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  • PRESS RELEASE : Comprehensive approach needed to housing reconstruction in Ukraine, taking into account needs of civilians, military – Zelenskyy

    PRESS RELEASE : Comprehensive approach needed to housing reconstruction in Ukraine, taking into account needs of civilians, military – Zelenskyy

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 April 2022.

    President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on the restoration and reconstruction of housing infrastructure in the country that was destroyed or damaged in the war with Russia.

    The meeting was also attended by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and his deputy Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, the leadership of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, well-known Ukrainian architects.

    The head of state listened to proposals on solving problems with the construction of temporary housing in settlements affected by the war, in particular on the example of Kyiv region. For this purpose it is planned to build special modular towns.

    It is expected that this will be high-quality, comfortable housing in which residents of the affected cities will be able to live for a long time, while the reconstruction of their homes or the construction of new housing continues.

    Zelenskyy said that any projects to restore or develop housing infrastructure should be aimed at ensuring that Ukrainians return home. They must also provide opportunities to address the issue of providing permanent housing for the Ukrainian military, which is heroically defending our country.

    In addition, the President studied a modern memorial complex project, which will tell the story of the world-famous destroyed bridge in the village of Romanivka, Kyiv region, connecting Irpin and Bucha with the city of Kyiv. According to the authors of the project, visitors to this complex will be able to immerse themselves in the atmosphere that prevailed during the evacuation in this place.

    “It is important that we perpetuate this place. And people will be able to feel everything that happened here. It will be a monument to our path to victory,” the President said.

  • David Willetts – 2002 “Our Commitment to the People” Speech

    David Willetts – 2002 “Our Commitment to the People” Speech

    The speech made by David Willetts on 29 May 2002.

    Two weeks ago, I spent the night on the streets of London listening to people who have slipped through the social safety net or who are being failed by public services. I heard at first hand the problems faced by the homeless from a group of people sleeping rough outside Westminster Cathedral.

    Engaging people, listening to their problems and learning how we might help them in the future lies at the heart of the Conservative Party’s One Nation Hearings. My Shadow Cabinet colleagues and I are visiting places and meeting people that politicians have too often forgotten about.

    Sometimes we have to overcome cynicism from the people we meet. They start by thinking we are just there for a good photo-opportunity. We can prove them wrong as we develop policies that tackle Britain’s social problems.

    But I also encounter cynicism from another quarter, from some Conservatives themselves.

    Some think the One Nation Hearings and helping the vulnerable are just a phase we have to go through until we can get back to issues such as the Euro and taxation.

    Others believe our emphasis on improving public services and reconnecting with people is some how selling out on everything we stood for in the 1980s.

    Well I don’t see it at that way. Helping the vulnerable is not a re-launch of the Party, nor is it a repudiation of our beliefs, it is a rediscovery of a Conservative tradition dating back some 200 years.

    It was Edmund Burke who first talked about having ‘a disposition to preserve and an ability to improve’. Helping people and making lives better has always been as important to Conservatives as defending traditions and institutions. One of the reasons why we won those heroic landslide victories throughout the 1980s was that people could see that above all we were going to make Britain a better place by transforming its economic performance. And one of the reasons why we lost so badly in 1997 and again in 2001 was that we failed to convey a compelling sense that we were going to tackle the new problems facing contemporary Britain.

    We left our country in 1997 in far better shape than we found it in 1979. We had to turn round one of Europe’s sickest economies and make it one of Europe’s most dynamic and successful ones. We achieved that, and we can feel proud of that achievement.

    But we have paid a price for that very success. It has left many reasonable, normal, middle-of-the-road, apolitical British men and women with a quite dreadful sense of what Conservatives are like. They think we are obsessed with economics. They think we are like Oscar Wilde’s cynic who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. There is and always has been more to Conservatism than economics. That means above all showing we understand that there is such a thing as society.

    One way of tackling that perception of what Conservatives are like is to argue that it was unfair all along and does not do justice to our record in government. Labour would love us to adopt that approach. There is nothing they would like more than for us to be endlessly re-fighting the 1997 General Election. Because we did, after all lose it by a landslide.

    Nor will it do just to show that the Labour Government is turning out to be as bad as many people thought we were by the end. This is a Government that is mediocre in most things apart from winning elections. But just trying to show how bad it is won’t do on its own. Our central task is to show that we will make a better government than Labour when the next election comes in 2005 or 2006. And that means showing that we as a Party want to tackle the concerns that are at the top of the electorate’s agenda. This means talking and behaving in a way that makes sense to Britain in 2002. That is why helping the vulnerable is so important.

    Over the past few weeks, I have seen three different snapshots of Britain at three One Nation Hearings. One of the most striking things I saw was the extent to which helping vulnerable people must not be a passive, one-way, exercise. It has to be about helping people to achieve greater control over their own lives, as much as providing them with money and services.

    In Birmingham, for example, I saw the success of projects that help drug abusers to combat their addiction and to gain gradual control back over their own lives. Many charities are much more effective that the public sector in this area because they treat people as individuals. We need to learn from the strengths of such initiatives and make it possible for them to do more.

    In Kent, I saw how the local council is working hard to help the most vulnerable people escape from dependency on welfare. Through an innovative agreement with the Treasury, some of the savings can be passed back and the result could be improved local services. The result is less reliance on welfare, more independence for vulnerable people and better local services.

    In London, I learnt more about the causes of homelessness. One of the people that I met had been given a one-bedroom flat, but he had returned to the streets because he felt less isolated there. It is no good offering people one-bedroom flats if they have such a strong identity as a group that this does not help them escape homelessness.

    We’ve called these our One Nation Hearings because they rest on the Conservative belief that we have obligations to our fellow citizens in all corners of our country.

    Helping the vulnerable isn’t just a campaign, it’s what elected Conservatives do day in and day out. A fact acknowledged even by this Government which is about to give two London Tory Councils the only perfect scores in the country for the way the are dealing with social services.

    Our approach to helping people is a serious commitment. It has to be reflected in the way we Conservatives conduct our politics.

    We must talk to the electorate in a way that does not reinforce their worst fears about what Conservatives are like. When we were in government we did many things which were right but unpopular. It was easy to draw the extremely dangerous – and fallacious – conclusion that unless something was unpopular it couldn’t possibly be right. There is no special virtue in a modern democracy in being disliked. It is not a badge of honour somehow confirming that what you are saying must be true if uncomfortable.

    We need to talk more about ends and less about means. We all became policy wonks, lovingly analysing the details of our policies but failing to communicate what they were for. We would endlessly debate the internal market in the NHS for example, whilst failing to communicate that we did actually want patients to have better health care and that was the point of the whole exercise. That’s why we don’t need to rush into a host of detailed policies. No matter how good a policy we came up with it would be pointless unless first of all people had registered that the purpose of the whole exercise was to make their lives better. If they don’t think that, then, no matter how good the policy it won’t get a fair hearing.

    We are also recognising that economic change means social change as well. You can’t have one without the other. A dynamic, enterprising and mobile economy is incompatible with a society stuck in aspic. Our economic changes unleashed a whole set of social changes too. Some of them were good and some of them weren’t. Let me give you some examples.

    If there is one single group that benefited more from the transformation of Britain after 1979 it was women aged 20-40. Their opportunities in life have been transformed as education and employment opportunities were opened up to them on a far greater scale than ever before. That would not have happened in an old-style corporatist Britain dominated by heavy industry and even heavier unions. We should have been proud of that but for some reason the message never got through.

    Let me given you a second example – London. London has been transformed in the last 15 years. It is quite simply, once more, one of the world’s great cities. It is dynamic, enterprising and cosmopolitan and diverse. Without the Big Bang in the City or the transformation of docklands or even the cut in the top rate of income tax London would not have been such a magnet for people from around the world. But the Conservative Party fell to being the third Party in London because Londoners did not associate us with this at all and one of the most encouraging features of the local elections last month was that at last we saw the beginnings of a Conservative recovery in London.

    But just as our economic changes brought these social benefits they also had their downside. There were people left behind by the modern mobile economy. That’s why instead of trying to pretend there isn’t any poverty we are investigating more thoroughly than for many years how best we can help the poorest members of our society.

    There are also people who found the sheer creative destruction of the marketplace all too threatening and wanted order, community and security. At the heart of the Conservative tradition is a recognition that we need both the economic dynamism of the marketplace and also wider values that give life roots and shape and meaning. I am proud to be a Conservative because over the past two centuries Conservatives have more successfully reconciled these two principles than any other western political party.

    Our commitment to helping the vulnerable is a renewal of Conservatism, offering a vision of a stronger and better society. But the old caricatures live on in people’s minds and that’s why they will always be on the look-out for recidivism. It would be so convenient for the critics if they could claim that we were just the same old Tories. That’s why Iain Duncan Smith has been right to emphasise that the help the vulnerable campaign is central to the direction in which he wants to take the Party.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Humanitarian center set up by President reports on results of work

    PRESS RELEASE : Humanitarian center set up by President reports on results of work

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 April 2022.

    The Coordination Center for Humanitarian and Social Affairs established by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, headed by the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, has reported on the results of its activities.

    According to Yermak, the amount of charitable assistance received for Ukraine from citizens and corporations from around the world has now reached almost $924 million, and funds continue to flow.

    “They go mainly to the accounts of the UN and international humanitarian organizations. And they, in turn, send them to help our refugees in different countries,” the head of the President’s Office said.

    Most funds came from philanthropists from the United Kingdom (47%), the Netherlands (almost 18%), the Czech Republic (11%) and the United States (almost 8%).

    Yermak stressed that Ukraine is grateful for the help of both world celebrities and all concerned citizens from different countries.

    In particular, he said that the UK under the auspices of the Disasters Emergency Committee raised more than GBP 310 million. Queen Elizabeth II, the British government, film, theater and music stars have made their contributions. Famous Hollywood actress Mila Kunis, who was born in Chernivtsi, and her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, raised $35 million in the United States. They sent these funds to the Flexport logistics startup and Airbnb technology company. In France, EUR 8 million were raised by local television thanks to a charity concert of French stars. The First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, also joined – she donated EUR 1 million.

    Deputy Head of the Office of the President Yulia Sokolovska said that 270,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid had been imported to Ukraine in 50 days. Food was purchased from Ukrainian producers and meal kits were made for almost 10 million Ukrainians.

    The SpivDiia information resource processes applications from the hotline to meet the specific needs of citizens. More than 48,000 applications have already been processed, Sokolovska said.

    According to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, logistics centers have been set up on the western border with Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia in the first week, where international donors and partners send humanitarian aid.

    Lviv region has become the largest hub of humanitarian support in Ukraine, receiving 51% of cargo from abroad.

    Among the humanitarian hubs located across the country, the cargo is distributed among regional military administrations, charities, local governments, NGOs and volunteers, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.

    According to him, during the 50 days of the war, the whole country was united, and each non-frontline region helps the frontline region every day.

    In addition, as Tymoshenko said, with the help of the convenient platform help.gov.ua people from all over the world fill out questionnaires every day and send assistance to Ukraine.

    To resolve logistics issues, the Ministry of Infrastructure has a special logistics center, which includes Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukrposhta and other carriers.

    According to the deputy head of the President’s Office, during the war Ukrzaliznytsia evacuated almost 4 million people by train free of charge. More than 1.3 million people from Kyiv and almost 500,000 from Kharkiv were evacuated. The total number of Ukrainians who traveled abroad by rail is about 500,000.

    People from the blocked cities and cities, which are most difficult in terms of safety, were evacuated via safe corridors.

    “Unfortunately, there was fire against civilians, but since the beginning of the war, almost 300,000 people have been evacuated from Sumy, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” the deputy head of the President’s Office said.

    According to Svyrydenko, special attention is paid to the problem of fuel supply. From the first days of the war, the government agreed with the Polish Governmental Agency for Strategic Reserves to provide 20,000 tonnes of fuel as humanitarian aid. At the same time, an agreement was reached with the largest networks of gas stations on its dispensing through their gas stations to certain categories of recipients.

    Sokolovska, for her part, reminded that people receive psychological help within the framework of the Tell Me program. There is also a web platform for the effective collection and processing of information on case of violation of human rights by the Russian Federation.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Adviser to President of Ukraine – Energy embargo should be imposed, sending money to support Russia’s war crimes should be stopped

    PRESS RELEASE : Adviser to President of Ukraine – Energy embargo should be imposed, sending money to support Russia’s war crimes should be stopped

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 April 2022.

    The Group of Seven (G7) countries and the European Union should impose an embargo on Russian energy, as well as help Ukraine close its budget deficit amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of our territory. This was stated by adviser to the President of Ukraine on economic issues Oleh Ustenko in an interview with The New Yorker.

    In particular, he said that even after US President Joseph Biden called genocide what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine, European allies are dragging their feet about an energy embargo on Russia.

    “We are saying, Look, guys… You are stopping caviar exports. However, what can really harm this Russian military machine is oil. And nothing has happened with oil. We just had talks and talks and talks, and then nothing happened,” Ustenko said.

    According to him, some European countries are, in fact, buying more gas and oil than they were before the war. However, he suggested that some countries may have been trying to build up their energy reserves in anticipation of an embargo that they think is coming.

    The adviser to the President of Ukraine acknowledged that Germany and France, the EU’s two largest economies, had reduced their imports of Russian oil and gas since the war began, but noted that they are still buying large amounts.

    According to Ustenko, Washington should exert more pressure on its European allies to join an energy embargo.

    He also called on the United States and other members of G7 to provide more financial support for the Ukrainian government as it tries to pay for the war and maintain social spending for its population.

    “The contraction in our economy is huge,” the adviser to the President of Ukraine said. “Fifty per cent of our businesses are not fully operational. Our budget revenues have fallen substantially, and our budget deficit has increased. This deficit has to be financed.”

    Ustenko estimated the budget deficit at about $8 billion a month. According to him, With Ukraine effectively shut out of the international financial markets, he said, it can’t issue more debt to cover this amount. If the G7 provided fifty billion dollars in new financing, that would resolve the deficit issue for at least another six months, he said.

    “We need extra financial support, including from the United States. Of course, the United States was very kind, providing us with weapons. But it is not enough,” the adviser to the President of Ukraine said.

    However, Ustenko said that the first priority must be the immediate imposition of an energy embargo, because that is where Russia is most vulnerable. In this case, in his opinion, the moral argument should be at least as compelling as the economic one.

    “If somebody is committing a war crime and a third party is giving money to the war criminal, then, for us in Ukraine, this third party is also in the cycle of committing the same war crime. Because the third party, with his money, is in the position of supporting the war crime,” the President’s adviser said.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Tariffs for electricity for households with consumption up to 250 kWh not to grow – President

    PRESS RELEASE : Tariffs for electricity for households with consumption up to 250 kWh not to grow – President

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 April 2022.

    Tariffs for electricity for households of Ukraine with consumption up to 250 kWh per month will not increase and will amount to UAH 1.44 per kWh. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video address.

    According to the Head of State, energy issues were discussed during a meeting with government officials.

    “We are extending the electricity tariff of UAH 1.44 per kilowatt for at least next six months for those who consume less than 250 kilowatts. This is 80% of our citizens,” Zelenskyy said.

    Also, according to him, the meeting reviewed the results of the current heating season.

    “The season was successful despite everything. Despite all the “prophecies,” the tariffs have not increased. There were no rotating outages. Supplies were not disrupted even in wartime. Preparations have also begun for the next heating season. We discussed the purchase of gas, the purchase of coal,” the President said.

  • PRESS RELEASE : President held a meeting with members of the government on topical issues of martial law economy

    PRESS RELEASE : President held a meeting with members of the government on topical issues of martial law economy

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 15 April 2022.

    President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with members of the Cabinet of Ministers and representatives of the Office of the Head of State on the topical issues of economic development under martial law and the priorities that need to be addressed.

    The parties discussed the restoration of business in our country. In particular, the restoration of heavy industry, metallurgy and mechanical engineering was noted.

    Special attention was paid to macroeconomic stability and inflation. The President heard reports from government officials on topical issues of the relevant ministries.

    They also discussed the completion of work on the first part of the questionnaire to obtain the candidate status for membership in the European Union. The questionnaire was handed over to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on April 8 in Kyiv.

    The agenda also included the issues of humanitarian aid, public expenditures, the functioning of Ukraine’s energy system and the completion of the autumn-winter heating season, the work of Ukrzaliznytsia, sowing campaign and environmental policy under martial law.

     

  • PRESS RELEASE : A group of Ukrainian and international experts is tracking the transportation of Russian oil to prevent Russia from circumventing sanctions

    PRESS RELEASE : A group of Ukrainian and international experts is tracking the transportation of Russian oil to prevent Russia from circumventing sanctions

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 15 April 2022.

    A group of Ukrainian and international experts analyzing the real impact of sanctions against Russia is tracking Russian oil tankers through network analysis software. This was stated by Adviser to the President of Ukraine on economic issues Oleg Ustenko in a comment for The Economist.

    Experts are tracking energy supply routes, thanks to which “Russia is desperately trying to finance its military machine.”

    Information for the group is provided by both international experts and government officials from other countries and even intelligence.

    In addition, the team uses network analysis software to establish the relationship between disparate data.

    The program analyzes the behavior of ships, taking into account various information. For example, the declared cargo, route and insurance data, as well as historical models of navigation in different weather and market conditions. You can even see the tonnage of the cargo on board the ship and see if there is a suspicion that there may be more cargo on board than stated.

    A group of experts has already managed to identify supplies of Kazakh oil, which they believe contain portions of clandestinely loaded Russian crude, says Oleg Ustenko.

    Warnings are sent to relevant governments and companies, as well as to Ukrainian ministries.

    A more recently developed approach uses satellites in low orbits to hoover up signals from shipborne radars. These are used for navigation and to avoid collisions, so mariners are disinclined to switch them off. Fancy software for signal processing geolocates the signals’ sources, at times within just several hundred meters.

  • PRESS RELEASE : President talked to members of the Invictus Games – Ukraine team

    PRESS RELEASE : President talked to members of the Invictus Games – Ukraine team

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 14 April 2022.

    President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke via a video call with members of the Invictus Games – Ukraine team who are now in The Hague to take part in the Invictus Games international sports competition.

    Most of the members of the team are current servicemen who defend Ukraine in the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the territorial defense and other structures of the security and defense sector. 19 Ukrainian athletes – defenders will compete with 500 veterans and servicemen from 18 NATO and Allied countries.

    “It is an honor for us that you represent Ukraine. I believe that Ukraine is each of you. If you represent our country in The Hague today at the Invictus Games, you will show that Ukraine is unconquered,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

    The President noted that Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, which is being rebuffed by our army, has been going on for 50 days. Today, Ukraine is one of the strongest states in the world, and Ukrainians are invincible.

    “Victory is important for us, it is important to prove that we are all unconquered. And your team is part of the spirit of indomitability of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and each of us,” the Head of State is convinced.

    As Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, the Ukrainian team of the Invictus Games is a reflection of our state – “different people, but all strong, united for the sake of the result.”

    “The only result is victory,” he said.

    The Head of State together with Ukrainian athletes honored the memory of the coach of the archery team, ATO veteran since 2014 Dmytro Sydoruk who died in the battle for Ukraine in early April.

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that the world needs to know the story of a paramedic volunteer, a member of the national team Yulia Payevska (nicknamed “Tayra”), who is currently being held captive by the Russian occupiers.

    “This sip of freedom, which you can give with your participation, victories and stories about what is happening on our beautiful land and what tragedy the enemy has brought, – I think she will definitely get this sip. Because you will tell about her to journalists, media and other athletes. And you will tell not only with words, but first of all with victory,” the Head of State emphasized.

    The President called on Ukrainian athletes to do everything possible to ensure that people in The Hague, where the Invictus Games take place, learn more about all the crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine.

    “In The Hague today, you will basically fight for the Russian occupiers and all those who deserve that to be in The Hague in due time. Because what they did is a crime against the people, against the people of Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

    The members of the team told the Head of State that they are determined to win the competition to show the indomitability of our Homeland. They stressed that in communication with athletes from other countries they tell the truth about the horrible events taking place in Ukraine.

    The President wished the Invictus Games – Ukraine team great victories.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Poland and the Baltic states are true friends of Ukraine and are always the first in supporting our state – Volodymyr Zelenskyy

    PRESS RELEASE : Poland and the Baltic states are true friends of Ukraine and are always the first in supporting our state – Volodymyr Zelenskyy

    The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 April 2022.

    President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the leadership of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the comprehensive support for Ukraine in the face of armed aggression by the Russian Federation. The President of Ukraine stated this to the media following the talks with the Presidents of the four countries in Kyiv.

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that before the meeting, the leaders of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia visited Bucha, Borodyanka and Dmytrivka in the Kyiv region, which were recently liberated from Russian occupation.

    “This means that it is very important for them to see with their own eyes what happened in these small towns that were burned and tortured. This is what we discussed today. And this is not about war – this is about something horrible, tragic, something incomprehensible,” he said.

    The Ukrainian Head of State stressed that the leaders of Poland and the Baltic states have always been side by side with Ukraine and they have been the first in everything from the very beginning in terms of supporting our state.

    “The first to support Ukraine’s desire to take its place in the European family. The first in the strong sanctions policy against the Russian Federation, which is being promoted in the EU countries. Even when we talk about weapons, armaments and equipping our army, the leaders of these countries were among the first,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

    The President would like Ukraine to have the same friendly, partnership, honest and open strategic relations with all neighboring countries.

    “And I am confident that these four states will be the first in all pages of the future history of Ukraine. And we have a great future, because with such partners and friends we will definitely win,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced.

    For his part, Polish President Andrzej Duda said the last time he visited Ukraine was the day before the Russian invasion. He noted that the current visit is a sign of solidarity with Ukraine and its heroic people.

    Andrzej Duda also stressed that currently about 2 million Ukrainians (mostly women and children) are in Poland to protect themselves from war and death.

    The President of the Republic of Poland said that today he saw with his own eyes the consequences of Russian aggression.

    “It’s hard to believe. This is not war, this is terrorism. If someone sends aircraft and soldiers to bomb residential areas, to kill civilians, it is not war, but cruelty, banditry, terrorism,” he said.

    Andrzej Duda stressed the importance of bringing those who committed crimes and who gave criminal orders to justice in international courts.

    The Polish leader noted that the sanctions applied must lead to the end of the war and prevent aggression in the future.

    He also expressed hope that a free, sovereign, independent Ukraine would soon become part of the European Union.

    President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda noted that the Ukrainian nation has shown its strength and determination in recent weeks and continues to demonstrate these qualities every day in battles.

    He also stressed that the Russian authorities must be held accountable for all heinous crimes committed by Russian soldiers in the Kyiv region.

    According to Gitanas Nausėda, Ukraine must win this war, and for this it needs support – military, armed, humanitarian, financial, economic.

    Gitanas Nausėda also called for tougher sanctions against Russia, including a full embargo on Russian oil and gas, sanctions against all Russian banks aimed to stop funding Vladimir Putin’s war.

    The President of Lithuania also announced that they intend to create a hub of Ukrainian culture and education in Vilnius, which will work under the leadership of the First Ladies. “Lithuanians feel the Ukrainian pain. We know that Ukraine will win and prosper, and we will remain partners and close friends,” Gitanas Nausėda assured.

    President of the Republic of Estonia Alar Karis stressed the need to push Russian troops further east to ensure peace in Europe.

    He also stated that he, together with all the Estonian people, deeply sympathizes with Ukraine over the horrors the Russian occupiers did to the Ukrainians.

    Alar Karis stressed that all these crimes must be investigated, and they must be taken into account when applying a new package of sanctions against Russia.

    However, according to him, since diplomatic efforts have not helped avoid armed confrontation, Ukraine must receive assistance in the form of necessary weapons.

    President of the Republic of Latvia Egils Levits noted that the process of bringing the aggressor to justice for war crimes committed against Ukrainians is already underway in international courts.

    “I support the need for a special court or tribunal that will deal with the crime of aggression. Because so far there is no such international court where one can be convicted for such a crime with such a composition,” he said.

    The President of Latvia is also convinced that Ukraine needs armed assistance now.

    “Ukraine is fighting for us, and it is our duty to help by all means, weapons, so that Ukraine can defend itself from the enemy,” said Egils Levits.

    The Latvian leader noted that today all NATO member states must help Ukraine with effective weapons. In addition, the Republic of Latvia can help with grain exports.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces the appointment of new Commissioner to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

    PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces the appointment of new Commissioner to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

    The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 26 August 2022.

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Shailesh Vara MP, has announced the appointment of Justin Kouame to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

    Mr Kouame will take up the appointment with effect from 1 September 2022.

    Mr Kouame was formerly Chair of the Northern Ireland Community of Refugees and Asylum Seekers and member of the Northern Ireland Race Equality Sub-Group and Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities.

    Background

    The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (the ‘NIHRC’) was created by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, as part of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

    The NIHRC was established in 1999 and operates as an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office.

    Its powers and duties are set out in legislation, and it operates in compliance with UN General Assembly resolution 48/134 (the ‘Paris Principles’) on National Human Rights Institutions. The NIHRC’s functions include keeping under review the adequacy and effectiveness in Northern Ireland of law and practice relating to the protection of human rights and promoting understanding and awareness of the importance of human rights in Northern Ireland.

    Further information about the work of the Commission can be found here.

    Terms of appointment

    • This position is part-time for a period of three years ending on 31 August 2025.
    • The position receives a fixed annual remuneration of £7,500.
    • The position is not pensionable.

    Political Activity

    All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

    Mr Kouame has declared that he has not been politically active in the last five years.

    Regulation

    The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA) regulates appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

    Statutory Requirements

    The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998.