Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : International Women’s Day 2024 – UK Statement to the OSCE [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

In response to the address by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Gender, Ambassador Holland outlines the UK’s commitment to improving the outlook for women and girls globally.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to welcome Special Representative Palihovici back to the Permanent Council, and to thank you for your insightful opening remarks.

Madam Chair, as we approach International Women’s Day in 2024, global progress towards gender equality remains contested. Over 800 women or girls die every day due to pregnancy or childbirth complications. One in three women will suffer physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes. Violence against women continues to grow online. And in the OSCE region today, horrific evidence continues to emerge of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated through Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The theme of International Women’s Day in 2024 is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”. This focuses on the challenges caused by the alarming lack of global financing for gender equality measures. The COVID pandemic, conflicts, climate disasters and economic turmoil have pushed an extra 75 million people into severe poverty since 2020, with a disproportionate impact on women and girls. If current trends continue, more than 342 million women and girls could be living in extreme poverty by 2030.

These challenges can only be addressed through solutions that empower women. Ensuring women’s and girls’ rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure prosperous and just economies, and a healthy planet for future generations.

The UK is committed to improving the outlook for women and girls globally. Exactly one year ago our (then-) Foreign Secretary launched the UK’s International Women and Girls Strategy, which sets out how the UK is putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do – domestically and internationally.

Since 2015 the UK has supported the education of over 10 million of the world’s most vulnerable girls. We have helped over 25 million women worldwide to access family planning advice. Through our flagship £38 million global programme, we have supported the work of over 600 women’s rights organisations. We are also helping to drive the global conversation, for example, through a series of Wilton Park conferences which place women’s rights organisations at the centre of the debate.

We know that urgent action is needed to accelerate progress to end gender-based violence. In November of last year, we announced a new package of support for women’s rights organisations to drive forward locally-led and survivor-centred approaches to tackling violence against women and girls, including in conflict and crisis settings. Since the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative in 2012, we have committed over £60 million to tackling conflict-related sexual violence globally.

Empowering women and girls, and preventing violence against them, will remain a UK priority. We are committed to ensuring every girl receives at least 12 years of quality education, and to ending the preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children by 2030.

Madam Chair, we can only build a fairer, freer, safer, wealthier and greener world if we put women and girls at the heart of the OSCE’s work. Women’s inclusion in leadership and meaningful decision making is essential for local, national and regional progress.

It is vital that we, as OSCE participating States, fulfil our commitments to gender equality – as set out in the 1999 Charter for European Security, and related decisions – and ensure adequate funding for OSCE executive structures working to implement the organisation’s gender equality commitments.

As the UK has stated previously, the principles we mark on International Women’s Day are not just for a day. Advancing gender equality is a policy from which everyone benefits, bringing freedom and peace, boosting prosperity and trade, building resilience and strengthening global and regional security. It is vital that we follow through on our commitments to ensure the equal rights of all women and girls.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Lord Parkinson at Heritage Day hosted by The Heritage Alliance [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 7 March 2024.

Lord Parkinson has delivered a speech to members of the heritage sector at the annual Heritage Day hosted by The Heritage Alliance.

Thank you for having me along to Heritage Day again – it’s a great pleasure to be back with you.

Lizzie, Ingrid, and the whole team at the Heritage Alliance do us all a great service by bringing people together to share ideas and insights, champion our heritage heroes, and speak with a collective voice about what the sector needs to keep flourishing – reflecting the power of collaboration, as you have put it so well for your theme for this year.

It’s a power you are harnessing for the sake of the millions of people who benefit from our heritage today, and for the sake of future generations.

Heritage Day is a great opportunity to look back on the progress we’ve been able to make together over the past year, and to talk about some of the things we want to see next – perhaps all the more important in an election year.

The past twelve months have provided some sad but powerful reminders of how much heritage means to us all – through the senseless loss (I would use a stronger term, but I’m mindful that criminal investigations are ongoing …) of the Crooked House pub
in August, and the beloved tree in the Sycamore Gap of Hadrian’s Wall the following month.

Both of these cases sparked immediate and visceral reactions, not just from people who lived nearby, but from around the world I think i’m right in saying the videos the National Trust put out about it were their most viewed ever. – a potent sign of the importance of our built and natural heritage.

Heart-wrenching though both these cases were, they offered an important reminder of how much that shared heritage means to us all – and why it’s worth fighting for.

When I stood before you last year at the Charterhouse, I set out some of the things I was keen to work on with you – so it’s gratifying to look back and see how much we’ve been able to do together.

When we met last, the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill had just arrived in the Lords – it’s now an Act of Parliament, putting protection for more of our heritage assets, including Scheduled Monuments and World Heritage Sites, on a statutory footing – and benefiting from some valuable improvements thanks to lobbying and engagement by people in this room.

A quarter of a century since it arrived on the statute book, we’ve also updated the Treasure Act – widening the definition so that more of the extraordinary artefacts being discovered can be saved and shared with the public.

And we announced the ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage – after twenty years of campaigning by many here today.

We’ve also published guidance for custodians of contested heritage assets – a tricky issue, but one which benefited from the careful deliberations of our Heritage Advisory Board, and which I’m pleased to say was received with similar thoughtfulness.

I’ve had the great honour of opening the National Trust’s Heritage and Rural Skills Centre in Oxfordshire, and English Heritage’s ‘reawakened’ Belsay Hall in Northumberland.

I also had the pleasure of joining a meeting of the National Amenity Societies, and helping to launch the Heritage and Carbon report alongside Historic England, the National Trust, Grosvenor, Peabody, and the Crown Estate – a powerful example of collaboration there!

We’ve done all that while designating over 170 listed buildings and Scheduled Monuments, helping the National Portrait Gallery to save Sir Joshua Reynolds’s Portrait of Mai for the nation, thanks to the largest ever donation from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, and support from across the sector, reuniting the three Thornborough Henges in the National Heritage Collection and publishing the Tentative List for new World Heritage Sites.

This time last year, I announced my intention to expand the official Blue Plaques scheme across the country. Today, I’m proud to stand here and say we’ve done it.

In September, we changed the law to enable the scheme which has been so brilliantly run i by English Heritage for many years to be expanded across the country.

Thanks to some great work by Historic England (and responding to the demands of an impatient Minister!), we had the great pleasure two weeks ago of unveiling the first national Blue Plaque in Ilkley, to Daphne Steele, the first black matron in our National Health Service. Joining her son Robert in West Yorkshire to celebrate her life and legacy was one of the true highlights of my time in Government.

We’ve already announced the next two plaques – honouring Clarice Cliff, one of the most influential ceramists of the 20th century, and George Harrison, the music icon and humanitarian. I’m looking forward to those being unveiled – and to seeing which other figures from all over the country will join them in the future once public nominations open in the summer.

The new, national scheme will help us to tell the stories of a wider range of people – showing how people from towns, villages, and cities across this country went on to change the world, and I hope inspiring new generations to know that they can do the same.

So thank you to everyone who worked together to make that happen so quickly.

Last month, I was also delighted to join Historic England to mark the protection – through Grade II designation – of a number of historic gas lamps in Covent Garden.

London’s gas lamps have been an integral part of the city’s identity for more than two centuries. From the novels of Charles Dickens and John Buchan to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Mary Poppins and The Muppet Christmas Carol, they’ve provided an evocative backdrop to many of our capital’s most cherished events and imaginings.

When they were threatened, the London Gasketeers sprang into being to protect them. Thanks to their dedication, and the expert advice of Historic England, Westminster City Council has committed to preserve any gas lamps which are given listed status – a number which I’m delighted to say has already risen by a dozen, with many more under consideration.

This will ensure that their inimitable glow can continue to brighten the lives of Londoners — and the millions of visitors the city welcomes — for generations to come.

As we look to the future of the listing process, we should be asking ourselves whether we are missing important parts of our heritage, such as late Victorian and Edwardian buildings; whether there are ways to ensure that listings cover every part of the country, and can better recognise craftsmanship and quality in the buildings we consider. I am interested in the role that the Principles of Selection for Listed Buildings – last updated six years ago – has to play in this.

Harnessing the power of collaboration, I will work closely with Historic England and others – such as the amenity societies and the Historic Environment Forum – to look at this alongside other possible interventions.

Last week, I had the pleasure of chairing the latest meeting of the Heritage Council – a brilliant way of facilitating collaboration across Government, as well as between us and the sector. We talked about the preparations for next year’s Railway 200 celebrations – the bicentenary of the first passenger rail journey – as well discussing some of the challenges and opportunities facing heritage rail, following up on many of the points which were raised when I attended the Heritage Railway Association’s annual conference in Newcastle, that cradle of the railways, in November.

We also talked about a topic raised at last year’s Heritage Day – underwater and marine heritage.

I was pleased to be joined by Ministerial colleagues from the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Transport, DEFRA, and the Foreign Office as well as colleagues from the sector to explore these two areas of mobile heritage.

I am following our discussions up by looking at the Memorandum of Understanding we’ve had for the past ten years between my Department and the MoD – and, in the longer term, continuing to pursue the ratification of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on Underwater Archaeology, which I see is included in your refreshed Heritage Manifesto.

But one UNESCO Convention I’m delighted to say we are ratifying very soon – I go to Paris next month to deposit the signed papers – is the 2003 Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The French have a better name for this: they call it ‘le patrimoine vivant’ – ‘living heritage’. I think that captures well the traditions and practices we pass on from generation to generation; things which have shaped us, and which we shape in turn.

Of course, our tangible and intangible heritage are not separate – they are linked through the spaces, stories, products, and indeed the vital crafts and skills that maintain our built heritage.

We will launch a call for applications for an inventory of intangible cultural heritage in the UK this summer, which I want to ensure represents the full range of our living heritage.

Thank you to the many people here who have been engaging with the team at DCMS as we consult on implementing the Convention. We have had a fantastic response, so please stay involved and help us to keep shaping it.

Yesterday, of course, was Budget Day, which saw some great news for our sector.

Through the third round of the Levelling Up Fund we are investing in our great cultural heritage across the country, including £15 million for the National Railway Museum in York and County Durham, and £10 million to the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool’s Grade I-listed Royal Albert Dock.

We also pledged £10 million to safeguard the extraordinary Temple Works building in Leeds – a Grade I-listed flaxmill with Egyptian Revival architecture and a frankly bonkers roof which used to be covered in grass and had a herd of sheep to help mow it. This investment (alongside the £1 million already provided by Historic England) will help to bring the site into public ownership and explore its potential to become the new northern home of the British Library.

We also provided more than £26 million for the Grade II* listed National Theatre – just a stone’s throw from here, and one of the finest examples of Brutalist architecture in the country.

The Chancellor announced £1 million for a war memorial honouring Muslim soldiers who fought for our Armed Forces in both world wars and £10 million for culture and heritage projects in the West Midlands and £6 million for community regeneration projects across the country with the King’s Foundation.

There was also support for the creative industries which heritage is such an important part of. I was downstairs in the crypt trying on the virtual reality headsets seeing how we transform our business services at heritage sites. Of course these places and heritage are an inspiration for many of our creative stories.

And I’m delighted to say that Gift Aid legislation will be amended to ensure that charities can still claim Gift Aid while complying with new protections for consumers under the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Bill – something I know that has been a concern for many organisations here today, and which our colleague Lord Mendoza has been taking up in the debates on that Bill.

But of course, there are always more areas which need our support. I couldn’t stand in this glorious, Grade II*-listed church – built with a grant from Parliament – without, first, thanking Canon Giles for hosting us, but also recognising that much of our ecclesiastical heritage is at risk, imperilling not just the buildings but also the communities and congregations they serve.

Since 2010, the Government has returned £346 million to churches, synagogues, mosques and temples through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Thousands of buildings have benefited – including, I’m glad to say, this one, which has received £1 million since 2015 for several works, including the installation of a new lift and the creation of a narthex café and welcome area.

But still many more could benefit from this scheme. That’s why, just before Christmas, I wrote to all MPs to highlight its positive impact in their constituencies, and to encourage more places of worship to take advantage of it.

But, as someone in a meeting I had recently put it, this scheme is about getting the tax back on works churches and others do; what they also need is help to fund that work in the first place. I recognise that, and am pleased to be working with the Church of England, the Churches Conservation Trust, the National Churches Trust, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, and others to see how we can provide that broader support for these cherished buildings and all the good things that they do.

Our work continues, but is stronger for being done together.

Another part of our heritage which is much cherished, but which also needs support, is our seaside heritage – something I’ve seen on my visits to coastal communities including Brighton, Eastbourne, Margate, Scarborough, Torquay, and my native North Tyneside.

Some of you have heard me extol the virtues of the Spanish City in Whitley Bay before – the Grade II-listed, neo-Baroque pleasure garden facing out across the North Sea in my hometown.

It is far from alone. Around our coastline, winter gardens, esplanades, harbours and piers remain at risk, whether from neglect, from salty water, or from the long overdue need to adapt to changing times.

That’s why I’m delighted to announce that we will soon be launching a dedicated fund to support enhancements to our seaside heritage, drawing on the successes of recent programmes like the High Streets Heritage Action Zones, to help protect and rejuvenate coastal assets which are in need of love and attention. As always, we’re keen to do that in collaboration with the brilliant people and organisations in the sector – so please watch out for more details, and help us make a difference to coastal communities across the country.

So, a busy year gone, and a busy year ahead – but none of the things I’ve mentioned would be possible without the support and hard work of the people and organisations represented here today.

Thank you for a year of powerful collaboration in support of our nation’s heritage – and here’s to many more!

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Employment boost of 200,000 as cost of living support extended [March 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 7 March 2024.

Plans to boost economic activity while supporting vulnerable people with the cost of living will be driven through by Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, as the Government unveiled its Budget for Long Term Growth.
- Household Support Fund extended with £500 million of support for the most vulnerable households
- Equivalent of 200,000 more in employment following welfare reforms and tax cuts to make work pay
- “Additional Jobcentre Support” to be rolled out to 150 sites alongside unprecedented £104 billion cost of living package
Following the next generation of welfare reforms announced last Autumn – including the flagship £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan – more people will be rewarded for hard work with cuts to National Insurance worth £900 for the average employee this year.

We have already delivered on our plan to halve inflation, which is down to 4% from its peak of 11% thanks to the steps taken by this Government. As inflation continues to fall, millions of families will also benefit from extra support with the cost of living – helping deliver the long-term change our country needs to deliver a brighter future for Britain and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.

The Household Support Fund – first introduced in October 2021 – will be extended for a fourth time. The extension, backed by £500 million, will support the most vulnerable households.

Alongside the continued cost of living support, jobseekers will be encouraged to secure long-term financial security through work following the extension of the Additional Jobcentre Support pilot.

The pilot will be expanded to a further 30 sites – reaching 150 in total – and will deliver intensive support so more people can secure the physical, mental, and financial benefits work brings.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

Work is the best way to secure long-term financial security, which is why in this Budget the Government is rewarding hard work with more tax cuts, boosting growth and helping families with the challenges they’re facing.

The long-term decisions announced by the Chancellor will put £900 back in the pockets of 27 million employees this year and support the equivalent of 200,000 people into work, when taken together with the next generation of welfare reforms we’re already rolling out.

This was also a Budget that recognised some people are still struggling and the extension of the Household Support Fund will give vulnerable households the help they need.

Our plan is building a brighter future for millions of people.

To support households from falling into debt the Government is taking decisive action to ensure claimants retain more of the money they receive from Universal Credit.

Almost one million households on Universal Credit take out budgeting advance loans. These provide families with a vital source of funds to purchase one-off items like fridges and other expensive items.

To help make these repayments more affordable we will be increasing the repayment period for new loans from 12 months to 24 months.

The measures announced in the Spring Budget build on the next generation of welfare reforms the Secretary of State ushered in last autumn. The plans offer unprecedented employment and health support to help over a million people, while protecting those in most need from cost of living pressures – including raising pensions and benefits and more help with housing costs.

While unemployment has been almost halved since 2010, our £2.5 billion Back to Work plan will help thousands of people with disabilities, long-term health conditions and the long-term unemployed, to move into jobs. This comes alongside the Government’s Chance to Work Guarantee, so that claimants on incapacity benefits can try work without fear of losing their benefits.

The extension of the Household Support Fund comes on top of the £104 billion cost of living support package:
- Boosting the state pension by 8.5% from April for over 12 million pensioners, an extra £900 next year for a pensioner on the new State Pension
- Increasing benefits by 6.7% from April
- Increasing the Local Housing Allowance from April, worth an average gain of £800 a year
The Government has also announced several significant pension fund reforms as part of the Value for Money framework. These will benefit both savers and British business, led by new requirements for Defined Contribution pension funds to publicly disclose their level of investment in the UK.

The Government will also undertake further analysis and research on the viability of a lifetime provider model, which could move individuals to having just one workplace pension pot across their career.

Additional Information
1. £500m of additional funding enables the extension of the Household Support Fund, including funding for the Devolved Administrations through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. This means that Local Authorities in England will receive an additional £421m to support those in need locally through the Household Support Fund.
April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Ukrainian women continue to stand up against Russian aggression and speak up for justice and peace: UK statement to the OSCE [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

In the lead up to International Women’s Day, Ambassador Holland notes the bravery of Ukrainian women and girls as Russia’s senseless war has devastating impacts on them.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This week in the lead up to International Women’s Day, we have been celebrating the accomplishments of women across the world. With that in mind, today I wish to highlight the courage and resilience of Ukrainian women, as they continue to stand up against Russian aggression and speak up for justice and peace.

Over the past two years, Russia’s senseless war has had a devastating impact on the lives of Ukrainian women and girls. Families have been torn apart, with many women suddenly becoming sole caregivers and providers. Mothers have faced the difficult decision to send their children to safety, while they remain in a warzone. Others have had their children forcibly taken from them. Many women and girls that remain in Ukraine have faced further trauma, with Russian forces committing terrible atrocities against them. And others have had their lives tragically cut short.

The wide-spread impact of Russia’s war on Ukrainian women cannot be ignored. And yet despite this, we continue to hear stories of women who symbolise hope and resilience. Such as, Vera Lytochenko, a violinist who decided to stay in Ukraine and play music for people hiding in bomb shelters to lift their spirits and soothe the frightened children. Or Iryna Yurchenko, a train conductor, who since the start of Russia’s war has helped evacuate people to safety with great bravery.

Ukrainian women have played a crucial role in defending their homeland with thousands of women serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, others have been instrumental to humanitarian, political, and security efforts. And Ukrainian women have refused to be silenced, coming forward with courage to document the horrific atrocities Russian Forces have committed against them, including sexual violence and torture.

To ensure justice is delivered, the UK has provided over £6 million to support projects aimed at building the domestic capacity of war crimes investigations. This has helped to embed international guidelines and best practice, including on survivor-centred approaches, through projects under the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group and work by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts.

The UK has also been working closely with Ukrainian actors involved in tackling conflict related sexual violence, including First Lady Zelenska who we were pleased to welcome to the UK last week. The First Lady’s visit provided an opportunity to reflect and discuss collaboration with her Foundation on mental health and psychosocial support.

The UK is proud to be a leading donor in supporting Ukrainian women, girls, and the most excluded groups. In recognition of their vital contributions on the frontline and in their communities, the UK set up new funding last year to provide critical support. This included helping the Ukrainian Women’s Fund and local women-led organisations deliver live-saving services. Our support has also addressed the needs and priorities of the most marginalised, including internally displaced persons, Roma, and older persons.

Madam Chair, the UK will continue to support the women of Ukraine as they work to rebuild their homeland from the damage and devastation of Russia’s war. We remain deeply humbled by their remarkable bravery and we stand united with them. Thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : (Lord) Banner KC to lead review on national infrastructure [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 7 March 2024.

Top planning barrister, (Lord) Charles Banner KC, will lead an independent review to look into speeding up the delivery of major infrastructure projects, confirmed by the Housing Minister and Secretary of State today.

The review builds on wider government reforms to streamline the process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), which are often held up by legal barriers and judicial reviews.

Banner, assisted by fellow barrister Nick Grant, will explore whether NSIPs are unduly held up by inappropriate legal challenges, and if so what are the main reasons and how the problem can be effectively resolved, whilst guaranteeing the constitutional right to access of justice and meeting the UK’s international obligations.

Even unsuccessful challenges can set major projects back years in delays. This includes new road improvements, offshore wind farms and waste water management facilities.

Housing Minister, Lee Rowley said:

“It is vitally important that we use every tool at our disposal to slash unnecessary planning delays and accelerate building where it is needed across the country.

“That is why I am delighted that (Lord) Banner will lead a review on how we can speed up the delivery of national infrastructure in the face of costly legal challenges. I look forward to the outcome of this crucial piece of work.”

(Lord) Charles Banner KC said:

“I am looking forward to analysing the information available, as well as the feedback from key stakeholders, to ascertain whether, within the terms of reference, there is a case for improving the process for legal challenges of NSIPs in a way that would reduce any identified impacts of inappropriate legal challenges whilst maintaining constitutional principles and relevant international obligations.”

Banner is a leading expert in planning and environmental regulation. He has already demonstrated excellent work for the Government on a number of panels, such as chairing the UK’s nature conservation advisory body the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

As part of the review, Banner will produce a written report with recommendations based upon the review’s research and engagement with key stakeholders.

This review was announced at the Autumn Statement in the policy paper ‘Getting Great Britain building again: Speeding up infrastructure delivery’. It is expected to take 3 months and the Government will consider the recommendations once published.

Biography

(Lord) Charles Banner KC was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2004 and to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2010. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2019 (at the age of 38, the youngest of the 2019 silks). He practices across both jurisdictions as well as internationally.

Nick Grant is on the Attorney General’s C-panel of counsel and specialises in planning and infrastructure, compulsory purchase, and environmental law.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 55 – Right to freedom of peaceful assembly [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

UK statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association.

Thank you, Mr President,

The UK welcomes the Special Rapporteur’s report, and we thank him for his dedication to the mandate during his tenure, including his numerous country visits and important thematic reports. We welcome the recommendations to engage with civil society, and we hope the standard he has set on what it is a priority issue for the UK will endure.

Mr President,

The right to peaceful protest is part of democratic society. In the UK, it is a long-standing tradition for people to gather and demonstrate their point of view, provided they do so within the confines of the law. We agree that both the government and law enforcement have a duty to uphold the human rights of all individuals, including when facilitating assemblies.

We also agree that the policing of protests must be proportionate, protecting the right to protest whilst also having a duty to maintain public safety and peace.

Special Rapporteur,

What steps do you feel governments can take to best support law enforcement practices around the world in balancing the rights of protestors with the rights of others to go about their daily lives without serious disruption?

Thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine shoots down 13 Russian combat aircraft in as many days: UK statement to the OSCE [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Ukraine is inflicting significant losses on Russia’s airforce, with Ukraine destroying Russian jets 20 times faster than Russia can replace them.

Thank you, Mr Chair. This morning’s Security Dialogue was an excellent and informative session to hear expert opinion about the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The impact of Putin’s illegal war of aggression against its sovereign neighbour, Ukraine, has brought untold misery to hundreds of thousands of women and children. Women and children have been killed, their homes have been destroyed, they have been forced to leave their country and they have lost loved ones on the front line.

This war has been an awful tragedy for the people of Ukraine, but they continue to inspire and remind all of us here in this Forum of their resilience and bravery as they fight to defend their country and the values of democracy and freedom. Whilst the ground situation remains broadly static, Ukraine has continued to inflict significant losses on Russia’s invasion force, shooting down another three Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bombers in regions near Avdiivka and Mariupol, in the latest blow to Russia’s airforce.

This brings the total to 12 Sukhoi planes brought down in a 13-day period and 13 Russian planes overall, including the loss of the A-50U radar aircraft I spoke of last week. The repeated destruction of warplanes is a significant setback for Russia’s war effort, given that Russia is struggling to produce more than a few dozen each year due to sanctions, with reports suggesting that Russia is losing jets 20 times faster than they can replace them.

Mr Chair, Ukraine has stood up to Putin’s imperialistic ambitions. Now in the third year of war, Russia’s plan to surround Kyiv within three days, bring down the government, and subjugate most of the country in less than a month has spectacularly failed in its objectives. Instead, Russia’s illegal actions have strengthened the NATO alliance, weakened Russia’s own security partnerships and diminished Russia’s international standing.

Russia has been clear about its aims. No one in this Forum should be in any doubt. The Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council, Medvedev called Ukraine a “cancerous growth”, denying its right to exist; and we have seen in Bucha what Russia does in the territories it controls.

The United Kingdom will stand firm behind Ukraine to ensure that Russia’s unchecked aggression will not prevail. In support of this, the United Kingdom will co-lead a major drone capability coalition with Latvia. We have introduced the largest and most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on Russia or indeed any major economy. And we have now sanctioned over 1700 individuals and entities since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The United Kingdom recognises that now is the time to double down on our support so Ukraine not only wins the war, but emerges from it stronger, with its sovereignty and freedom fully restored. By doing so, we make sure that Russia pays the price and its efforts to undermine global stability are stopped in their tracks. If we allow Russia to lay waste to this stability, the risks to the world order and to us all are grave. Thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 55 – UK statement on human rights and the environment [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment. UK Statement at the 55th Human Rights Council.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes today’s dialogue with the Special Rapporteur and notes with appreciation his latest report, including the extensive recommendations for States to consider supporting businesses to better protect our planet.

The UK government is clear that it expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UNGPs clearly set out the duties of States (in which business enterprises are domiciled or operating) and responsibilities of business enterprises to prevent, address, and remedy human rights abuses in business operations and global supply chains.

The UK welcomes the report’s attention to the importance of transparency and disclosure. Coordination in sustainability disclosures and reporting requirements encourages sectors to demonstrate socially responsible and environmentally sustainable practices. The UK is introducing due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to help tackle illegal deforestation in our supply chains. This is part of a wider package of measures to increase our sustainability practices and contribute to global efforts to protect forests and other ecosystems.

Special Rapporteur,

How can we encourage an appropriate balance of legal and voluntary measures for positive business impact on human rights and the environment?

Thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : As we approach Ramadan, the UK calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and for all parties to allow unhindered humanitarian access – UK statement at the UN Security Council [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

Thank you President and thank you, Secretary-General, for your sobering update.

Colleagues, the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces bear responsibility for the horrendous situation in Sudan.

Shelling and attacks from both sides in heavily populated, urban areas and across the entire western region of Sudan, continue to kill and terrorise civilians.

The situation for children is particularly unbearable. Four million have been displaced. Over 700,000 will suffer from the deadliest form of malnutrition this year.

Sudanese children have missed a year of school and face the fear of not knowing when they will receive their next meal.

The Sudanese Armed Force’s withdrawal of permission for cross-border deliveries of humanitarian aid from Adre in Chad is indefensible.

We call on the Sudanese authorities to honour their commitments to facilitate crossline and other cross-border routes for the delivery of life-saving assistance for the Sudanese people.

They need to remove the red tape and deliberate obstructionism which has prevented meaningful crossline assistance in recent months.

To the people of Sudan, who for nearly a year have been made to witness their country’s descent into near collapse: you have not been forgotten.

The situation in Sudan warrants a robust response from this Council and increased attention from the international community.

As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, we echo the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate ceasefire and we urge all parties to allow for unhindered cross-border and crossline humanitarian access.

We encourage international partners, including the AU, IGAD and regional states, as well as the UN’s Personal Envoy, to prioritise coordination of their efforts to end this conflict, and to reject attempts by the warring parties to pit different mediation tracks against each other.

President, it should not be for the military leadership of both the SAF or RSF to determine the political future of Sudan.

We call on them to give way to a civilian, transitional government that will fully respect the basic human rights of the Sudanese people.

I thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement with Iran – E3 statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency [March 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

On Wednesday 6 March, France, Germany and the UK (E3) gave a joint statement to the IAEA Board of Governors on Iran’s implementation of its obligations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Delphine Hournau-Pouëzat, French permanent representative to the IAEA on behalf of E3:

Chair,

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom thank Director General Grossi for his report on the implementation of Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement contained in GOV/2024/8.

We commend the DG and the Secretariat for their continued professional, independent and impartial verification of Iran’s fulfilment of its safeguards obligations. We commend their repeated efforts to engage Iran to clarify information regarding the “correctness and completeness” of its declarations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement. Due to Iran’s prolonged failure to address outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency is unable to assure that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Chair,

It has been five years since the Director General first reported evidence to the Board of possible undeclared nuclear material and activities at a number of locations in Iran. Since then, Iran has failed to resolve these long-standing concerns, despite numerous resolutions by the Board, most recently in November 2022. In that time, the number of instances where Iran has acted against its legal safeguards obligations has grown. Let us briefly recall these issues:
- Iran has yet again failed to provide any technically credible explanations regarding Turquzabad and Varamin, despite having promised the Agency further information in August 2023. It has been five years since the Turquzabad investigation was opened and three and a half years since the Varamin investigation was opened. We must ask Iran, then, whether any of the nuclear material and/or contaminated equipment used at these locations remains in its territory and is not included in its declaration.
- Iran refuses to implement Modified Code 3.1 – a legal obligation that Iran cannot unilaterally suspend or modify. Iran is not giving the Agency required design information for multiple new nuclear facilities, even as it begins construction. It is unacceptable that the Agency is forced to rely instead on commercially available satellite imagery to monitor these activities. This is particularly concerning given Iran’s history of constructing undeclared nuclear facilities. As the DG notes, Iran remains the only State with significant nuclear activities that is not implementing Modified Code 3.1 as part of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.
- In September last year, Iran de-designated a number of experienced Agency inspectors and claimed that this was in response to action taken at the Board by some member states. This is a political move, described as “extreme and unjustified” by the Director General. Iran is obstructing the Agency’s ability to effectively conduct its verification activities in Iran. We echo the Director General’s strong condemnation and urge Iran to reverse it and to promptly re-designate those inspectors.
Chair,

Since the Board last met four months ago, no progress was made on implementation of the Joint Statement between the IAEA and Iran of 4 March 2023. That Joint Statement was agreed by Iran more than a year ago now, and it is clear that Iran has no intention to implement the commitments it made. We recall Iran also previously failed to implement the Joint Statements of 5 March 2022, 15 December 2021, 12 September 2021, and 26 August 2020. Let us be clear. Iran does not need new frameworks to co-operate with the Agency in order to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues. Such a framework already exists: the NPT Safeguards Agreement Iran signed and ratified, and the legally binding obligations it contains.

Chair,

On the long-standing nuclear material discrepancy at the Esfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF), we note that Iran has corrected its accounting reports, and that these indicate that the amount of Uranium sent from Jaber Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratory (JHL) to UCF was less than had been declared by Iran in 2003-2004. We note the Agency’s conclusion that this case “requires further consideration”. We expect Iran to fully co-operate with the Agency to clarify all outstanding questions. This is of particular concern as undeclared uranium metal experiments were conducted at the same laboratory in Iran between 1995 and 2002. This raises the question of the possible diversion of uranium metal.

Chair,

The Director General is unable to provide this Board and the wider international community the assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Iran’s public statements regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons should be of grave concern to us all. We echo the Director General in therefore questioning the “correctness and completeness” of Iran’s safeguards declarations. Iran’s comments are an unacceptable provocation and completely incompatible with Iran’s legal obligations under the NPT as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State.

Chair,

The Board has already adopted three resolutions on this matter. At the September 2023 Board, 63 member states joined a statement delivered by Denmark expressing deep concerns with Iran’s behaviour. Iran has still not implemented the essential and urgent actions contained in the November 2022 Resolution. As reported by the DG, Iran has not made any progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues. After so many missed opportunities and lost time, the need for the Board to hold Iran accountable to its legal obligations is long overdue. Iran must urgently, fully and unambiguously co-operate with the Agency. In the absence of decisive and substantive progress, the Board must be prepared to adopt another resolution at its next meeting, and to consider future action as necessary, including making a finding under Article 19 of Iran’s Safeguards Agreement. Iran cannot be allowed to evade its NPT safeguards obligations any further.

Chair,

We encourage the Director General to continue reporting to the Board of Governors and welcome making the report contained in GOV/2024/8 public. In its next report to the Board, we request the IAEA inform the Board whether it can exclude the possible presence of undeclared materials in other locations in Iran. We stress our unwavering support to the IAEA for their impartial and professional work on this issue.

Thank you, Chair.
April 2, 2024