Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

Statement by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Kumar Iyer, at Singapore’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes the introduction of the Workplace Fairness Act and its decriminalisation of same-sex acts.

We urge Singapore to become party to the ICCPR, legislate against FGM, replace detention without trial with court trials and consider mental capacity in sentencing.

In the spirit of ongoing dialogue, we recommend:

Introduce a moratorium on executions and move towards abolition, and remove judicial corporal punishment;

Mandate rest periods and create digital recruitment and wage payment processes for foreign domestic workers;

Include protection against discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity in the Workplace Fairness Act and ensure equal treatment in government policies for LGBT+ persons

We thank the distinguished delegation for their constructive engagement today and wish them all the best for the rest of their review.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Bosnia & Herzegovina.

The United Kingdom thanks High Representative Christian Schmidt for his dedicated service supporting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for his contribution to implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement. 

The Peace Implementation Council will now take forward the selection and appointment of a successor. 

We reiterate our support for a fully empowered High Representative as the cornerstone of civilian implementation of Dayton. 

We remain deeply concerned by the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

As the report sets out, some political actors continue to subvert democratic processes. 

They are obstructing legislative activity and abusing constitutional safeguards, stalling progress on Euro-Atlantic integration and the 5+2 agenda, including state property. 

Recent elections in Republika Srpska were marked by significant electoral fraud. 

With democracy and rule of law under attack, international support remains vital. 

We reiterate the importance of constitutional reform that reflects the needs of all citizens and implements European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. 

In this election year, we underline the importance of strengthening democratic resilience. 

We support the rollout of election technology as a practical step to reduce fraud and rebuild public confidence in elections. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future cannot be held hostage by divisive politics. 

Various players are stoking ethnic and religious tensions as a way of advancing their pernicious agendas and stirring up more tension between all of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s communities. 

Divisive rhetoric, including calls for secession or a third entity, is anti-Dayton and risks peace and stability. 

We call on all parties to reject all narratives which deepen divisions and misrepresent the country’s challenges. 

President, Dayton obliges all parties to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Full respect for Dayton remains essential. 

The report and ongoing political challenges underline why the High Representative, including the use of executive powers where necessary, remains vital. 

The Security Council endorsed Dayton under Chapter VII, including the High Representative, who is appointed by the Peace Implementation Council. 

While the United Kingdom supports progress on the 5+2 agenda, those conditions have not yet been met. 

Until they are, the role of the High Representative remains essential to safeguarding Dayton and ensuring peace and stability. 

We call once again on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s politicians to respect Dayton and the constitutional order, focus on practical reforms in the interests of all citizens, and for the international community to support these efforts.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

UK Statement at Solomon Islands’ Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Madam Vice President,

The United Kingdom commends Solomon Islands’ progress in implementing recommendations from its last review, including efforts to combat violence against women and girls through the Family Protection Act and the National Policy to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls (2021 – 2027).

We also welcome steps Solomon Islands has taken to raise awareness of CEDAW at provincial and community levels, and the increased integration of gender perspectives in the context of  disaster risk management planning.

We recommend that Solomon Islands builds on this positive progress by:

1. Amending the Marriage Act 1945 to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18 years.
2. Adopting the revised Forestry Bill 2004 and Mineral Resources Bill 2025 to safeguard the land rights of local communities against mining and logging.
3. Establishing a National Human Rights Institution in line with the Paris Principles, including by seeking technical assistance.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

UK Statement at Seychelle’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you Madam Vice President,

The United Kingdom welcomes the free and fair elections held in Seychelles in October 2025. But we have concerns around prolonged pre‑trial detention and expanded security powers despite otherwise strong democratic institutions.

The UK welcomes the activities of the Seychelles National Human Rights Commission since the last UPR, including its annual reports in 2024 and 2025. We continue to urge the government to ensure that the Commission is adequately financed and resourced.

We also commend the government for its continued constructive engagement with UN treaty bodies, including the review by the Committee on Migrant Workers in 2024.

We recommend that Seychelles:

1. Conducts an independent investigation on the 5 December 2024 prison riots, with demonstrable steps taken to hold perpetrators to account.
2. Publishes a clear legal and policy framework governing the protection of refugees and migrants, including procedures for identification, access to basic services, and safeguards against arbitrary detention, and reports publicly on steps taken to bring national practice into line with international human rights standards.
3.  Establishes a transparent and time‑bound mechanism for monitoring, responding to and implementing recommendations made by the National Human Rights Commission, including public reporting on progress and outcomes.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

Sarah Spencer, UK Tech Envoy, underlined the opportunities and risks of frontier technologies, stressing responsible governance, partnerships and dialogue through the OSCE. She reaffirmed the UK’s support for Ukraine, condemned Russia’s illegal invasion, and highlighted the OSCE’s role in ensuring technological progress strengthens security, stability and a more humane future.

Thank you Chair and thank you to all the panellists for their insightful remarks.   

I would like to thank Federal Councillor Cassis and the Swiss Chairpersonship for convening us today, and for framing today’s discussions around responsibility and cooperation. In the context of rapidly evolving technologies, strengthening dialogue, reducing misunderstandings and developing common approaches are indispensable to building trust and securing the foundations for security.  

We must however acknowledge the fact that Russia continues its illegal invasion of Ukrainian sovereign territory and Russian troops continue to occupy Ukrainian land. The United Kingdom is committed to a sustainable peace in Ukraine and will continue to stand resolutely with Ukraine and its people. 

Chair, frontier technologies afford multiple opportunities to deliver inclusive development outcomes and improve our impact in addressing humanitarian crises. These technologies are also transforming the security environment at unprecedented pace, increasing risks to national security, conflict escalation, and strategic stability. The development and deployment of artificial intelligence illustrates this tension between opportunity and risk particularly clearly. While AI has the potential to support early warning and early action in humanitarian crises, it can also amplify misinformation and widen instability if misused or deployed without adequate safeguards.  

Capitalising on the opportunities of frontier tech therefore requires innovative partnerships and practical mechanisms, aligned with our shared principles, to safely and responsibly govern frontier technologies and build inclusive, responsible and sustainable digital ecosystems. For the United Kingdom, partnerships between states, institutions, industry and civil society matter more than products in realising the opportunities of technology and innovation. In two weeks, our Foreign Secretary will co-host a major conference in London on the future of international development partnerships – bringing together governments, civil society, and tech leaders, amongst others, to help shape the system for a new era. This includes identifying ways to leverage advanced technologies to accelerate progress on shared global challenges.  

No one sovereign State can rise to this challenge alone. As the world’s largest regional security organisation, the OSCE has a unique role to play fostering dialogue on frontier technologies, supporting anticipatory approaches, and promoting the responsible use of innovation in the service of peace and security. The United Kingdom stands ready to support these efforts, and to work with all participating States to help ensure that technological progress contributes to a safer, more secure and more humane future for all. 

Thank you.