Tag: 2023

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 March 2023.

His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean, Spencer Mahony, will visit Guatemala 22-24 March.

His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner, Spencer Mahony, is visiting Guatemala in order to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations between Guatemala and the UK. His trip reaffirms the commitment of the British government to champion UK trade with economic partners in the Central American region.

With this visit, the Deputy Trade Commissioner seeks to understand the priorities of Guatemala and the projects it has in the pipeline in order to identify key areas where the UK can offer its expertise. During these meetings, the Deputy Commissioner will highlight the United Kingdom’s interest in continuing to work with Guatemala to create more opportunities that help build closer commercial ties that promote prosperity for both countries.

For that purpose, the Deputy Trade Commissioner will meet with senior representatives of regional organisations, British multinationals, Guatemalan companies and will participate in an event, co-organised with the British Chamber of Commerce, which will highlight the experience of UK companies doing business in Guatemala. This visit will focus on priority sectors in which UK companies have great expertise and more interest to explore business opportunities in the region; sectors such as agritech, electric mobility, infrastructure, life and sciences, education and food and drink.

The Deputy Trade Commissioner will also reinforce the opportunities that the Association Agreement between the UK and Central America brings to foster the trade relation with Guatemala and promote business possibilities to UK companies looking to expand overseas. He will stress the importance to promote a level-playing field for British companies wanting to do more business in Guatemala and strengthen the rule of law to attract more trade and investors to the country.

According to UK statistics, UK-Guatemala total trade between October 2021 and September 2022 was USD 200 million; an increase of 6.3% compared to the same period the year before. Total UK exports to Guatemala amounted USD 80 million; these included refined oil, electrical goods, chemicals, cars and beverages. Total UK imports from Guatemala were USD 120 million and included vegetables, beverages, coffee, sugar and clothing.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 March 2023.

UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French delivered a statement on the situation of human rights in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Mr President,

I would like to start by welcoming the Special Rapporteur’s critical work in continuing to report on the DPRK’s human rights record. We remain deeply alarmed by the systematic and widespread human rights violations by the DPRK regime.

Instead of upholding its human rights obligations and meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in society, the DPRK continues to prioritise its illegal weapons programme. Moreover, the DPRK’s border restrictions in response to COVID continue to severely hamper UN agencies’ ability to access and deliver life-saving support to the people of North Korea.

The UK urges the DPRK to now engage credibly with the international community and allow UN human rights mechanisms unhindered access. We stand ready to engage and assist the DPRK on human rights issues.

Madam Special Rapporteur,

How do the prolonged COVID-related measures introduced by the regime continue to impact human rights in North Korea?

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 March 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on North Korea.

Thank you, President. I also thank ASG Jencča for his briefing today, and welcome the participation of the Republic of Korea.

The UK condemns the launch by the DPRK of a further intercontinental ballistic missile on 16 March. This was the DPRK’s tenth ICBM launch since the start of 2022.

Make no mistake. This missile wasn’t designed, built, deployed and launched overnight. The DPRK first displayed this type in 2020. It has been tested multiple times since in a long-planned development process, in defiance of this Council’s decisions, and shielded by two of its members.

Those same members may seek to equate lawful defensive military exercises with the DPRK’s actions. Let’s be clear. Defensive exercises are safe when they are notified to other states in advance, and when they operate within defined areas, as South Korean and US exercises have done.

We should protect the credibility of this Council by challenging these violations with a firm and united response. Five years of inaction, forced on the Council by two members, have left no one safer. Now is the time for a comprehensive resolution that addresses international security concerns with new targeted measures, while also setting conditions for renewed dialogue, and facilitating aid.

We should recall that the cost of these illicit launches is being borne by the North Korean people, whose government diverts resources from peoples’ basic economic needs toward its illegal weapons programme. We call on the DPRK to allow UN international staff to enter the country. Sanctions exemptions are in place to support expedited humanitarian assistance.

We again call on all member states to fully implement existing Resolutions, which all Council members voted for multiple times, to counter the continued development of the DPRK’s prohibited programmes.

Finally, President, we call on the DPRK to cease these launches and engage meaningfully with offers from the United States and the Republic of Korea of dialogue. Diplomacy is the only route to sustained peace on the peninsula.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 March 2023.

UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French delivered her statement on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Special Rapporteur – thank you for your continued work and recent report.

As you set out, the Government of Iran is culpable of egregious continued human rights violations. The use of the death penalty, restrictions on media and the internet, and on freedoms of speech, expression, religion and belief, all continue unabated.

The discrimination women and girls have persistently faced, came to the fore with the killing of Mahsa Jina Amini in September. Over 500 people were killed during the regime’s brutal crackdown demonstrating Iran’s disregard for human life. This was on top of the over 500 persons executed, including at least two juvenile offenders in 2022. Religious and minority ethnic groups continued to face appalling discrimination, especially Baha’i, Christian converts and Sunni groups. The continuing detention of former Baha’i leaders, home demolition and land expropriation of Baha’is is deplorable. It is also deeply concerning that Iran has escalated its abhorrent practice of detaining foreign nationals for political leverage.

Iran must be held to account for its egregious human rights violations.

Special Rapporteur,

In light of your findings on possible crimes against humanity, how can the international community unite to ensure perpetrators are held to account?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 March 2023.

The UK has sanctioned five members of the Board of Directors of the IRGC Co-operative Foundation, the organisation which funnels money into the regime’s repression.

• UK sanctions financiers within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and senior commanders.
• Those sanctioned include five members on the Board of Directors of the IRGC Co-operative Foundation, the body responsible for managing the IRGC’s investments.
• Two senior IRGC commanders operating in Tehran and Alborz provinces also sanctioned for gross human rights violations.

The UK has imposed sanctions on senior officials of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, it announced today.

The IRGC, the branch of the Iranian Armed Forces responsible for the internal and external security of Iran, has been at the forefront of the repression of protest in Iran which has seen more than 500 killed and tens of thousands imprisoned.

The UK has sanctions in place on the IRGC in its entirety. Since October, the UK has imposed new sanctions on more than a dozen senior IRGC officials under our Iran human rights regime, most recently on a number of senior commanders on 20 February.

As a result the UK has sanctioned five members of the Board of Directors of the IRGC Co-operative Foundation, an economic conglomerate established by senior IRGC officials to manage the group’s investments in the Iranian economy.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Today we are taking action on the senior leaders within the IRGC who are responsible for funnelling money into the regime’s brutal repression.

Together with our partners around the world, we will continue to stand with the Iranian people as they call for fundamental change in Iran.

Established initially to support IRGC service members, the Foundation has broadened out its remit to funding the IRGC’s repressive activities in Iran and abroad.

The Foundation is also responsible for funding militant groups associated with the IRGC’s external operations arm, the IRGC-Quds Force. The Quds force is responsible for carrying out lethal activities outside of Iran by, for example, providing training, funding and weapons to groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. It has been accused of setting up fake companies in Syria to support the development of Quds Force activities in Syria.

The UK also imposed sanctions on further IRGC provincial commanders for their roles in overseeing human right violations against protestors. Today’s designations include Ahmed Zulqadr, Commander of the IRGC Seyyed al-Shohada provincial corps in Tehran province and Deputy Commander of IRGC corps in Tehran City, and Alireza Heydarnia, Commander of the IRGC for the Alborz Province.

These sanctions constitute an asset freeze and UK travel ban on the individuals concerned and send a wider signal on the UK’s commitment to backing condemnation with action.

Further information:

The full list of those sanctioned today is as follows:

• Ali Asghar Nourouzi, Chairman of the Board of Directors the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation.
• Seyyed Aminollah Emami Tabatabai, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation.
• Yahya Ala’Oddini, Director of the Board of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation.
• Jamal Babamoradi, Director of the Board of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation.
• Ahmad Karimi, Director of the Board of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation.
• Ahmed Zulqadr, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Seyyed al-Shohada Provincial Corps in Tehran Province and the Deputy Commander of IRGC Corps in Tehran City
• Alireza Heydarnia, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for the Alborz Province.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 March 2023.

The UK’s Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, delivered this statement on Myanmar at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Thank you Mr President,

Special Rapporteur,

Thank you for your sobering update and passionate commitment.

It has been over two years since the military seized power in a coup, plunging Myanmar into crisis.

Myanmar’s people have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of unspeakable atrocities, demonstrating their commitment to democracy and human rights. We continue to stand with them. They are indeed not forgotten, they are not alone.

Across Myanmar, the junta is committing brutal human rights violations and abuses including against Rohingya and other minorities. Thousands of civilians, including children, jailed, tortured and killed. Gender and sexual-based violence rife. Civic space virtually non-existent. Over 17 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, and nearly 2 million people displaced.

Since the coup, the UK has provided over £100 million to support those in need. We must collectively ensure that all responders on the front line are supported and that we innovate to channel resources for the humanitarian response.

Special Rapporteur,

How can the international community ensure access to displaced population inside and outside Myanmar?

Thank you.