Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 November 2023.

The white paper, published today, sets out revolutionary approach to tackling world hunger.

The UK has today set out a re-energised approach to international development in a white paper, aimed at working with partners to tackle global challenges in the years up to 2030.

It sets out how the UK will take action alongside spending aid and put renewed focus on prioritising partnerships, mobilising international finance and driving global policy change. It also leads on harnessing science and innovation to address extreme poverty and climate change.

Under new plans, more than half of all bilateral aid will go to least developed countries and for the first time the UK will set a target for its overseas investment arm, British International Investment (BII), to make more than half of its investments in the poorest and most fragile countries by 2030.

The white paper will also set out how we will work alongside partners to strengthen and reform the international system to improve collective action on trade, tax, debt, tackling dirty money and corrupt criminals, and deliver on global challenges like health, climate, and energy transition, which will benefit everyone in the world.

It will also set up a specific resilience and adaptation fund to help developing countries better prepare for humanitarian crises – rather than just react to them.

International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said:

We have a unique opportunity – using science, technology and innovation – to have a lasting, long-term impact on tackling hunger, poverty and climate change. The UK has a proud history of helping people in desperate need – it’s in our DNA. Tackling global challenges for the benefit of us all is the right thing to do, but it is also the smart thing to do.

This white paper will show how the UK will help to deliver the quantum leap that is urgently needed, including through mobilising international finance, to deliver the UN’s Sustainable Global Goals by 2030. We cannot close this gap through aid alone.

The white paper will set out how the UK will help make taxpayers’ money go further by combining diplomacy and development to maximise impact from our investment. An example of the white paper in action is Cavex, which the UK has invested in, and will help rural households in Africa to financially benefit from offsetting their carbon emissions by linking them up with companies in the UK and elsewhere.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 November 2023.

The Global Food Security Summit will bring together experts to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and build more resilient food systems.

• Global Food Security Summit in London will drive long term change on hunger and malnutrition
• new UK support will advance food security by developing climate change resilient crops and boosting funding to tackle severe child malnutrition
• the international development white paper launched at the summit sets out the UK’s new long-term approach to global food challenges

The UK will launch a new science centre where experts will develop climate resilient crops and identify risks to global food systems, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce today (Monday 20 November).

The new venture will be unveiled at the Global Food Security Summit in London, which the UK is hosting alongside Somalia, UAE, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In his opening speech the Prime Minister will urge the international community to address the underlying causes of food insecurity, build more resilient food systems and to act now to prevent food crises and malnutrition.

The new virtual science hub, will be led CGIAR, a global research partnership which unites international organisations working on food security will make global food systems more resilient to future shocks in a changing climate. It will link UK scientists with research initiatives that will develop crops that can withstand the impacts of climate change and are more disease resistant.

The UK’s new international development white paper on food insecurity is also expected to be announced on Monday at the summit.

The white paper is set to address food insecurity as one of the pressing global challenges, setting out how the UK will go beyond giving aid money and instead work in partnerships with countries to tackle extreme poverty and climate change.

Climate change, conflict, the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global food supply are the main drivers of current food insecurity.

The UK has played a leading role in ensuring Ukraine can continue to export its agricultural produce, despite Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) and disregard for the impact it had on the world’s most vulnerable. Ukrainian grain exports are crucial to ensuring global food security.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

We must take action to address the underlying, and often unseen, causes of global food insecurity.

From the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine, to the effect of major natural disasters on food production, I am proud that alongside our partners, the UK is playing a leading role in finding solutions to some of the greatest global challenges of our time.

The white paper priorities include mobilising international finance, reforming the international system, harnessing innovation, and putting women and girls centre stage, ensuring opportunities for all.

International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said:

Many children go to bed hungry and malnourished. At this summit, the UK and its partners will be united in our determination to change that. Cutting edge science and innovative partnerships will help Britain create a healthier, more secure and prosperous world for us all.

Today we will launch the UK international development white paper, setting out our long-term vision for addressing critical global challenges, including preventing and treating child wasting, through new partnerships and sources of finance. The Global Food Summit is a practical example of how we are already working to make that vision happen.

Flood-tolerant rice, disease-resistant wheat, biofortified and vitamin-rich sweet potatoes are just some of the improved crops the UK has so far helped to develop through CGIAR’s advanced crop breeding.

Together with partners, the UK is addressing the deteriorating food security and malnutrition situation across the world, including across Africa.

Up to £100 million humanitarian funding is being released to countries worst hit by food insecurity including Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Afghanistan, and to countries reeling from climate-related cyclones and droughts, like Malawi.

The UK is also helping to avert future food and nutrition crises in Somalia by building resilience to climate shocks and strengthening health services.

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of 45% of child deaths around the world.

At the summit the Prime Minister will announce the UK is providing more support to the Child Nutrition Fund. The funding will mean it can scale up its support for breastfeeding, infant feeding and health care and improve monitoring of what best manages and prevents the worst forms of child malnutrition.

UK support will also match pound for pound the amount the worst affected countries including Uganda, Ethiopia and Senegal invest of their own resources in tackling the issue. This will help secure a more reliable supply of critical food for young children suffering from the worst form of malnutrition.

Background

The summit will be opened with speeches from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, UAE’s Minister for Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri and Sir Chris Hohn of CIFF.

Representatives from more than 20 countries, including Somalia, UAE, Brazil, Pakistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique are expected at the summit.

The UK announcements include:

• up to £100 million to respond to food security crises and their impacts in the world’s hunger and malnutrition hotspots, including Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, the Sahel, Afghanistan and Malawi. The funds cover programmes that matter for food security, including food, nutrition support and cash support to the most vulnerable households
• up to £100 million to build resilience to climate shocks and provide food security for the most vulnerable families in Somalia to avert future humanitarian crises
• the new CGIAR UK Science centre
• an extra £16 million for the Child Nutrition Fund

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 November 2023.

Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, spoke at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Manama Dialogue 2023.

It’s a pleasure to be back in Bahrain.  Indeed, I was saying to our Ambassador, and indeed Bahrain’s excellent ambassador to London, Sheikh Fawaz, for me over the last few years has become home away from home; according to my wife is it my home and I see her occasionally.  But this is an incredible country.  A country which has really demonstrated – as it’s doing so again today – its convening power.

Since then – since my last visit in Bahrain – the bilateral relationship has grown even stronger, including the visit that we celebrated of His Royal Highness Prince Salman’s visit in July.  And more recently, I’m proud to say that the 2 countries – the United Kingdom and Bahrain – have elevated our exchanges to our first strategic dialogue, which I had the honour to co-chair with my dear friend, his Excellency Dr Al Zayani in London.  And may I therefore thank the Kingdom of Bahrain for hosting us today for another important and timely event.

And I assure you the UK delegation here is in strengths.  They say you normally have one Lord; I can certainly look across this room and see several more: Lord Sedwill, Lord Maud, as well as other parliamentarians and business leaders are here, demonstrating the United Kingdom’s commitment to Bahrain; but also, importantly, the region.

Last year, when the then Foreign Secretary addressed you, he spoke in glowing terms about the transformation of the region; but also, importantly, of the threats that continue to face the region, indeed all of us.

In this context, Bahrain has shown, under His Majesty’s vision, continued leadership on peaceful coexistence and regional security.  We have seen the benefit of the Gulf region’s approach to foreign policy over the last year, including efforts to end the conflict in Sudan, hosting Ukrainian peace talks and, most recently, bringing the Arab world together in response to the crisis that we are all facing up to today in Israel, across Gaza and the West Bank.  These efforts have reconfirmed what we already knew: that you remain a vital partner now and for the future.

And as we’ve heard from the Secretary General and His Royal Highness in his detailed sense of experience over the years, we together face a daunting set of challenges.  And in this regard let me be absolutely clear: we, the United Kingdom, remains a reliable and a committed partner for the region in responding to the challenges and availing the opportunities that lie in front of us.

A partner working to constrain Iranian weapons proliferation and the destabilising activity of Iran and its aligned groups that are responsible for much instability across the region and further afield; a partner also holding Tehran to account for its escalatory nuclear programme.

A partner working together with other key partners in the region for security and peace in Yemen, in Libya.

A partner for prosperity with, and between, the nations of the Gulf.

And a partner working to support this region’s transition to net zero, that will help avert the most disastrous impacts of climate change that threaten the Gulf – indeed the world.

I say all of this because, despite and notwithstanding the importance and urgency of these and other challenges, it is natural, given the scale of the attack that occurred on Israel on the 7th of October, the scale of the suffering of innocent Palestinian civilians in the weeks since – that we are still seeing today – that our focus is on this region; on Gaza; on the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians.

This ongoing conflict is not only a disaster for the region, it is a disaster for all of us: it is a disaster for our common humanity.

The people of Gaza were already living under desperate conditions prior to this conflict; but now they are suffering more, without adequate food, water and access to the most basic of services we all take for granted, and in constant fear of their own live. They deserve better from all of us – and I agree with you, your Royal Highness, it means a collective, collaborative effort.

It is also a disaster for the region and the world because conflict stokes division. It has led to alarming spikes of anti-Semitism; of Islamophobia; and yes, that has impacted my own country, the United Kingdom.

And therefore, if we do not work together, collectively, collaboratively, this conflict will spread.  These aren’t just words, these are alarming signals we are seeing.  And we need to work together to stop this conflict from spreading.

The regional and international fault lines we have worked so hard over many, many years to bridge will tragically reopen, and the progress I have spoken of will be undermined.

Therefore what to do?  What should the international community be doing?

Well, coming together; discussing; exchanging views; candid, open public discussions – yes.  But private diplomacy and exchanges as well.

All focussed that in the immediate term we must stem the bloodshed, and do all we can to provide aid and security as quickly as possible to all people.

Let me be clear, the UK has been very clear on this: that Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas, against the act of terrorism that took place on the 7th of October.

Hamas, let us not forget, acted erroneously in the name of religion I follow, that many of you follow in this room, but has nothing to do with religion. Hamas do not believe in peace.  The horrific atrocities against many nationalities – not just Israelis – also took the lives of the Jewish community in Israel, but there were a number of other faiths, including Muslims, as well.

Therefore Hamas poses an immediate threat to many, indeed to us all.  It itself has insisted it will repeat such atrocities, and, of course, an ultimate aim of ending the state of Israel.

Therefore it’s our collective interest that the kind of abhorrent events we saw on the 7th of October, the terrorism we see around the world – indeed the United Kingdom itself has been impacted by indiscriminate terrorism – that we work collectively to ensure these events do not happen.

But the UK has equally been clear that in defending such a right, Israel must – Israel must – respect international humanitarian law, and take every possible step to minimise harm to civilians.  Israel is a country, is a nation, with obligations to international law.

This also includes respecting the sanctity of hospitals, so that doctors – who do an incredible job as we are seeing for ourselves – can continue to care for the ill; the injured; the sick. And the situation in much of Gaza now – particularly in hospitals as well, such as al-Shifa, where, tragically, young innocent children, babies have died as the result of lack of electricity – has become acute.

Too many people; too many innocent children; too many babies; too many lives lost.  Every life matters, irrespective of Israeli or Palestinia; Jewish, Muslim or Christian.  Every life matters; humanity matters.

And that is why the UK, led by the Prime Minister, has been engaged widely, with our friends and allies, and partners in this region, including many of you here.  And, importantly, with the incredible aid agencies including the United Nations, to get life-saving aid to those in Gaza.  And let us pay tribute to those brave workers from the UN and other agencies who continue to work in conflict-affected zones.

We have more than doubled our support to the people of Gaza, committing over £30million.  And we continue to support through NGOs as well.

We are looking constructively at what can be done immediately. We believe that land-borders present the best option for getting support where it is most needed, and we have been urging the Israeli government to allow for more access – not just through Rafah, but to open up the Kerem Shalom crossing as well.

We have consistently called for those spaces to be created for the delivery of unhindered and sustainable humanitarian aid through pauses.  Those spaces need to be created now, to allow for aid to be delivered.

The 4-hour pauses we have seen in northern Gaza are a first, but initial step only; we need longer corridors, time across all of Gaza, if we are to deliver what is needed.  And we need a collective effort to get this done.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council called – and I quote – for “urgent extended humanitarian pauses for sufficient number of days to allow for aid access”.  And we must work towards this end.

And as we’ve heard time and time again from this platform during the course of our deliberations: yes, we must work together for a durable, long-term two-state solution; but it must not be paper-based.  The time has come for action; we need to pull out the stops now.  The time is critical to act.

The UK believes that lasting peace can only be achieved through that two-state solution.  Not as a vision, but as a reality.

We agreed on Gaza at the G7 and with other countries.  The steps were laid out by Secretary Blinken, and we stand by those.  Not a path that exists only in principle, or in the minds of diplomats or officials; but – as we’ve seen today – not again a cycle of repeated resolutions that make too little difference on the ground.  We need a real pathway: a pathway to peace; a pathway which is real: to restore hope in the future for all the peoples of the region; a hope – ladies and gentlemen, your Excellencies – that has been lacking for too long.

I end my comments with a quote; a quote many of you in this room will recognise – I know your Royal Highness, you will recognise it; Secretary General, you will recognise it. In 1994, the words were: “There is only one radical means of sanctifying human lives.  Not armoured plating, not tanks, not planes, or concrete fortifications.  The real radical solution is peace.”  The words of Yitzhak Rabin.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 November 2023.

Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Ahmad is travelling to Bahrain and Qatar for high-level talks on the crisis in Israel and Gaza.

• Middle East Minister Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon visits Bahrain and Qatar for discussions on the crisis in Israel and Gaza
• in a speech to senior decision makers from the region, Lord Ahmad will reiterate urgent calls for sustained humanitarian pauses and discuss longer term routes to end hostilities and bring about a two-state solution
• visit follows UK commitment of an additional £30 million in humanitarian aid to Palestinians

Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Ahmad is travelling to Bahrain and Qatar for high-level talks on the crisis in Israel and Gaza.

In Bahrain, the minister will give a speech at the Manama Dialogue, a forum of senior decision makers from the Middle East.

He will set out the UK’s commitment to securing sustained humanitarian pauses to allow the flow of significantly more life-saving aid into Gaza and to preventing the crisis from spreading across the region.

He will stress the UK’s position that Israel has a right to defend itself but their actions must comply with international humanitarian law, and discuss ways to bring about long-term regional stability and a viable two-state solution. The minister will also meet with Middle East counterparts, including the Secretary General of the Arab League.

In Qatar the minister will have various bilateral meetings, including with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, HE Mohammed Al Khulaifi and with Minister of Labour, HE Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri. He will thank Qatar for their role in negotiations to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, United Nations and the Commonwealth said:

Together with our partners in the Middle East, the UK is working to increase the amount of aid getting into Gaza and prevent the crisis from spreading across the West Bank and the wider region. This includes the conditions to allow for safe, unhindered and sustainable access of humanitarian aid.

I will also be discussing the prospects of a renewed effort towards delivering on the reality of a two-state solution which delivers peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

The visit to Bahrain and Qatar follows Lord Ahmad’s recent visits to Israel, the West Bank and Morocco and Minister of State for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell’s visit to Cairo earlier this week. This is in addition to travel to the region by the Prime Minister, former Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary. These diplomatic efforts have centred on calls for access to lifesaving aid for Gaza, the return of British nationals and the prevention of dangerous regional escalation.

The UK recently allocated £30 million in additional aid for the Occupied Palestinian Territories – more than doubling the existing aid commitment for this year [£27 million]. This will allow trusted partners, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and others, to provide Palestinians with essential humanitarian relief items and services such as food, water and shelter.

Lord Ahmad will also use to visit the Qatar to discuss bilateral matters. This includes overseeing the signing of the Labour Rights Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), providing a framework for further reform of labour rights in Qatar and building on progress made around the recent World Cup.

The minister will also open the UK Pavilion at the International Horticultural Exposition in Doha. The exposition aims to promote horticultural solutions to the challenges of climate change and water scarcity.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 November 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN General Assembly meeting on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Thank you, President.

And I’d like to start by thanking the United Nations, particularly today’s briefers, and all the humanitarians for their truly heroic efforts. And I extend again my condolences to the UN family and the families of those 103 staff members in Gaza who have lost their lives in the past six weeks.

President, as I said in the Security Council on Wednesday, it is impossible to comprehend the pain and loss that civilians are enduring in this conflict. Too many civilians are losing their lives and the protection of civilians and alleviating suffering is the top priority for the UK.

This is why we strongly welcomed the passage of the Security Council’s humanitarian resolution this week. This calls for a humanitarian pause for a period of days for long enough to get lifesaving aid to those who need it. This will establish a safer environment for humanitarians, and support urgent efforts to secure the immediate and safe release of all hostages.

We must now turn these words into action.

The UK is committed to the urgent implementation of this resolution, in particular in three areas.

Firstly, we are working with our partners to provide and to get lifesaving items into Gaza. This includes food, water, medical supplies and crucially, fuel. The priority must be for Israel to allow sufficient fuel into Gaza so that humanitarian operations can run unimpeded and so hospitals and desalination plants can operate.

Secondly, we are supporting efforts to scale up the response. We are urging, and I urge again here today, that the priority must be improved land access, including at Kerem Shalom, as well as scaled-up access at Rafah, so aid can reach the levels needed.

Third, we remain clear that both sides must comply with international humanitarian law and take every possible step to minimise harm to civilians. That includes respecting the sanctity of hospitals so that healthcare professionals can care for the sick and injured.

President, a humanitarian response to this crisis is vital. But our responsibility does not end there. We will redouble our efforts, with our partners, to create a new political horizon to deliver on the promise of peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and make the two-state solution a reality.

I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 November 2023.

Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.