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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Record number of teachers in England’s schools [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Record number of teachers in England’s schools [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 June 2023.

    Nearly 48,000 full time equivalent teachers joined English schools in the 2022/2023 academic year, with 2,800 more teachers now in classrooms than last year.

    Schools in England now have more teachers than ever before, as new data reveals there are 468,371 teachers in the workforce, as part of the Government’s ongoing work to attract the brightest and the best to the profession.

    The School Workforce Census published today (8 June) shows that nearly 48,000 teachers entered classrooms in the 2022-2023 academic year. This means there are over 27,000 more teachers in classrooms since 2010 and 2,800 more than last year.

    The Government has also put in place a range of measures to boost recruitment and retention. In October 2022, the department announced a further increase to the teacher training financial incentives package – with an additional £52m more invested on the previous year. This includes bursaries worth £27,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £29,000 tax-free, which encourage talented trainees to teach key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

    On top of this, the Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax-free annually is available for maths, physics, chemistry and computing teachers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools in the first five years of their careers. This is helping to support the recruitment and retention of specialist in areas that need them most.

    More great teachers in classrooms helps build a world class education system for our children and young people to learn and develop in, and builds on the Government’s work to drive up school standards including the Prime Minister’s ambitions, set out in January, to boost Maths to 18. England’s recent performance in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), where it placed 4th in the world for reading among primary school children, demonstrate the progress made in attainment and teachers are central to this success.

    Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said:

    A great education does not happen by chance, and brilliant teachers shape children’s lives every day.

    In today’s competitive job market, it is fantastic to see so many people choosing a rewarding teaching career, with a record number of teachers now working in our schools.

    We know there is more to do, which is why we have generous bursaries to attract new trainees to teach priority subjects and focusing on supporting new teachers from the very start of their journey with free, high-quality, ongoing professional development.

    Today’s data shows the majority of subjects continued to be taught by specialist teachers, with 87.4% of EBacc teaching hours in secondary schools (English, maths, all sciences, history geography and modern foreign languages) taught by a teacher with a relevant post-A level qualification. In Maths 87.2% of hours were taught by a specialist, helping drive the Government’s priority of boosting Maths attainment.

    In addition to the number of teachers, the number of support staff has continued to grow for a third year in a row and, at 281,094, there are now a record number of teaching assistants, having risen by 5,300 since last year. This ensures pupils get the support they need to help them learn.

    The Department is continuing to deliver major reforms to teacher training, including the Early Career Framework and delivery of National Professional Qualifications. The Government is delivering teacher training and development opportunities for every teacher that wants one, giving all teachers and school leaders access to world-class, evidence-based training and professional development at every stage of their career.

    Over 16,700 teachers chose to re-join state schools this year, showing that teaching remains an attractive career.

    Teacher retention is also key to ensuring effective teacher supply and quality. The Department has published a range of resources to help address teacher workload, improve wellbeing and support schools to introduce flexible working practices.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Lord Ahmad to set out support for Counter-Daesh efforts at global meeting in Riyadh [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Lord Ahmad to set out support for Counter-Daesh efforts at global meeting in Riyadh [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 June 2023.

    Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon will set out the UK’s work to eradicate Daesh and support those affected by its terrorism.

    • Minister will address the Global Coalition against Daesh ministerial-level meeting in Riyadh today
    • he will outline the UK’s work to tackle the continued threat posed by Daesh and support people in north-east Syria and Iraq
    • Lord Ahmad will then travel onto Istanbul, the first visit to Turkey by a UK government Minister since President Erdogan’s re-election

    The Minister of State for the Middle East will attend the annual Global Coalition against Daesh ministerial-level meeting in Riyadh today and reaffirm the UK’s commitment to tackling the continuing threat posed by Daesh and helping people rebuild their lives.

    Lord Ahmad will outline the UK’s support to counter the threat posed by Daesh, including approximately £88 million towards ongoing efforts for counterterrorism, stabilisation and socio-economic development in Northeast Syria and Iraq over the next 5 years.

    Examples of what this funding will provide include working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to address the barriers to return, reintegration and reconciliation of Iraqis displaced by Daesh’s violence, including the 30,000 Iraqis in Al-Hol camp in Syria. The funding will also provide targeted job training for hundreds of young people in Iraq, as part of efforts to prevent violent extremism and counter Daesh’s influence.

    This will come alongside a further £16 million over the next 2 years to specifically address acute humanitarian needs in north-east Syria. This package will provide 76,735 people with humanitarian assistance, including psychosocial support targeting children traumatised by conflict and programmes to empower women through education and access to the labour market.

    The global meeting in Riyadh will see ministers and representatives from the 86 partners of the Global Coalition gather to discuss the continuing threat from Daesh and to coordinate efforts to counter Daesh and stabilise liberated areas.

    Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Ahmad said:

    Though territorially defeated, Daesh is a threat that continues to destroy lives – not only in liberated areas of Iraq and Syria, but also in Afghanistan and parts of Africa where its affiliates are active.

    I am proud of the UK’s continuing role in eradicating Daesh, including rebuilding communities affected by its terrorism, and leading global efforts against its poisonous propaganda.

    I look forward to visiting Istanbul to strengthen the UK’s important partnership with Turkey and to discuss a broad range of foreign policy issues, including Syria, Sudan and Ukraine.

    Following his attendance at the Global Coalition against Daesh ministerial-level meeting, Lord Ahmad will travel to Istanbul to strengthen UK-Turkey ties and to participate in an international diplomacy conference. This will be the first visit to Turkey by a UK government minister since President Erdogan’s re-election, following the second round of presidential elections on 28 May.

  • PRESS RELEASE : HMRC issues £3.2 million in money laundering penalties [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : HMRC issues £3.2 million in money laundering penalties [June 2023]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 8 June 2023.

    HMRC has published details on hundreds of businesses who have been fined for breaching anti-money laundering rules.

    Hundreds of businesses fined a total of £3.2 million for breaching anti-money laundering rules have been named by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

    The 240 supervised businesses named today were fined between 1 July and 31 December 2022 by HMRC for breaching Money Laundering Regulations aimed at preventing criminals from exploiting illicit cash.

    Certain types of business are required to register with HMRC which is a supervisory body for Money Laundering Regulations.

    Xpress Money Services Ltd, based in London, was hit with a large fine of £1.4 million for failing to carry out risk assessments, not having appropriate anti-money laundering controls, and failing to conduct proper due diligence checks.

    HMRC’s work with other enforcement agencies and government departments to tackle economic crime and crack down on breaches is working to drive non-compliant firms out of business. This means that the number of money service businesses has fallen by around a third from 1,508 in 2020 to 1,049 in 2023, and the number of money service business agents has reduced from 35,507 to 30,217 in the same period.

    Nick Sharp, HMRC’s Deputy Director of Economic Crime, Fraud Investigation Service, said:

    Money laundering is not a victimless crime. We are here to help businesses protect themselves from criminal attacks and will continue to tackle the minority of businesses which do not comply with the Money Laundering Regulations.

    Serious and organised crime costs the UK billions of pounds every year and our anti-money laundering supervision is a vital tool in combatting that.

    In addition to the named businesses, another 179 companies received smaller fines totalling more than £200,000 for rule breaches.

    Money service businesses provide vital services to the community, offering currency exchange, money transmission and cheque cashing. However, they can be exploited by criminals to launder the proceeds of crime, so must have a robust risk assessment and policies, controls, and procedures to prevent this.

    HMRC supervises tens of thousands of businesses across the UK under Money Laundering Regulations, and helps these firms protect themselves from criminals who seek to launder cash or finance terrorism.

    Guidance for money service businesses on anti-money laundering rules is available on GOV.UK.

    Further information

    A full list of the named companies who have received fines or suspensions under these regulations is available on GOV.UK:

    Number of named businesses by UK nation and English region

    Devolved nation or English region Number of named businesses fined for breaches between 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2022
    Northern Ireland 12
    Wales 6
    Scotland 3
    England includes: 219:
    Greater London 86
    South East 28
    North West 26
    East of England 23
    West Midlands 17
    North East 15
    East Midlands 13
    South West 11

    Businesses which do not follow anti-money laundering regulations can be fined and lose their licence to operate in the UK.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Importance of human rights for security in the region – UK statement to the OSCE [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Importance of human rights for security in the region – UK statement to the OSCE [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 June 2023.

    Ambassador Holland recalls the importance of inclusive, democratic institutions and accountable governments for security in the OSCE region.

    Thank you, Mr Chair. Welcome to the Permanent Council, High Commissioner. Today is a welcome opportunity to put on record, on behalf of the UK, our appreciation for your efforts and those of your predecessors.

    The United Kingdom believes that inclusive, democratic institutions and accountable governments are the foundations on which open, stable and prosperous societies thrive. Societies with the full participation of women and marginalised groups and equal rights for all. Resilient, responsive, and representative societies.

    And yet, we have seen authoritarian influence on the rise in states across the OSCE region as well as democratic backsliding, restrictions on civic space and the rollback of rights.

    Where human rights violations and abuses go unchecked, the seeds of conflict are sown, often with devastating consequences for communities and nations.

    Indeed, last year’s Moscow Mechanism report established how growing internal repression in Russia enabled external aggression and ultimately Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As participating States our comprehensive definition of security requires that we work harder than ever to strengthen democratic resilience and human rights.

    High Commissioner, as you know, Putin’s war has impacted the enjoyment of nearly every human right in Ukraine. Reporting from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and OSCE institutions helps us understand the sheer scale of the damage. It describes war crimes as well as Russia’s restrictions on freedom of religion and belief, freedom of movement, and freedom of association.

    Thank you for your Office’s continued commitment to documenting and reporting the human rights situation in Ukraine, despite operating in challenging circumstances. Like the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism reports and Ukraine Monitoring Initiative, your Office’s reporting helps the international community understand the scope and scale of Russia’s violations and systematic use of violence. It makes a vital contribution to accountability for Russia’s actions. For example, the UN Commission of Inquiry’s report in March this year provided important insight into child deportations from Ukraine.

    Events in Ukraine mirror the repression Putin’s regime has subjected the people of Crimea and the people of Russia to for years. Echoing the concern of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture regarding the treatment and health of Alexei Navalny, I take this opportunity to call on the Russian authorities to ensure that Mr Navalny receives urgent and comprehensive medical care.

    I also take this opportunity to repeat the UK’s support for the appointment of the first UN Special Rapporteur on human rights on the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova. The UK looks forward to publication of her report in September 2023.

    Finally and briefly, I want to recall in this forum the importance of the OSCE’s own institutions for the defence of human rights. ODIHR’s work is vital to fostering long-term security in the OSCE region.  All participating States have a responsibility to ensure that ODHIR has a proper budget to continue delivering on its mandate.

    High Commissioner, thank you for your presence here today. The UK looks forward to continuing to work with you and your Office, and to advocating within the OSCE for the importance of human rights and democracy in underpinning our collective security.  Thank you Mr Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme newly extended to support UK R&D [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme newly extended to support UK R&D [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 8 June 2023.

    The government has announced an extension to the support provided to UK Horizon Europe applicants until the end of September 2023.

    • Government extends Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme to end of September 2023, continuing to protect funding for UK researchers, businesses, and innovators
    • UKRI has issued grants worth over £1 billion since the scheme was originally launched in November 2021
    • our priority is to give the UK’s R&D sector the maximum level of support to continue their ground-breaking research and collaboration with international partners

    The support provided to UK Horizon Europe applicants has been extended for a further three months. Originally launched in November 2021, UKRI has issued over 2,000 grant offers worth £1.05 billion to the end of April 2023. The extension will ensure that eligible, successful UK applicants will continue to be guaranteed funding, supporting them to continue their important work in research and innovation.

    The guarantee will be in place to cover all Horizon Europe calls that close on or before 30 September 2023. Eligible, successful applicants to Horizon Europe will receive the full value of their funding at their UK host institution for the lifetime of their grant.

    Science and Technology Secretary Chloe Smith said:

    This extension offers certainty to our world-class researchers that they will receive the support they need to continue their ground-breaking work, building on the over £1 billion in support awarded so far, while negotiations over association to Horizon Europe remain ongoing.

    Successful awardees do not need to leave the UK to receive this funding, which will provide reassurance for future collaborations, and support UK researchers whether association is confirmed, or otherwise.

    The government remains in discussion on the UK’s involvement in EU research programmes and hopes that negotiations on Horizon Europe will be successful, as that is our preference. However, our participation must be fair for UK researchers, businesses and taxpayers and reflect the lasting impact of two years of EU delays to the UK’s association. We will continue to engage with representatives across the business, research and innovation sector as these discussions progress.

    Our priority is to ensure the UK’s R&D sector gets the maximum level of support to allow them to continue their ground-breaking research and collaboration with international partners, and the extension of the guarantee provides certainty for researchers while negotiations continue.

    Details regarding the scope and terms of the extension are available on the UKRI website.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine – UK boosts funding to International Atomic Energy Agency [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine – UK boosts funding to International Atomic Energy Agency [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 June 2023.

    The UK has announced an additional £750,000 of funding to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to support its missions in Ukraine, at the meeting of the Board of Governors in Vienna today, Wednesday 7 June.

    At the meeting, Director General Grossi presented the latest report on Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine.

    The report outlined the state of nuclear safety at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, and in particular the deeply concerning situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which relies on water from the Kakhovka dam for its cooling pond.

    The UK has now provided £5 million to support IAEA efforts in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of the country, and also gives an annual budgetary contribution to the IAEA’s work.

    Today’s additional funds will help the IAEA continue its vital work in Ukraine providing support and advice to the Ukrainian government in nuclear safety. UK funding also facilitates training in detection of radiological materials and expert investigative missions to nuclear power plants.

    Delivering the UK’s statement at the meeting, UK Permanent Representative to the IAEA Corinne Kitsell said:

    Russia’s barbaric attacks on Ukraine’s civil infrastructure and its illegal control of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant runs contrary to all international nuclear safety and security norms. It claims to uphold nuclear safety standards, but its actions say otherwise.

    I commend the work of the IAEA’s staff in Ukraine and I am pleased that the UK’s additional funding will help to facilitate its vital work, particularly given the additional risk posed by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.

    The IAEA Director General’s report also sets out numerous concerns: Russian military presence at the site and the immense pressure placed on the Ukrainian operating personnel and their families.

    The UK also echoes Ukraine’s calls for an uninterrupted power supply from Ukraine to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and continues to call for the Russian Federation’s full withdrawal from the site, and for it to end its illegal war of aggression in Ukraine.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Two non-judicial members to the Criminal Procedure Committee reappointed [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Two non-judicial members to the Criminal Procedure Committee reappointed [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 June 2023.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Paul Jarvis and Edmund Smyth as non-judicial members of the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) for 4 years from 1 September 2023.

    Paul Jarvis was first appointed to the CPRC on 1 September 2019. He is a Junior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court; appointed by the Attorney General to prosecute serious cases such as murder and terrorism. He undertakes voluntary work on the Bar Standards Board’s Independent Decision-Making Body. He has written books and articles on criminal procedure and given a range of lectures on relevant subjects.

    Edmund Smyth was first appointed to the CPRC on 1 September 2019 is a Senior Associate in the Criminal Litigation Department of Kingsley Napley. He represents individuals and corporates across the full spectrum of criminal and quasi-criminal investigations and prosecutions involving matters such as financial crime, bribery and corruption, asset recovery, sexual offences and extradition. He is a committee member of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association and acts as the Association’s media officer.

    The Courts Act 2003 established the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) to make rules governing the practice and procedure of magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division.

    The Act requires the CPRC, which is chaired by the Lord Chief Justice, to make rules that are simple and simply expressed and that help make the criminal justice system accessible, fair and efficient.

    The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates the appointment of non judicial members of the CPRC and recruitment process must comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    Appointments to the CPRC are made by the Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK launches process to negotiate trade deal with the Republic of Maldives [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK launches process to negotiate trade deal with the Republic of Maldives [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 8 June 2023.

    The UK has today launched an eight-week call for input in preparation to negotiate a goods-only Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Republic of Maldives, inviting business, organisations and individuals to help shape the UK’s negotiating aims.

    Maldives is one of the few countries in the Commonwealth which the UK is not already pursuing an FTA with or does not already have preferential access to the UK market.

    The public consultation will also help to identify trade barriers which pose an obstacle to UK businesses attempting to export their goods to Maldives.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK to host first global summit on Artificial Intelligence [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK to host first global summit on Artificial Intelligence [June 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 June 2023.

    As the world grapples with the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the UK will host the first major global summit on AI safety.

    • Summit will bring together key countries, leading tech companies and researchers to agree safety measures to evaluate and monitor the most significant risks from AI
    • PM and President Biden will take a coordinated approach to the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech when they meet at the White House today
    • Global companies are expanding their AI work in the UK, as PM confirms new university scholarships to further UK-US tech leadership

    As the world grapples with the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the UK will host the first major global summit on AI safety, the Prime Minister has announced today (Wednesday 7 June).

    Breakthroughs from AI continue to improve our lives – from enabling paralysed people to walk to discovering superbug-killing antibiotics. But the development of AI is extraordinarily fast moving and this pace of change requires agile leadership. That is why the UK is taking action, because we have a global duty to ensure this technology is developed and adopted safely and responsibly.

    Last week dozens of leading experts warned about the potential for AI to endanger humanity in similar ways to pandemics or nuclear weapons.

    In Washington DC today, the Prime Minister will stress the importance of likeminded allies and companies working to develop an international framework to ensure the safe and reliable development and use of AI.

    The summit, which will be hosted in the UK this autumn, will consider the risks of AI, including frontier systems, and discuss how they can be mitigated through internationally coordinated action. It will also provide a platform for countries to work together on further developing a shared approach to mitigate these risks.

    In recent weeks the Prime Minister has discussed this issue with a number of businesspeople and world leaders. This includes all members of the G7 who were united in their ambition to take a shared approach to this issue at the Hiroshima Summit last month.

    In May the PM also met the CEOs of the three most advanced frontier AI labs, OpenAI, DeepMind and Anthropic in Downing Street and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology also hosted a roundtable with senior AI leaders. The work at the AI safety summit will build on recent discussions at the G7, OECD and Global Partnership on AI.

    In July the Foreign Secretary will also convene the first ever briefing of the UN Security Council on the opportunities and risks of Artificial Intelligence for international peace and security.

    The UK is well-placed to convene discussions on the future of AI. The UK is a world-leader in AI – ranking third behind the US and China. Our AI sector already contributes £3.7 billion to the UK economy and employs 50,000 people across the country.

    Our departure from the EU also allows us to act more quickly and agilely in response to this rapidly changing market. The UK was one of the first leading nations to set out a blueprint for the safe and responsible development of AI, which will be adaptive to the speed of advances in this technology. And the UK has launched an expert taskforce to help build and adopt the next generation of safe AI, backed by £100 million of funding, alongside a commitment to spend £900 million developing compute capacity, including an exascale supercomputer in the UK.

    The Prime Minister said:

    AI has an incredible potential to transform our lives for the better. But we need to make sure it is developed and used in a way that is safe and secure.

    Time and time again throughout history we have invented paradigm-shifting new technologies and we have harnessed them for the good of humanity. That is what we must do again.

    No one country can do this alone. This is going to take a global effort. But with our vast expertise and commitment to an open, democratic international system, the UK will stand together with our allies to lead the way.

    Last month, OpenAI and Anthropic opened offices in London, with OpenAI appointing UK firm Faculty as their technical integration partner and announcing the expansion of Google Deepmind under the leadership of Demis Hassabis headquartered in King’s Cross.

    Demis Hassabis, CEO & Co-Founder, Google DeepMind said:

    AI brings incredible opportunities but also challenges for the world, and international cooperation is essential for ensuring this technology is developed safely and responsibly for the benefit of everyone.

    The Global Summit on AI Safety will play a critical role in bringing together government, industry, academia and civil society, and we’re looking forward to working closely with the UK Government to help make these efforts a success.

    Dario Amodei, CEO and Co-Founder of Anthropic said:

    It’s deeply important we make AI safe. There is an enormous amount of work that still needs to be done. So we commend the Prime Minister for bringing the world together to find answers and have smart conversations.

    Recognising the strength of the UK’s AI expertise, US tech giant Palantir has also today announced it will make the UK its new European HQ for AI development. Palantir, which already employs more than 800 people in the UK, has provided many of the world’s most critical enterprises and institutions with foundational architecture for data processing.

    Alexander C. Karp, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Palantir Technologies Inc. and chairman of The Palantir Foundation for Defense Policy & International Affairs said:

    The ability of institutions to effectively capture the recent advances of artificial intelligence, and in particular large language models, will determine which organizations succeed and ultimately survive over the longer term.

    We are proud to extend our partnership with the United Kingdom, where we employ nearly a quarter of our global workforce. London is a magnet for the best software engineering talent in the world, and it is the natural choice as the hub for our European efforts to develop the most effective and ethical artificial intelligence software solutions available.

    Today the Prime Minister will meet President Biden in the White House for wide ranging discussions on the UK-US relationship, in particular how we can work together to strengthen our economies and cement our joint leadership in the technologies of the future.

    The UK and US are two of the only three countries in the world to have a tech industry valued at more than $1 trillion. This is thanks, in part, to the strength of our universities and research institutions – between us, our countries are home to 7 of the world’s top 10 research universities.

    The Prime Minister will also announce an increase in the number of scholarships the UK Government funds for students undertaking post-graduate study and research at UK and US universities, enhancing our shared expertise in STEM subjects.

    Under the scholarship uplift announced today, the number of Marshall scholarships will increase by 25%, to 50 places a year. The Marshall scheme was established 70 years ago to give high potential Americans the opportunity to study in the UK for two years. Alumni of the programme include two serving Supreme Court Justices, founders of companies including Dolby Labs and LinkedIn, and one Nobel Laureate.

    The UK will also fund five new Fulbright scholarships a year – up from the 25 currently funded. The Fulbright programme is predominantly funded by the United States to sponsor international students to study in the US and vice versa. Since the programme launched in 1948, around 15,000 British nationals have studied in the US on Fulbright scholarships.

    These new scholarships will focus on STEM-related subjects, boosting the UK and US’ shared expertise in the technologies of the future.

    Hugh Milward, Vice-President, External Affairs Microsoft UK said:

    The opportunity AI presents us could fundamentally help solve some of society’s greatest problems. But it’s going to require the kind of multi-lateral agreement the Prime Minister is proposing to help create confidence and address the challenges AI also presents.

    Dr Marc Warner, CEO of Faculty, said:

    The potential for this technology is breathtaking but we need to make sure that it’s rolled out in a human first and safe way.

    This will require technological leadership and the ability to foster international collaboration; both of which the UK is perfectly placed to provide.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK commends the highly effective work of the UN Mission in Iraq – UK statement at the Security Council [June 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK commends the highly effective work of the UN Mission in Iraq – UK statement at the Security Council [June 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 June 2023.

    Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on Iraq.

    Thank you, President. I would like to start by thanking the Special Adviser for his very helpful update, his recent report and for all the work of his team in Iraq. I would also like to welcome the Representative of Iraq to the chamber.

    The United Kingdom highly values the progress UNITAD is making in holding Da’esh to account for its horrific crimes. I would like to emphasise three points in particular.

    First, we welcome the Government of Iraq’s continued work and leadership to enable the domestic prosecution of those responsible for Da’esh’s crimes and UNITAD’s support. In particular, we welcome the establishment of a Joint UNITAD-Iraq Working Group this year, which will look at pathways for the prosecution of international crimes inside Iraq. It is essential that we build legal routes for sharing information and evidence to support prosecutions.

    Second, we commend UNITAD’s close collaboration with the Iraqi Judiciary, including through the archiving and digitisation project.  As we’ve heard, this archive will enable Iraqi judges to draw on a much wider range of evidence when building cases and pursuing investigations, including into the development and use of chemical and biological weapons. UNITAD’s continued and enhanced cooperation with the Iraqi authorities can make a real difference in their efforts to deliver justice for survivors of Da’esh crimes.

    Third, the United Kingdom particularly welcomes UNITAD’s ongoing focus on crimes committed against Yazidis, Christians, and other minority groups. There is a terrible legacy of Da’esh crimes against these communities and we must address it. On her recent visit to Iraq, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh highlighted the need for further support to victims and survivors of Conflicted Related Sexual Violence, including children born of rape. We commend the Government of Iraq for the ongoing implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law, including the initial payouts of reparations to survivors.

    President, we must not relent in our support for victims and survivors of Da’esh crimes. We look forward to working closely with Iraq and partners on the Council to continue supporting the important work of UNITAD in September’s mandate renewal.

    The UK is committed to joining the Government of Iraq, UNITAD, and the wider international community in the pursuit of justice.

    Thank you.