UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines should be treated with utmost seriousness – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines should be treated with utmost seriousness – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

    Colleagues, the UK condemns acts of sabotage on critical national infrastructure. We should treat the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines with utmost seriousness.

    The international community is concerned about this act, and wants clear answers about what happened and who was responsible. As we have said before, the best way to get those answers is to support the impartial investigations of Denmark, Sweden, and Germany and to respect those processes.

    We do not believe it is a good use of our time for the Security Council to start to prejudge the outcome of these investigations, dictate how they are conducted, or otherwise undermine them.

    We welcome the latest update sent by Germany on behalf of Denmark and Sweden, and their commitment to updating the Security Council. Their letter underlines the complexity of ongoing investigations and underscores that this process will take time. We are confident that when these investigations conclude, their findings will be authoritative.

    We, and fellow Council members, should continue to offer full support to these investigations so that we can establish who was responsible for these acts of sabotage.

    Finally, we must note Russia’s inconsistent attitude towards civilian infrastructure. They claim outrage here, but are pursuing a systematic campaign to target civilian infrastructure in their war of aggression against Ukraine, killing thousands of civilians in the process. Such hypocrisy should not surprise us, but it makes it hard to take anything the Russians say on this subject at face value.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC53 – Explanation of vote on countering religious hatred [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC53 – Explanation of vote on countering religious hatred [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

    UK statement during urgent debate on countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, at UN Human Rights Council.

    Thank you.

    Let me say once more. We reject intolerance. We deplore discrimination. And we denounce hatred on the basis of religion or belief. We recognise the deep hurt felt by Muslims around the world caused by the burning of the Quran. Attempts to sow discord and division are contemptible. We will defend freedom of religion or belief for all, and promote mutual respect.

    In combatting religious intolerance, there is a difficult balance to strike and in different societies, this balance is struck in different ways. It can be hard to determine at what point freedom of expression becomes unacceptable, and when unacceptable speech or action should be legally prohibited. We are sensitive to these complexities. These are live issues in the UK, as elsewhere.

    However, international human rights law provides us with narrowly defined parameters in which freedom of expression can be limited. And we do not accept that, by definition, attacks on religion, including on religious texts or symbols, constitute advocacy for hatred.

    Whilst we completely reject acts seeking to incite discrimination, hostility or violence, wherever they are carried out, we need to recognise that the primary function of the international human rights framework – forged out of the bitter experience of centuries past – is to protect individuals from the State. Tragically, there are all too many examples in the world right now and in recent years where believers – religious or not – have been ruthlessly oppressed by those who are meant to guarantee their rights.

    So, while we thank OIC colleagues for their engagement on the resolution in recent days, today we have had to vote against on this resolution. Given our commitment to freedom of religion or belief, and to the consensus this Council has maintained since resolution 16/18 was agreed, this is not a decision we have taken lightly. Despite today’s vote, our hope is that we can again find a path that enables us to fight religious intolerance and stigmatisation together, as one Council.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Syria’s chemical weapons programme remains a threat to international peace and security – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Syria’s chemical weapons programme remains a threat to international peace and security – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria chemical weapons.

    I start by joining others in thanking USG Ebo for his briefing.

    Ten years after Syria’s accession to the chemical weapons convention, UNSCR 2118, and 117 monthly reports by the Director General of the OPCW, it remains impossible to verify the complete destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme.

    This is not due to lack of effort on the part of the Technical Secretariat, whose efforts and perseverance we commend, but it is entirely the responsibility of the Syrian authorities.

    Syria has consistently denied retaining any chemical weapons stockpiles, despite clear evidence to the contrary. The whereabouts of several hundred tonnes of chemical warfare agents remain unclear and their destruction still cannot be verified.

    Until States Parties and the Technical Secretariat are satisfied that Syria is making meaningful progress to address the 20 outstanding issues with its declaration, we all need to continue to put pressure on Syria to abide by all its obligations. This includes the requirement for Syria to fully cooperate with the Technical Secretariat in good faith.

    We should hold Syria accountable for its actions. All States must encourage Syria to abide by its obligations under the Convention. Until outstanding issues are resolved, we cannot rule out Syria retaining some sort of chemical weapons programme.

    Given its repeated flagrant use of chemical weapons, we cannot exclude the possibility that the Assad regime will use chemical weapons again.

    We cannot simply let this go: Syria’s chemical weapons programme remains a threat to international peace and security. It matters to all of us.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Minister David Rutley visits The Bahamas for the 50th Anniversary of Independence [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Minister David Rutley visits The Bahamas for the 50th Anniversary of Independence [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

    Minister attends state reception and announces that the UK will publish its historic archives.

    British Minister David Rutley, UK Minister for the Americas and Caribbean, visited The Bahamas to attend the state reception, joining the 50th anniversary celebrations of Bahamian independence.

    He congratulated the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Cornelius Smith, and Prime Minister Honourable Philip Davis, on 50 years of economic development, national growth, and democratic strength.

    Minister Rutley told the Prime Minister that the UK would digitise its National Archive materials relating to Independence, for the people of The Bahamas. The flag of The Bahamas also flew above Westminster Abbey, London, during a special service celebrating the 50th anniversary of independence.

    As well as attending the state reception as official representative of the British Government, Minister Rutley met with Tony Myers, President of British company BHM, which will construct the new Freeport Airport, financed by UK Export Finance. Minister Rutley discussed the project and the jobs it will create locally, and the links it will strengthen with the UK. As part of the company’s dedication to support the long-term growth of The Bahamas, the Minister formally thanked Mr Myers for creating a Chevening Partnership, which allows Bahamians to study Masters courses in the UK with a full scholarship.

    The Minister also met with the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Her Excellency Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam and the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Honourable Charles Washington Misick. The Minister discussed the opening of the new office of the Turks and Caicos government in The Bahamas, and congratulated the Premier on his initiative to connect with the diaspora of Turks and Caicos in The Bahamas. The Minister congratulated the Governor on her appointment. They discussed the islands’ preparations for hurricane season, and the presence of HMS Dauntless in the region, the UK’s designated hurricane-response ship this season.

    This visit follows meetings with Prime Minister Philip Davis in London before the Coronation, and in Trinidad and Tobago during the 50th anniversary celebration of CARICOM. During their meeting at the State Reception, they discussed bilateral relations and the recent debate at the Security Council about Haiti, which the UK organised and chaired.

    Americas Minister David Rutley said:

    In the 50th year of Bahamian independence, it is my privilege to represent the British Government in celebrating your many achievements over the past decades.

    The UK is committed to deepening our historic ties in areas of shared interest, including trade, security and climate, to ensure The Bahamas’ continued prosperity and success in the years ahead.

    Over the last 50 years, it is clear that The Bahamas is a strong, safe, democratic nation, whose contribution to the world has been great. Throughout the last 50 years, and for the next 50 years, our partnership endures, built on a common language, common history, common legal system, common education, and common understanding of one other.

    I very much enjoyed attending the state reception hosted by HE Sir Cornelius Alvin Smith, Governor General of The Bahamas at Government House, congratulations Bahamas – march on!

    British High Commissioner Thomas Hartley said:

    I was so pleased to welcome Minister Rutley to The Bahamas today, and meet many of the wonderful Bahamians who make this nation so great. Today I am pleased to announce, with Minister Rutley, that later this year the UK will publish over 60 documents from the-then Foreign Office’s and No10’s historic archive that reference The Bahamian journey to independence.

    As pioneering archivists such as Gail Saunders have taught us all, we have a shared responsibility to help every citizen of Britain and The Bahamas to have the opportunity to access the documents that have recorded moments of history. We hope these documents will help underpin the knowledge and teaching of history, and honours the memory of Gail Saunders.

    Background – publishing of Archives.

    Documents referring to the independence of The Bahamas were declassified previously, and held in paper copy at The National Archives in Kew. Representing several thousands pages of historic documentation, these are being digitised now and will be available in The Bahamas later this year to allow audiences direct access.

    This project comes after Prime Minster Philip Davis visited The National Archives in London before the Coronation. It follows a formal request made by the late George Smith MP to the High Commissioner, earlier this year.

    The British High Commissioner will visit the Bahamas Archives on Tuesday 11th July to discuss the project with Director Patrice Williams.

    Examples of some of the documents include (in alphabetical order):

    • Bahamas Independence Constitution
    • Bahamas independence celebrations
    • Bahamas Independence Conference
    • Bahamas: independence defence issues; United States bases in the Bahamas, Tripartite…
    • opposition to Independence by Greater Abaco Action Committee of Bahamas
    • ‘Bahamas Independence’, despatch from Charles James Treadwell, British High Commissioner, Nassau
    • visit of Prince of Wales to Bahamas for Independence celebrations, 10 July 1973
    • appointment of Sir Milo Broughton Butler as Governor-General of the Bahamas after independence
    • ‘The Bahamas: Ten Years of Independence’, despatch from Peter Heap, British High Commissioner, Nassau;
    • valedictory despatch by Sir John Paul, Governor of the Bahamas
    • briefs for visit of Dr H Kissinger (Assistant to US President) to UK
  • PRESS RELEASE : National Security Bill becomes law [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : National Security Bill becomes law [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 11 July 2023.

    On 11 July, the National Security Bill became law after being passed by both Houses of Parliament and securing Royal Assent.

    This new act brings together vital new measures to protect the British public, modernise counter-espionage laws and address the evolving threat to our national security.

    With this new legislation, the UK is now a harder target for those states who seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, which include espionage, foreign interference (including in our political system), sabotage, and acts that endanger life, such as assassination.

    The new powers will help ensure that the UK remains the hardest operating environment for malign activity undertaken by foreign actors.

    Russia remains the most acute threat to the UK’s security, though we have seen interference from China including to communities here in the UK, and Iran has made concerted efforts to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals.

    Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

    We are facing growing threats from foreign states. Over the past years we’ve seen attempts to harm our people, damage our economy and undermine our democracy.

    Iran’s recent attempts to kidnap or kill people living in the UK are beyond contempt, and a fundamental violation of our sovereignty.

    The National Security Act provides the tools to expose this type of activity and hold those responsible to account.

    The National Security Act overhauls our outdated espionage laws and will provide our law enforcement and intelligence agencies with new and updated tools to deter, detect and disrupt modern-day state threats. For the first time there is an offence of foreign interference, meaning it will now be illegal to engage in conduct that interferes with fundamental rights, such as voting and freedom of speech, that are essential to the UK’s democracy.

    These powers will apply to an individual acting on behalf of any state, which means the UK will be better equipped to tackle the full spectrum of malign activity, whether in the form of disinformation, cyber-attacks, electoral interference or even physical attacks, including the barbaric use of chemical weapons.

    Director General of MI5, Ken McCallum said:

    We face state adversaries who operate at scale and who are not squeamish about the tactics they deploy to target people and businesses in the UK.

    The National Security Act is a game changing update to our powers.  We now have a modern set of laws to tackle today’s threats.

    The act also introduces a new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which criminalises those acting covertly for states which pose the greatest threat to our national security and strengthens the resilience of UK democracy by bringing transparency to foreign political influence.

    The scheme has been created to tackle covert influence in the UK, it is split into two parts: the political tier of FIRS makes any political influence activity undertaken at the direction of a foreign power registerable; and the enhanced tier – which is designed to target those countries that pose a risk to the safety or interests of the UK – will require registration of arrangements that are entered into with a specified foreign power, or entity controlled by a foreign power. Failure to register when required will be a criminal offence.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with President Duda of Poland [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with President Duda of Poland [July 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 July 2023.

    The Prime Minister met President of Poland Andrzej Duda at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

    The leaders praised the extensive cooperation between the UK and Poland, not least on defence where we continue to deepen our collaboration.

    They agreed the war in Ukraine had demonstrated the significance of interoperability between NATO forces, as well as importance of strengthening defence industries across the Alliance.

    President Duda updated the Prime Minister on his recent visit to Ukraine. The leaders discussed the need to put in place long-term security arrangements for Ukraine, to ensure they can never be threatened in the same way again.

    They also reflected the need to continue to strengthen NATO in response to the threat posed by Russia.

    The Prime Minister and President Duda discussed a number of wider ways the UK and Poland can work together, including on tackling illegal migration. They welcomed the efforts to develop a working arrangement between the UK and Frontex in this respect.

    The leaders looked forward to seeing each other throughout the remainder of the summit.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Attainment in maths and writing SATs increases compared to 2022 [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Attainment in maths and writing SATs increases compared to 2022 [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 July 2023.

    Key Stage 2 results show an improvement in the majority of subjects as pupils continue to catch up from the pandemic.

    Key Stage 2 results published today show that more pupils have met the expected standard in this year’s mathematics and writing SATs assessments compared to last year.

    Due to the pandemic, it was expected that there would be lower levels of attainment compared to 2019, while children caught up on lost learning. Today’s results showed that 73% of pupils met the expected standard in maths – up from 71% in 2022, moving one step closer to the Government’s vision to ensure more young people have the necessary skills in maths to succeed.

    Overall, 59% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined – the same as the result in 2022 but a decrease from 2019 which was 65%. Grammar, punctuation and spelling results also remain unchanged from 2022.

    There was a 2% point increase in attainment in writing which is now at 71% and whilst those meeting the expected standard in reading is down from 2022 from 75% to 73%, it remains higher compared to 2016 (66%) and is in line with pre-pandemic standards (73% met the expected standard in reading in 2019). Additionally, science teacher assessments showed 80% of pupils met the expected standard, up from 79% last year.

    Minister for School Standards Nick Gibb said:

    We know that pupils have had their education disrupted due to the pandemic which is why following on from our success in the Progress International Reading Literacy Study, it is encouraging to see attainment levels improving in some key subjects.

    Our National Tutoring Programme has been crucial in helping those pupils most in need of support and our reforms – including the focus on phonics  – are helping to ensure more children leave primary school with a secure grasp of reading and writing.

    Literacy and numeracy are the cornerstones of a world-class education and that is why we have invested £60m in our English Hubs programme and £100m in our Maths Hubs programme to build children’s literacy, speaking and numeracy skills.

    These results help teachers and parents understand how pupils are doing in English, maths and science, allowing them to pinpoint where extra help might be needed. The test results also help inform a pupil’s transition to secondary school by ensuring that they receive the right support once they start.

    This is the second year of Key Stage 2 attainment data since the beginning of the pandemic, as there were no SATs tests taken in 2020 and 2021. In order to help pupils catch up on learning, extra help was provided to schools through multi-year recovery programmes such as the National Tutoring Programme, which will benefit pupils’ learning for years to come.

    Earlier this year, it was announced that England came fourth of the 43 countries that tested children of the same age in the 2021 Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS). This success in PIRLS follows the Department’s long-term commitment to providing every pupil with high-quality phonics teaching.

    The increased attainment in maths and writing from last year, coupled with standards in reading reflecting pre-pandemic levels, indicate the progress that has been made in recovering from the pandemic.

    Since 2018, the Department has invested £60 million in the English Hubs programme, designed to develop expertise in teaching reading in primary schools. Analysis published this year shows that partner schools supported by the English Hubs Programme outperformed other schools by around 7 percentage points in their Phonics Screening Checks.

    The Department’s national network of 40 Maths Hubs continues to help every school in the country improve the quality of their teaching based on best practice from East Asia.

    The tests are developed by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) over three years. The STA uses a range of rigorous and established processes to ensure the tests are appropriate and fair, including expert reviews by teachers, curriculum and inclusion specialists and other education professionals. All questions in this year’s papers were trialled with around 1,000 pupils.

    Given the interest in this year’s reading test, the Minister asked the STA for their assessment of the relative difficulty of the test. Based on evidence gathered throughout the test development process, STA confirmed that the content of this year’s test was at the appropriate level of difficulty. The standards maintenance process demonstrated the test was within the range of difficulty of the reading tests since 2016.

    In recognition of the educational importance of reading for students, the Department for Education will also be launching a new and updated Reading Framework. This is an update to existing guidance published July 2021, which previously only related to the teaching of reading in Reception and Year 1.

    This updated guidance has been expanded from reception and Key Stage 1 to cover Key Stage 2 and 3 to help schools improve reading for all pupils so they leave primary able to engage confidently and passionately with reading in all subjects at secondary school.  It provides guidance to teachers in Key Stage 2 and secondary schools on how to support those pupils who still need help with reading.  It also outlines how vitally important talk is to reading and how teachers can support all pupils to express their ideas confidently.

    In addition to this framework, the Government will also be launching a review of good practice in the teaching of writing to look at how best to improve attainment in writing. This will be a valuable resource for schools to support best practice in teaching writing and will inform further research and guidance.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC 53 – Statement on public acts of religious hatred [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC 53 – Statement on public acts of religious hatred [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

    UK Statement during urgent debate on “the alarming rise in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred” at the UN Human Rights Council.

    Thank you Mr President.

    Today’s urgent debate has been called following certain recent events in Europe, and, with regard to these, let me be crystal clear that the burning of the Quran is deeply insulting and completely inappropriate.

    We recognise the deep hurt that has been felt by Muslims the world over including by so many British Muslims. And we recognise that we must all, collectively and individually, work harder to build mutual understanding, combat intolerance and hatred based on religion or belief, and address potential areas of tension between members of different communities.

    Mr President, we agreed to today’s debate, precisely because we recognise how important – and sensitive – these issues are. And because we hoped that it would serve to build greater understanding between states and this Council.

    In combatting religious intolerance, we must always be mindful that other rights must also be respected. The exercise of the right to freedom of expression is not unlimited.  But it is something we hold dear, and which can only be limited under very clear, narrowly defined parameters under international human rights law. HRC resolution 16/18 managed to navigate these difficult issues through a consensual and action-orientated framework. We believe that this resolution continues to offer the best way of addressing religious intolerance and stigmatisation in this Council.

    Regrettably, Mr President, some members of this Council who called for today’s debate have, so far at least, not shown the same willingness to debate a certain other largescale, and in this case, state-sponsored manifestation of religious intolerance affecting a significant Muslim community. We hope that this will change in the future.

    We thank our OIC colleagues for their willingness to engage over recent days on the resolution relating to today’s debate. We hope to safeguard the precious consensus that this Council has maintained over the past decade on combatting intolerance and hatred based on religion or belief.

    Thank you Mr President.

  • PRESS RELEASE : There is no rational or moral argument for Russia to veto the resolution on Syria cross-border aid – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : There is no rational or moral argument for Russia to veto the resolution on Syria cross-border aid – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

    Explanation of vote by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria cross-border aid.

    Colleagues, I join others in thanking Brazil and Switzerland for their work as penholders.

    The Secretary-General was absolutely clear: he asked this Council to give humanitarians a 12 month mandate to deliver aid to 4.1 million people who desperately need it. The humanitarian partners who brief us regularly set out the case for this again, and again. Countries in the region too, who are directly impacted by the conflict in Syria, called for a 12 month mandate. And the partners I met on the ground, at the Syrian border, were clear: a 12 month mandate was a minimum lifeline, all the more so after February’s earthquakes.

    The pens, and the majority of this Council, worked in good faith to try to deliver this.

    Including an eleventh-hour compromise to try to find common ground.

    But Russia has yet again used their veto to restrict life-saving humanitarian access to 4 million Syrian people. There is no rational or moral argument to veto this resolution.

    Humanitarian access should respond to humanitarian need and should not be taken hostage by Russia.

    Since 2014, Russia has chipped away at this humanitarian lifeline, year after year. Today, they have continued their efforts to restrict access to people in need.

    As the UK, we will continue, as we have done every year, to put our humanitarian responsibility above politics.

    We call on Russia to do the same.

    We need to put the needs of the Syrian people first.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands [July 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 July 2023.

    The Prime Minister met Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

    He thanked Prime Minister Rutte for his years of service and said his expertise and friendship would be greatly missed by the UK and others when he eventually leaves office.

    The leaders reaffirmed their staunch commitment to upholding security in our region. This includes ensuring NATO is fully equipped to take on the challenges of the future.

    The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Rutte discussed the importance of providing Ukraine with the kind of long-term defensive capabilities they need to win this war and secure a lasting peace. They praised the progress that has been made through the new international coalition, established by the UK, the Netherlands, and others, to provide Ukraine with combat air capability.

    On tackling illegal migration, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Rutte welcomed the strong cooperation between our countries so far. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of making use of international forums such as the European Political Community to make multilateral progress on this issue.