAT)

Mr. Chair,

We as participating States must continue to advance our efforts. And in these efforts, the needs of victims and survivors have to come first.

We further encourage investigation and documentation of allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, to align with the “Méndez Principles” that outline Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering.

We urge all participating States to use all appropriate measures to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment and to apply international standards such as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the so-called Bangkok Rules), the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the so-called Beijing Rules) and the UN Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty.

Mr. Chair,

In closing, we jointly reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the absolute prohibition of torture and to strengthening our efforts to eradicate its use across the OSCE region. We owe that to the people of our region. I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 July 2026.

Ambassador Holland condemned Russia’s ongoing aggression, highlighting rising civilian casualties, cultural destruction and reports of conflict-related sexual violence, while exposing persistent disinformation. He criticised Russia’s disinformation and conduct in the OSCE and underlined that such actions must not be normalised.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Mr Chair, accompanying Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is an attempt to normalise the unacceptable. Through its actions on the ground and in this Council, Russia seeks to condition us to accept the unacceptable .

Every day brings further death and destruction across Ukraine. The Russian attack on Kyiv overnight, which killed at least thirteen people and injured a further 86, is the latest example. Our thoughts are with all those affected.

Colleagues, despite attempts to persuade you otherwise, we believe any loss of life is tragic. Yet the scale of suffering we continue to witness is the direct result of a deliberate decision: Russia’s choice to launch and sustain this war. That is the root cause of the instability in our region.

Since February 2022, the UN has verified over 62,000 civilian casualties, including more than 16,000 killed. Recent data underline that this toll is not diminishing rather intensifying. May 2026 saw the highest monthly casualties since April 2022. Early data indicates that June may be even higher. Civilians are killed and injured across the country, often far from the frontline, as missile and drone strikes reach cities and towns nationwide. These are the foreseeable consequences of Russia’s aggression.

Cultural and religious heritage has not been spared. Historic sites – symbols of identity and continuity – have been damaged or destroyed. The recent Russian attack that damaged the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a stark example. This struck the cultural foundations of Ukraine.

A further example is Russia’s use of conflict-related sexual violence. And such is the weight of evidence against Russia, the 2026 UN Annual Report lists the Russian armed and security forces among the parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of conflict-related sexual violence.

And alongside its actions on the ground, Russia continues to undermine this Council. We see a steady stream of disinformation, including fabricated allegations and  “false flag” narratives. This is not good-faith engagement. It is a deliberate effort to obscure reality and deflect responsibility from the root cause of conflict in our region – their invasion of Ukraine, starting with Crimea in 2014 and leading on to the full scale invasion in 2022.

For example, in relation to Bucha, we see repeated attempts to deny, distort, and recast compelling evidence of atrocities as staged provocations, despite extensive documentation and verification by independent and international sources. Such tactics aim to blur the line between truth and falsehood – and, again, to normalise what should never be accepted.

We also see a degradation of language and conduct in this room. Established diplomatic norms are increasingly cast aside. Baseless slurs, including references that trivialise the gravest chapters of history, are deployed. Last week, this trend reached a new low, and we will come back to this topic later in this meeting.

Mr Chair, recent remarks by President Putin illustrate clearly what we have long argued: that Russia is not serious about peace. While Ukraine has repeatedly made clear its desire for a ceasefire or direct Leader-level talks, Russia remains committed to continued territorial advances, whatever the cost. This again demonstrates where the commitment to peace lies. Ukraine continues to pursue practical avenues to reduce harm and create space for diplomacy. Russia continues to reject them.

This Council must continue to speak with clarity and purpose. We must support Ukraine, uphold international law, and ensure that the unacceptable is neither accepted nor forgotten.

Thank you.