Tag: 2019 Press Release

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 05/11/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Thank you, High Representative. Thank you to Ms Korjenic for your briefings.

I think we take a different view on the importance of the office of the High Representative than the Russian representative has just set out. We believe that the Office of the High Representative continues to play an essential role in Bosnia and Herzegovina and has the United Kingdom’s full support, including, as other countries have mentioned round the table, for the use of the Bonn powers if and when the situation requires. And the reason for that, I think, is obvious. There are some people, including some leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who want to do all they can to stop Bosnia and Herzegovina being a flourishing, normal state. Dayton requires Bosnia to be an independent state with two entities, the Federation and Republika Srpska. But it does not place the entities above the state and therefore, as long as there are leaders in Bosnia who refuse to acknowledge or who work against that very important statehood aspect of Bosnia and Herzegovina enshrined in Dayton, codified by this Council and implemented for very many years through the Peace Implementation Council and the steering board, as long as that antagonistic approach to Bosnia as a state continues, the Office of the High Representative will continue to be necessary and the Bonn powers will continue to be necessary. So I just want to put on record the United Kingdom’s very firm support for you, High Representative, and your team.

I also want to thank Ms Korjenic from Trial International. We in the UK support Trial’s work to secure justice for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and we pay tribute to all the work you do – and I’ll come back to that in a minute, if I may. And we join other colleagues in welcoming the unanimous adoption of the resolution for a further 12 months, authorising the European Union to continue Operation Althea. This demonstrates the continued commitment of the international community to Bosnia’s security and stability, but as the French representative said, it also underscores Bosnia’s European and Euro-Atlantic direction and trajectory.

And I just want to say on that that it is my understanding that there are certain laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina that codify this Euro-Atlantic integration, both in respect of the European Union and in respect of NATO, and there are certainly resolutions of this council that codify the Euro-Atlantic integration and there are numerous decisions by the Peace Implementation Council and by the steering board, which codify that Euro-Atlantic integration. And that desire of the Bosnian people has never been overturned in law. So while leaders may argue against that because they’ve changed their mind or it doesn’t suit their political rhetoric, the law of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the corpus of decisions supported and passed by the international community is in favour of supporting Bosnia for as long as she wants to go down that road of Euro-Atlantic integration. And these are battles that need to be fought democratically, not undemocratically through polemic and demagoguery.

I want to just recall that nearly 30 years ago, Bosnia and Herzegovina was the big issue for this council, where our predecessors passed many resolutions day after day to try and stop the fighting and restore stability and peace to the country. The war lasted for four dreadful years and it changed forever the way the UN does peacekeeping. In 1995, as we’ve heard today, the massacre in Srebrenica claimed nine thousand lives of Muslim men and boys – the worst massacre in Europe since 1945. These are not insignificant events for Europe or for Bosnia or for the Balkans. And the reason the International Criminal Tribunal was set up was indeed to try people for these crimes. So we very much agree with Ms Korjenic that people should not be trying to undermine what the ICTY discovered. The ICTY was a legitimate tribunal. It was established by this Council and its judgments still stand.

I’m running out of time so I will simply say that on reconciliation, I endorse what the German and Indonesian representatives said. That’s a very important part of what is happening. And I also want to stress the vital importance of the rule of law for all Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens. Ms Korjenic exhorted us not to despair. I don’t give up on Bosnia. I’ve worked on the issue of the Balkans since 1991. We’re not going to despair because if we despair of Bosnia, it fundamentally means the bad guys have won. And that’s not what we’re going to let happen. So you can rely on the United Kingdom and your Atlantic institutions to remain helping Bosnia as long as all of Bosnia’s citizens want it.

Thank you very much.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 06/11/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the ICC – Libya.

I, too, would like to thank the prosecutor for briefing the Council in her 18th report on the situation in Libya.

The United Kingdom strongly supports the work of the International Criminal Court. Its role in holding accountable those responsible for the most serious crimes in Libya is of paramount importance. And this is especially so given recent flagrant breaches of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure, such as the Tajura Detention Center in July, as she set out. The conflict is having an unacceptable impact on civilians, including migrants and refugees. And the United Kingdom is clear that civilians should be protected and that those responsible for violations should be held accountable. The ICC is crucial to this.

International criminal justice is a collective effort. States should ensure cooperation and fulfill their obligations. We support the prosecutor’s call for all relevant states, including state parties and non-state parties, to cooperate with the ICC in the arrest and surrender of warranted individuals. And we share concerns reports of Mr Al-Werfalli’s promotion within the Libyan National Army and the ICC’s call on General Haftar to facilitate his immediate surrender.

It’s clear that the ongoing conflict is having an unacceptable impact on the humanitarian and human rights situation in Libya. We call on all member states to continue to engage with UN-led efforts to secure greater security and stability. We all know that there is no military solution to Libya’s problems. All parties to the conflict should commit to an immediate ceasefire and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.

The indiscriminate shelling of civilian infrastructure, such as Matenga Airport, threatens Libyan lives and livelihoods and is unacceptable. The United Kingdom remains particularly concerned over the disappearance of MP Siham Sergewa in July 2019. And we reiterate our condolences following the car bomb attack in Benghazi, which killed five people, including three UN staff members.

Support for international criminal justice is a fundamental part of our foreign policy and the British government strongly supports the ICC’s role in pursuing accountability in Libya. The United Kingdom has always been and remains a strong supporter of the mission of the ICC to hold accountable those accused of the most serious crimes, to uphold the rule of law and to achieve justice for victims. We will continue to support the prosecutor and your team, Madam Prosecutor, as you pursue your investigations.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 07/11/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to UN, at the Security Council Briefing on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Police Commissioners.

Colleagues, policing is vital. And as we consider further and develop our understanding of peacebuilding, it’s more important than ever, as often police in that context are more effective than traditional reliance on troops.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix talked about the state legal functions of UNAMID in his introductory remarks in Sudan and in that context, I think as we look at peacekeeping to peace building in Sudan, a policing component will be vital in the follow-on mission; if you have any comments on that, it would be good to hear them.

If United Nations policing is to remain effective, then we – whether members of the council, police-contributing countries or police commanders need to listen to the experiences of police officers on the ground and consider how reform can make a practical difference. Our German colleague talked about UN policing not yet being the full potential it could have and I agree with that. We, of course, as the UK are strong supporters of UNSCR 2185 and 2382 and of the external review that took place in 2016 of the functions, structure and capacity of the UN police division, although more needs to be done on the outstanding recommendations of that review. And we believe the recent report on policing by the Secretary-General provides an opportunity to take stock of the various strands of reform as a clear plan for the future.

There are two areas I want to quickly highlight. Firstly, the UK wants to see the full integration of policing advice into mission planning processes, ensuring that policing expertise is included in decision making throughout the life of the mission. That means, in simple terms, police experts need to be at the table and they need to be listened to and that needs to be underpinned by a strong analytical capability.

Second, we want to see UN missions continue to support the development of law enforcement in host states – we’ve heard from some of our commanders today about that – and to do this based on an assessment of host state needs and capacity. We believe that to maximise impact, the police need to have the right specialists with the right disciplines in the right places. So we encourage police division to improve efficiency in recruitment and subsequent deployment. Recruitment can be slow and bureaucratic. It needs to be based on skills, capabilities and expertise. It needs to be transparent, fair and open and it needs to differentiate between former police units and individual police officers or specialised teams. And of course, police deploying into missions need to be trained to the highest standards so we want to see the strategic guidance framework setting up the doctrine for policing to be finalised urgently, including all guidance manuals.

Let me conclude my remarks by just noting I was struck by what Police Commander Yacouba had to say from MINUSMA about the relationship with the population, the importance of human rights, the importance of trust. To succeed in their mission, clearly officers need to be able to police locally to understand communities. A police officer, by definition, is an officer of the place where he or she serves. And that trust, I believe, is more readily formed if police officers reflect the diversity of the world they are sent to protect. Like our colleague from Peru, I’d be interested in Madame Fitah-Kona’s views on best practice in this question of community policing and establishing trust. And as others have said, and echoing what the commander of UNISFA had to say, Ms Gahonzire, I think we would like to see action against the obstacles which prevent women from entering UN police.

I have one specific question, which is simply to ask Monsieur Abdounasir, the commissioner from MONUSCO, on what the most pressing challenges for UN police are in the context of the recent strategic review of 24 September and how you intend to meet.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 08/11/2019.

Statement by Miriam Shearman, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Mr President,

The United Kingdom appreciates Iran’s engagement with the UPR.

We remain concerned by discrimination against persons belonging to minority religious groups, particularly the Baha’i and Christians.

We remain deeply concerned by Iran’s failure to uphold international legal obligations, and its arbitrary detention of citizens and dual nationals arrested on unclear charges, denied due process and subject to mistreatment.

We recommend that Iran:

Immediately demonstrates that all detainees in prison are neither tortured nor subject to cruel or inhumane treatment or punishment.

Promptly allows an impartial trial process that weighs evidence and ensures defendants, and lawyers of their choosing, can have timely access to the charges and evidence.

Investigates sexual exploitation of children aged under 18, including through forced, early and temporary marriage, and develop a national plan to protect at risk children.

Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 12/11/2019.

French, German and UK Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative statement after announcements that Iran is restarting uranium enrichment activities.

Joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, United Kingdom and the EU High Representative:

“The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom and the High Representative of the European Union are extremely concerned by the latest announcements that Iran is restarting uranium enrichment activities at the Fordow facility, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its 11 November report.

Iran’s action is inconsistent with the JCPoA’s clear provisions on Fordow and has potentially severe proliferation implications. It represents a regrettable acceleration of Iran’s disengagement from commitments under the JCPoA.

We urge Iran to reverse all measures inconsistent with the JCPoA, including exceeding the maximum allowed low enriched uranium stockpile and the maximum allowed enrichment limits, and not respecting the limits set by the JCPoA on nuclear R&D activities. The IAEA has confirmed in its latest reports, including in its latest quarterly report of 11 November, that Iran is carrying out all of these measures.

We underline the importance of the full and effective implementation of the JCPoA by all sides and confirm our determination to continue all efforts to preserve the agreement, which is in the interests of all. Iran must return to full implementation of its commitments under the JCPoA without delay.

We also call upon Iran to fully co-operate with the IAEA within the framework of the JCPoA and in accordance with all its nuclear obligations, in particular its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol. In this regard, we are deeply concerned by the lack of timely co-operation by Iran and by the recent incident reported to the Board of Governors at its extraordinary meeting on 7 November.

We reiterate our support for the IAEA and recall our confidence in the Agency’s impartial and independent monitoring and verification of Iran’s nuclear commitments.

We affirm our readiness to consider all mechanisms in the JCPoA, including the dispute resolution mechanism, to resolve the issues related to Iran’s implementation of its JCPoA commitments. We are in contact with the other JCPoA participants in this regard.

The E3/EU have fully upheld their JCPoA commitments, including sanctions-lifting as foreseen under the JCPoA. It is now critical that Iran upholds its JCPoA commitments and works with all JCPoA participants to de-escalate tensions. We stand ready to continue our diplomatic efforts to create the conditions for, and to facilitate, the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, in the interest of preserving international peace and security. These efforts are however made increasingly difficult by Iran’s latest actions.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 13/11/2019.

The UK government condemns the firing of rockets at civilians and calls on all sides to de-escalate the situation.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said:

“We are deeply concerned by the escalation of hostilities in Gaza. The UK condemns the firing of rockets at civilian populations. Any attacks targeted against civilians are unlawful and unjustifiable. We call on all sides to rapidly de-escalate the situation, and support the UN and Egyptian efforts to achieve that objective.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 13/11/2019.

A statement from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office following Jeanine Áñez becoming interim President of Bolivia.

A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson said:

“The United Kingdom congratulates Jeanine Áñez on taking on her new responsibilities as interim President of Bolivia. We welcome Ms Áñez’s appointment and her declared intention to hold elections soon.

Free and fair elections will rebuild confidence in democracy for the Bolivian people. We look to all political parties to support efforts to restore calm following recent violence and to organise fresh presidential elections in accordance with the Constitution.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 15/11/2019.

Foreign affairs ministers issued a communiqué about the Global Coalition’s achievements and also their continued resolve in the joint effort against Daesh/ISIS.

Joint Communiqué from the foreign affairs ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS:

Over 5 years of military and civilian engagement, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, with its partners, have liberated Iraq and northeast Syria from Daesh/ISIS’s grip. At its peak, Daesh/ISIS controlled nearly 110,000 square kilometres of territory, including major cities in both Iraq and Syria and attracted more than 40,000 foreign terrorist fighters. The Coalition campaign has liberated approximately 7.7 million people from Daesh/ISIS’s control. Coalition members have helped raise over $20 billion in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance in support of the Iraqi and Syrian people, and trained and equipped more than 220,000 security and police personnel to stabilise local communities. In the most recent Coalition success, US forces raided the compound of Daesh/ISIS’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, resulting in his death.

These successes have come at tremendous sacrifice: tens of thousands of local partners in Syria and Iraq have died while fighting Daesh/ISIS, and more than 100 Coalition service members have given their lives as part of the Defeat Daesh/ISIS mission. In the past days, some Italian soldiers of the Coalition have been seriously wounded by an IED attack in Iraq.

Today, these achievements and Daesh/ISIS’s enduring defeat are threatened. The Coalition thus must maintain unity of purpose and cohesiveness in Syria and Iraq.

We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group, affirm our common willingness and continued resolve to address a new phase in this fight by pursuing our joint effort against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group, urge all actors operating in northeast Syria to continue to be vigilant against threats of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, to maintain the progress achieved by the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, to act together against any threats to this outcome and avoid security vacuums in the region that Daesh/ISIS may exploit. Continued detention of Daesh/ISIS-related individuals, including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, in northeast Syria remains to be of paramount importance. International law, including international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and international human rights law must be upheld under any circumstances.

Despite the challenging situation, we reaffirm our full commitment to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh/ISIS. We reiterate the importance of maintaining and allocating adequate military and civilian means and resources to sustain Coalition momentum and success against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria and to best safeguard our collective security interests, in pursuit of the ongoing military campaign. This will enable us to counter any attempt by Daesh/ISIS to reconstitute or enhance its capacity to plan and execute attacks against our countries as well as our partners and allies. This also includes continuing to train, advise, and support legitimate partner forces in the region engaged in the fight against Daesh/ISIS’s remaining cells and networks in both Syria and Iraq while respecting international law.

We reiterate the importance of ensuring accountability for all Daesh/ISIS terrorists and we commit to promoting their safe and humane detention and eventual prosecution. We will continue our efforts to hold accountable Daesh/ISIS terrorists, including to prevent those detained, hiding underground, or sheltering beyond Coalition control, from returning to the battlefield in Iraq and Syria, or relocating elsewhere and plotting attacks against other countries. Information sharing via bilateral and/or multilateral law enforcement channels like INTERPOL, will continue as a key component in this endeavor. We remain committed to promoting efforts to ensure that accused terrorists, including those of foreign nationality, are treated appropriately and tried consistent with international law and fair trial, and we urge the custodians of the detained Daesh/ISIS fighters to treat them humanely at all times, and in accordance with international law.

There remain a considerable number of foreign terrorist fighters and their families who are kept in custody in Syria and Iraq. We are committed to establishing or supporting existing effective accountability mechanisms in close coordination with the countries of origin for foreign terrorist fighters.

We highlight the importance of stabilisation support for liberated areas from Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and those in Syria that remain out of the Syrian regime’s control and where the rights of the local population are not being ignored or violated. We call on all members to insist on a robust supply of humanitarian assistance to all people in need. We urge all actors operating in northeast Syria to refrain from any action that could lead to change in the demographic structures in northeast Syria, and to commit to ensure that refugees and internally displaced persons created since the outset of the conflict in Syria should only return in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner in accordance with the standards adhered to by UNHCR; that they are guaranteed freedom of movement; and that full, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access to all areas in the region is verifiably granted.

We commend the continuing commitment of the Government of Iraq in its fight against Daesh/ISIS and reaffirm our dedication to assisting at their request their ongoing efforts to secure an enduring defeat of the terrorist organisation. While the Government of Iraq and the Coalition have liberated all territory once held by Daesh/ISIS, Daesh/ISIS remaining elements continue to exploit seams between security forces and vulnerable populations. In addition to the Coalition’s support for Iraqi Security Forces, as well as the Peshmerga, we will continue supporting the Government of Iraq and the UN’s stabilisation and humanitarian efforts, including for the more than 1.5 million displaced persons.

Despite ISIS’s territorial setbacks in Iraq and Syria, none of its branches has renounced its allegiance to ISIS. These branches have served as trans-regional enablers, providing support to organise, plan, raise funds, communicate, recruit, train, produce media, and plan external operations. The global Coalition must also remain vigilant and work against the threat of ISIS branches and networks around the world, upon the request or prior consent of the country or state in which ISIS branch or network exists, and while fully respecting international law. By reaffirming our commitment to combatting ISIS’s ideology to prevent its re-emergence, recruitment and expansion, we will continue to support local voices that offer an alternative vision to ISIS’s propaganda, and will further redouble our efforts to deny ISIS space to exploit social media and the Internet. We will encourage other members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS to adopt the same guidelines.

We welcome the offer by Italy to host in 2020 the next meeting of the Ministers of the full Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 15/11/2019.

The UK welcomes the ceasefire reached between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said:

“We welcome the ceasefire reached between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. We are grateful to Egypt and the UN for their mediation efforts. The indiscriminate attacks against civilians by Palestinian Islamic Jihad were completely unacceptable. We greatly regret the loss of civilian life in Gaza and urge all parties to adhere to the ceasefire arrangement.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 15/11/2019.

Foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UK, and the United States issued a statement supporting the United Nations’ work in Syria.

The Foreign Ministers of the Small Group on Syria joint statement:

“The Foreign Ministers of Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America strongly support the work of the UN Secretary-General and UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

In recent weeks, the UN has opened a door to progress in the political process with the launching of the Constitutional Committee, which could be a first step towards a political solution. After more than 8 years of violence, there is no military solution that can bring stability to Syria, allow displaced Syrians to return safely and voluntarily to their homes, and defeat terrorism.

We remain committed to upholding the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and oppose forced demographic change. We particularly call upon all actors in the northeast to immediately implement a cease fire and to halt all military offensive operations. We commit to disburse no assistance for any resettlement of Syrian refugees into northeast Syria that is not the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of those refugees to their homes. We also call for an immediate and genuine cessation of hostilities in Idlib, including an immediate halt to attacks against civilians. In addition, we stress the need to deal effectively with the terrorist threat emanating from Idlib and northwest Syria.

We also ask the international community to commit to support the UN on implementation of all aspects of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, notably a nationwide ceasefire, the creation of a genuine and representative Syrian constitution, the mass release of political prisoners, as well as UN-supervised elections that are free, fair and credible. Internally displaced persons, refugees and the diaspora must be able to participate in these elections in a safe and neutral environment. We continue to support efforts to ensure that all perpetrators of abuses and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law throughout Syria are identified and held accountable.

We encourage the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to all of Syria with the support of the UN agencies and stress the importance of ensuring safe and unhindered humanitarian access for all Syrians currently in need of it. We also support the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of refugees to their homes. Finally, we express our commitment to the enduring defeat of ISIS and other UN designated terrorist groups and remind the international community that a political settlement in Syria remains essential to sustainably achieving this shared goal.”