Tag: 2024

PRESS RELEASE : Employment boost of 200,000 as cost of living support extended [March 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 7 March 2024.

Plans to boost economic activity while supporting vulnerable people with the cost of living will be driven through by Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, as the Government unveiled its Budget for Long Term Growth.
- Household Support Fund extended with £500 million of support for the most vulnerable households
- Equivalent of 200,000 more in employment following welfare reforms and tax cuts to make work pay
- “Additional Jobcentre Support” to be rolled out to 150 sites alongside unprecedented £104 billion cost of living package
Following the next generation of welfare reforms announced last Autumn – including the flagship £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan – more people will be rewarded for hard work with cuts to National Insurance worth £900 for the average employee this year.

We have already delivered on our plan to halve inflation, which is down to 4% from its peak of 11% thanks to the steps taken by this Government. As inflation continues to fall, millions of families will also benefit from extra support with the cost of living – helping deliver the long-term change our country needs to deliver a brighter future for Britain and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.

The Household Support Fund – first introduced in October 2021 – will be extended for a fourth time. The extension, backed by £500 million, will support the most vulnerable households.

Alongside the continued cost of living support, jobseekers will be encouraged to secure long-term financial security through work following the extension of the Additional Jobcentre Support pilot.

The pilot will be expanded to a further 30 sites – reaching 150 in total – and will deliver intensive support so more people can secure the physical, mental, and financial benefits work brings.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

Work is the best way to secure long-term financial security, which is why in this Budget the Government is rewarding hard work with more tax cuts, boosting growth and helping families with the challenges they’re facing.

The long-term decisions announced by the Chancellor will put £900 back in the pockets of 27 million employees this year and support the equivalent of 200,000 people into work, when taken together with the next generation of welfare reforms we’re already rolling out.

This was also a Budget that recognised some people are still struggling and the extension of the Household Support Fund will give vulnerable households the help they need.

Our plan is building a brighter future for millions of people.

To support households from falling into debt the Government is taking decisive action to ensure claimants retain more of the money they receive from Universal Credit.

Almost one million households on Universal Credit take out budgeting advance loans. These provide families with a vital source of funds to purchase one-off items like fridges and other expensive items.

To help make these repayments more affordable we will be increasing the repayment period for new loans from 12 months to 24 months.

The measures announced in the Spring Budget build on the next generation of welfare reforms the Secretary of State ushered in last autumn. The plans offer unprecedented employment and health support to help over a million people, while protecting those in most need from cost of living pressures – including raising pensions and benefits and more help with housing costs.

While unemployment has been almost halved since 2010, our £2.5 billion Back to Work plan will help thousands of people with disabilities, long-term health conditions and the long-term unemployed, to move into jobs. This comes alongside the Government’s Chance to Work Guarantee, so that claimants on incapacity benefits can try work without fear of losing their benefits.

The extension of the Household Support Fund comes on top of the £104 billion cost of living support package:
- Boosting the state pension by 8.5% from April for over 12 million pensioners, an extra £900 next year for a pensioner on the new State Pension
- Increasing benefits by 6.7% from April
- Increasing the Local Housing Allowance from April, worth an average gain of £800 a year
The Government has also announced several significant pension fund reforms as part of the Value for Money framework. These will benefit both savers and British business, led by new requirements for Defined Contribution pension funds to publicly disclose their level of investment in the UK.

The Government will also undertake further analysis and research on the viability of a lifetime provider model, which could move individuals to having just one workplace pension pot across their career.

Additional Information
1. £500m of additional funding enables the extension of the Household Support Fund, including funding for the Devolved Administrations through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. This means that Local Authorities in England will receive an additional £421m to support those in need locally through the Household Support Fund.
April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Ukrainian women continue to stand up against Russian aggression and speak up for justice and peace: UK statement to the OSCE [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

In the lead up to International Women’s Day, Ambassador Holland notes the bravery of Ukrainian women and girls as Russia’s senseless war has devastating impacts on them.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This week in the lead up to International Women’s Day, we have been celebrating the accomplishments of women across the world. With that in mind, today I wish to highlight the courage and resilience of Ukrainian women, as they continue to stand up against Russian aggression and speak up for justice and peace.

Over the past two years, Russia’s senseless war has had a devastating impact on the lives of Ukrainian women and girls. Families have been torn apart, with many women suddenly becoming sole caregivers and providers. Mothers have faced the difficult decision to send their children to safety, while they remain in a warzone. Others have had their children forcibly taken from them. Many women and girls that remain in Ukraine have faced further trauma, with Russian forces committing terrible atrocities against them. And others have had their lives tragically cut short.

The wide-spread impact of Russia’s war on Ukrainian women cannot be ignored. And yet despite this, we continue to hear stories of women who symbolise hope and resilience. Such as, Vera Lytochenko, a violinist who decided to stay in Ukraine and play music for people hiding in bomb shelters to lift their spirits and soothe the frightened children. Or Iryna Yurchenko, a train conductor, who since the start of Russia’s war has helped evacuate people to safety with great bravery.

Ukrainian women have played a crucial role in defending their homeland with thousands of women serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, others have been instrumental to humanitarian, political, and security efforts. And Ukrainian women have refused to be silenced, coming forward with courage to document the horrific atrocities Russian Forces have committed against them, including sexual violence and torture.

To ensure justice is delivered, the UK has provided over £6 million to support projects aimed at building the domestic capacity of war crimes investigations. This has helped to embed international guidelines and best practice, including on survivor-centred approaches, through projects under the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group and work by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts.

The UK has also been working closely with Ukrainian actors involved in tackling conflict related sexual violence, including First Lady Zelenska who we were pleased to welcome to the UK last week. The First Lady’s visit provided an opportunity to reflect and discuss collaboration with her Foundation on mental health and psychosocial support.

The UK is proud to be a leading donor in supporting Ukrainian women, girls, and the most excluded groups. In recognition of their vital contributions on the frontline and in their communities, the UK set up new funding last year to provide critical support. This included helping the Ukrainian Women’s Fund and local women-led organisations deliver live-saving services. Our support has also addressed the needs and priorities of the most marginalised, including internally displaced persons, Roma, and older persons.

Madam Chair, the UK will continue to support the women of Ukraine as they work to rebuild their homeland from the damage and devastation of Russia’s war. We remain deeply humbled by their remarkable bravery and we stand united with them. Thank you.

April 2, 2024
Keir Starmer – 2024 Statement Condemning Israeli Attack on Aid Workers

The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 2 April 2024.

Reports of the death of British nationals – among others from World Central Kitchen – in an Israeli strike on Gaza are horrifying. Our thoughts are with the families of all of those killed.

We condemn this strike. There must be a full investigation and those responsible must be held to account.

Humanitarian workers put their lives in danger to serve others. Their deaths are outrageous and unacceptable – and it is not the first time aid workers have come under fire in Israel’s campaign. International law must be upheld and humanitarian workers must be protected so that they can deliver the aid that is so desperately needed.

This war must stop now. Far too many innocent people have died in this conflict and more than a million are facing starvation. Labour repeats our call for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages and full humanitarian access into Gaza.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : (Lord) Banner KC to lead review on national infrastructure [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 7 March 2024.

Top planning barrister, (Lord) Charles Banner KC, will lead an independent review to look into speeding up the delivery of major infrastructure projects, confirmed by the Housing Minister and Secretary of State today.

The review builds on wider government reforms to streamline the process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), which are often held up by legal barriers and judicial reviews.

Banner, assisted by fellow barrister Nick Grant, will explore whether NSIPs are unduly held up by inappropriate legal challenges, and if so what are the main reasons and how the problem can be effectively resolved, whilst guaranteeing the constitutional right to access of justice and meeting the UK’s international obligations.

Even unsuccessful challenges can set major projects back years in delays. This includes new road improvements, offshore wind farms and waste water management facilities.

Housing Minister, Lee Rowley said:

“It is vitally important that we use every tool at our disposal to slash unnecessary planning delays and accelerate building where it is needed across the country.

“That is why I am delighted that (Lord) Banner will lead a review on how we can speed up the delivery of national infrastructure in the face of costly legal challenges. I look forward to the outcome of this crucial piece of work.”

(Lord) Charles Banner KC said:

“I am looking forward to analysing the information available, as well as the feedback from key stakeholders, to ascertain whether, within the terms of reference, there is a case for improving the process for legal challenges of NSIPs in a way that would reduce any identified impacts of inappropriate legal challenges whilst maintaining constitutional principles and relevant international obligations.”

Banner is a leading expert in planning and environmental regulation. He has already demonstrated excellent work for the Government on a number of panels, such as chairing the UK’s nature conservation advisory body the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

As part of the review, Banner will produce a written report with recommendations based upon the review’s research and engagement with key stakeholders.

This review was announced at the Autumn Statement in the policy paper ‘Getting Great Britain building again: Speeding up infrastructure delivery’. It is expected to take 3 months and the Government will consider the recommendations once published.

Biography

(Lord) Charles Banner KC was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2004 and to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2010. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2019 (at the age of 38, the youngest of the 2019 silks). He practices across both jurisdictions as well as internationally.

Nick Grant is on the Attorney General’s C-panel of counsel and specialises in planning and infrastructure, compulsory purchase, and environmental law.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 55 – Right to freedom of peaceful assembly [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

UK statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association.

Thank you, Mr President,

The UK welcomes the Special Rapporteur’s report, and we thank him for his dedication to the mandate during his tenure, including his numerous country visits and important thematic reports. We welcome the recommendations to engage with civil society, and we hope the standard he has set on what it is a priority issue for the UK will endure.

Mr President,

The right to peaceful protest is part of democratic society. In the UK, it is a long-standing tradition for people to gather and demonstrate their point of view, provided they do so within the confines of the law. We agree that both the government and law enforcement have a duty to uphold the human rights of all individuals, including when facilitating assemblies.

We also agree that the policing of protests must be proportionate, protecting the right to protest whilst also having a duty to maintain public safety and peace.

Special Rapporteur,

What steps do you feel governments can take to best support law enforcement practices around the world in balancing the rights of protestors with the rights of others to go about their daily lives without serious disruption?

Thank you.

April 2, 2024
Lucy Frazer – 2024 Speech at The Big Creative UK Summit

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, on 3 March 2024.

Good evening, it is an absolute pleasure to be with you today. I’m delighted to be invited by Caroline who is a real tour de force, who is powering the Creative Industries.

Creative UK plays a critical advocacy role in convening organisations across the cultural and creative industries. I know hundreds of you are members, and I value the programmes Creative UK runs right across the UK. Creative UK believes creativity can change the world. I believe that too.

This evening I want to talk about some of the fruits of the joint collaboration between the government and the industry. Fruits which are helping to set a strong framework for the industry to thrive and helped pave the way for the sorts of measures we introduced today.

I wanted to begin by recognising some of the great creativity I’ve seen over the course of the past year as your Culture Secretary.

Because there are so many amazing productions that are bringing joy and meaning to people across the country: the first class production of original work in The Motive and the Cue at The National; the modern interpretation of Othello at The Globe; the traditional and beautiful production of Cinderella at Royal Opera House; real British dramas like Happy Valley and Inside Man; outstanding films like Saltburn, and Oppenheimer; the See, Hear, Feel interactive Ukraine exhibition in Liverpool during Eurovision; the incredible Aviva Studios in Manchester, home of the new flagship destination Factory International; our iconic world leading fashion displayed in the NEWGEN Rebel exhibition at the Design Museum.

Each show, each production, festival or exhibition is incredible in and of itself but it’s also part of a much bigger picture of creative success. And each creative endeavour fundamentally relies on incredible innovation, technical expertise and the craft of so many. Like set specialists 4Wood TV & Film based in Wales and growing into the West Midlands, who build for Doctor Who and much more.

And while we’ve seen exceptional British talent recognised in recent weeks at the BRITS, at the BAFTAs, London Fashion Week the creativity coming through at the grassroots level is just as inspiring.

Our start-ups, our schools, our colleges, our grassroots venues are all incubators for ideas and home to the creative geniuses of tomorrow. And our cultural institutions are doing ground-breaking work like the Royal Shakespeare Company transforming literacy rates across England. The National Theatre bringing the best of theatre to schools, libraries and museums. Meanwhile, places like Roundhouse Works in London or The Junction in Cambridge are giving chances to the next generation of musicians and creatives.

And one of the most inspiring visits I’ve done was to the London Screen Academy. Seeing how Charlie Kennard and the team are building a pipeline of talent of creative confident kids who are learning skills so fundamental to all jobs communication, team work, and presentation skills.

What is very clear to me is that your ingenuity, your skills, your creative excellence not only brings happiness and meaning to the lives of millions of people it also provides jobs right across the country and cements our status as a cultural superpower on the world stage.

And I wanted this evening to share with you – just in case it’s you’ve got any doubt about it – just how much this government backs you and the creative industries.

And I wanted to do this by way of a story. At the end of last year the Prime Minister and Trade Secretary organised the Global Investment Summit. That Summit invited over 200 top international investors to pitch the UK as a destination of foreign investment. There were only 4 plenary sessions and 2 were dedicated to the creative industries – that is half of the presentations reserved for the creative industries.

It was an overwhelming recognition by this government that today – in 2024 our companies, our innovators, our creators, our artists are putting a British stamp on every creative industry on the world stage. You are our shop window for the globe and we in government recognise that.

This British success across the globe is, of course, primarily the result of our ingenuity, your talent, your hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. But you have also worked with us in government in partnership. Throughout the last decade you’ve made clear how we can support your industries to thrive and we have listened.

Extensive tax reliefs.

£1.57 billion worth of support through the Covid cultural recovery fund.

A range of funds to help creative entrepreneurs go from start-up to scale-up.

Consecutive Conservative Governments have identified the potential that exists across our creative economy; they’ve understood the enormous dedication and determination of the businesses and people in these sectors; and they’ve recognised the importance of Creative Industries to our way of life.

Over the last decade, every year the government has introduced tax reliefs in one form or another.

From film to animation to video games to orchestras to theatres, these tax reliefs have helped to attract huge global investment into the UK.

Global investment that translates into local jobs and livelihoods, into new businesses into our towns and cities – big and small – into a culture that encourages creativity at every turn and at every level.

We in government cannot guarantee success, but all we can do is create the right conditions and the right framework to foster it.

And I wanted to share with you this evening the impact of all this and what the statistics show. The statistics show: nearly a million new jobs in the Creative Industries since 2011; and the GVA of the sector has increased by 50 percent to £125 billion in 2022.

Exports of creative industries services are up 210% since 2010.

And recently published figures confirmed the sector has grown by more than 10% between 2019 and 2022.

These are not just statistics. Behind these numbers are hundreds, if not thousands of success stories up and down the country.Ideas brought to life by creative industries. Jobs that did not exist over a decade ago. And creativity we have all enjoyed, which could have gone elsewhere, but didn’t.

None of this would have been possible without the energy, leadership, creativity, passion and investment of the people in this room, and beyond. So I wanted to take this evening to simply say thank you for everything you have done.

But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Last year when I spoke to you at this very same event, I committed to bring forward an ambitious vision for your industries.

These were not just words, and I wanted to update you on what I have done over the course of the last year together with you.

In June we launched our Creative Sector Vision, developed in partnership with the Creative Industries Council, and the fantastic Sir Peter Bazalgette, which sets out our plan for the future.

We have a joint plan to deliver £50 billion of growth, a million more jobs and a pipeline of talent so that the industry can continue to thrive. And we say we will do that by 2030.

And our plan included £310 million of funding, of which £77 million was recently announced in June, to drive growth in creative businesses across the country, through projects such as financially supporting creative clusters in the regions because we recognise creativity is everywhere.

It includes a focus on skills from the first day of school to the last day of work, including for example creativity during primary school, specialist schools, more apprenticeships, boot camps in the Creative Industries.

At the same time as we announced the Creative Industries Sector Vision in June, we announced programmes like: the UK Games Fund to bring through early stage games developers; funding to support grassroots music venues; and a trebling of the Music Exports Growth Scheme that has helped so many emerging artists.

And today at the Budget we’ve built on all our existing support and the Creative Industries Vision, going further than ever before with a package of £1 billion in measures

It was a Budget that recognised that within the creative industries there are a whole range of subsectors, each with their own specific needs, each with their own nuances and each with their own huge potential for growth.

Today what we did was set out bespoke support for so many of these different, constituent parts of the wider sector.

So for our film studios – which are an essential reason that last year half of the top ten blockbuster UK movies were made on British soil – we are providing support through a 40% business rates relief until 2034, enabling our studios to attract the investment needed from around the world to bring more creativity and more creative jobs to Britain.

For British independent film we are backing those companies with a new UK Independent Film Tax Credit providing an increased benefit of 53%, enabling this part of the sector to continue to launch the careers of actors, producers and directors and to tell the cultural stories of the whole of the UK.

For our visual effect sector, there will be a 5% increase in tax relief and we are going to remove the 80% cap on UK visual effects qualifying expenditure. These new visual effects reliefs will come into force in 2025 and our aim is to make the UK a number one global destination for visual effects.

For our orchestras, museums, galleries and theatres, the CX confirmed today that the Government will set permanent higher rates of tax reliefs to continue the Government’s support for new innovative productions.

From 1 April 2025 these rates will be permanently set at 45% for all orchestral and touring productions and at 40% for non-touring productions.

And that’s not all! As part of our plan to create the pipeline of talent that our creative sectors need to flourish, today’s budget included funding for the National Film and Television School to enable them to extend their site – growing course provision, building a state-of-the-art training centre and continuing to train the next generation of world leading creative talent.

And, lastly but by no means least, the Chancellor has also announced bespoke support for the National Theatre, one of our great cultural institutions, which is so important to fostering, inspiring and providing opportunities for our creative talent in the UK, by providing £26.4 million for urgent infrastructure improvements. This investment will future-proof the theatre’s facilities and support its long term success.

These measures have come about because of our joint partnership. Many people in this room have helped to make those announcements happen. You have shown through your excellence and creativity what we can achieve. You and the industry as a whole have provided evidence and case studies and analysis which has helped me to make the case to the Treasury for this investment.

Taken together these measures mark another big step in the support this government is providing to enable our creative industries to grow; building on our strong track record which goes back for over a decade.

But let me also say that I appreciate that while the Creative Industries has achieved remarkable growth in recent years, I know it’s not been without its challenges.

I take seriously my responsibility to listen to, understand and respond to feedback from those on the frontline of our creative industries.

I know that there are myriad challenges right across your industries.

Strikes have had an impact on the TV and film sector.

I know the nature of freelance work creates uncertainty for so many people.

There is too much bureaucracy, too much red tape and too many restrictions around touring.

Grassroots venues are struggling to survive.

Getting investment can sometimes be difficult.

And that is all without mentioning some of the concerns that exist when it comes to the potential misuse of generative AI to steal the original work of people in this room.

And I want you to know that I am working across government and beyond on all these issues. I absolutely understand these challenges and do not underestimate them.

So whilst today is a really, really, really good day for our creative industries…that absolutely doesn’t mean that there isn’t more to do. More to do to ensure that this sector can continue to thrive.

And that’s why I am committed to working every day to deliver on our Creative Industries Sector Vision. And I look forward to working in partnership with all of you to support the sector to reach its absolute full potential.

Thank you very much.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine shoots down 13 Russian combat aircraft in as many days: UK statement to the OSCE [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Ukraine is inflicting significant losses on Russia’s airforce, with Ukraine destroying Russian jets 20 times faster than Russia can replace them.

Thank you, Mr Chair. This morning’s Security Dialogue was an excellent and informative session to hear expert opinion about the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The impact of Putin’s illegal war of aggression against its sovereign neighbour, Ukraine, has brought untold misery to hundreds of thousands of women and children. Women and children have been killed, their homes have been destroyed, they have been forced to leave their country and they have lost loved ones on the front line.

This war has been an awful tragedy for the people of Ukraine, but they continue to inspire and remind all of us here in this Forum of their resilience and bravery as they fight to defend their country and the values of democracy and freedom. Whilst the ground situation remains broadly static, Ukraine has continued to inflict significant losses on Russia’s invasion force, shooting down another three Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bombers in regions near Avdiivka and Mariupol, in the latest blow to Russia’s airforce.

This brings the total to 12 Sukhoi planes brought down in a 13-day period and 13 Russian planes overall, including the loss of the A-50U radar aircraft I spoke of last week. The repeated destruction of warplanes is a significant setback for Russia’s war effort, given that Russia is struggling to produce more than a few dozen each year due to sanctions, with reports suggesting that Russia is losing jets 20 times faster than they can replace them.

Mr Chair, Ukraine has stood up to Putin’s imperialistic ambitions. Now in the third year of war, Russia’s plan to surround Kyiv within three days, bring down the government, and subjugate most of the country in less than a month has spectacularly failed in its objectives. Instead, Russia’s illegal actions have strengthened the NATO alliance, weakened Russia’s own security partnerships and diminished Russia’s international standing.

Russia has been clear about its aims. No one in this Forum should be in any doubt. The Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council, Medvedev called Ukraine a “cancerous growth”, denying its right to exist; and we have seen in Bucha what Russia does in the territories it controls.

The United Kingdom will stand firm behind Ukraine to ensure that Russia’s unchecked aggression will not prevail. In support of this, the United Kingdom will co-lead a major drone capability coalition with Latvia. We have introduced the largest and most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on Russia or indeed any major economy. And we have now sanctioned over 1700 individuals and entities since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The United Kingdom recognises that now is the time to double down on our support so Ukraine not only wins the war, but emerges from it stronger, with its sovereignty and freedom fully restored. By doing so, we make sure that Russia pays the price and its efforts to undermine global stability are stopped in their tracks. If we allow Russia to lay waste to this stability, the risks to the world order and to us all are grave. Thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 55 – UK statement on human rights and the environment [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment. UK Statement at the 55th Human Rights Council.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes today’s dialogue with the Special Rapporteur and notes with appreciation his latest report, including the extensive recommendations for States to consider supporting businesses to better protect our planet.

The UK government is clear that it expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UNGPs clearly set out the duties of States (in which business enterprises are domiciled or operating) and responsibilities of business enterprises to prevent, address, and remedy human rights abuses in business operations and global supply chains.

The UK welcomes the report’s attention to the importance of transparency and disclosure. Coordination in sustainability disclosures and reporting requirements encourages sectors to demonstrate socially responsible and environmentally sustainable practices. The UK is introducing due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to help tackle illegal deforestation in our supply chains. This is part of a wider package of measures to increase our sustainability practices and contribute to global efforts to protect forests and other ecosystems.

Special Rapporteur,

How can we encourage an appropriate balance of legal and voluntary measures for positive business impact on human rights and the environment?

Thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : As we approach Ramadan, the UK calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and for all parties to allow unhindered humanitarian access – UK statement at the UN Security Council [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

Thank you President and thank you, Secretary-General, for your sobering update.

Colleagues, the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces bear responsibility for the horrendous situation in Sudan.

Shelling and attacks from both sides in heavily populated, urban areas and across the entire western region of Sudan, continue to kill and terrorise civilians.

The situation for children is particularly unbearable. Four million have been displaced. Over 700,000 will suffer from the deadliest form of malnutrition this year.

Sudanese children have missed a year of school and face the fear of not knowing when they will receive their next meal.

The Sudanese Armed Force’s withdrawal of permission for cross-border deliveries of humanitarian aid from Adre in Chad is indefensible.

We call on the Sudanese authorities to honour their commitments to facilitate crossline and other cross-border routes for the delivery of life-saving assistance for the Sudanese people.

They need to remove the red tape and deliberate obstructionism which has prevented meaningful crossline assistance in recent months.

To the people of Sudan, who for nearly a year have been made to witness their country’s descent into near collapse: you have not been forgotten.

The situation in Sudan warrants a robust response from this Council and increased attention from the international community.

As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, we echo the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate ceasefire and we urge all parties to allow for unhindered cross-border and crossline humanitarian access.

We encourage international partners, including the AU, IGAD and regional states, as well as the UN’s Personal Envoy, to prioritise coordination of their efforts to end this conflict, and to reject attempts by the warring parties to pit different mediation tracks against each other.

President, it should not be for the military leadership of both the SAF or RSF to determine the political future of Sudan.

We call on them to give way to a civilian, transitional government that will fully respect the basic human rights of the Sudanese people.

I thank you.

April 2, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement with Iran – E3 statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency [March 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

On Wednesday 6 March, France, Germany and the UK (E3) gave a joint statement to the IAEA Board of Governors on Iran’s implementation of its obligations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Delphine Hournau-Pouëzat, French permanent representative to the IAEA on behalf of E3:

Chair,

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom thank Director General Grossi for his report on the implementation of Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement contained in GOV/2024/8.

We commend the DG and the Secretariat for their continued professional, independent and impartial verification of Iran’s fulfilment of its safeguards obligations. We commend their repeated efforts to engage Iran to clarify information regarding the “correctness and completeness” of its declarations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement. Due to Iran’s prolonged failure to address outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency is unable to assure that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Chair,

It has been five years since the Director General first reported evidence to the Board of possible undeclared nuclear material and activities at a number of locations in Iran. Since then, Iran has failed to resolve these long-standing concerns, despite numerous resolutions by the Board, most recently in November 2022. In that time, the number of instances where Iran has acted against its legal safeguards obligations has grown. Let us briefly recall these issues:
- Iran has yet again failed to provide any technically credible explanations regarding Turquzabad and Varamin, despite having promised the Agency further information in August 2023. It has been five years since the Turquzabad investigation was opened and three and a half years since the Varamin investigation was opened. We must ask Iran, then, whether any of the nuclear material and/or contaminated equipment used at these locations remains in its territory and is not included in its declaration.
- Iran refuses to implement Modified Code 3.1 – a legal obligation that Iran cannot unilaterally suspend or modify. Iran is not giving the Agency required design information for multiple new nuclear facilities, even as it begins construction. It is unacceptable that the Agency is forced to rely instead on commercially available satellite imagery to monitor these activities. This is particularly concerning given Iran’s history of constructing undeclared nuclear facilities. As the DG notes, Iran remains the only State with significant nuclear activities that is not implementing Modified Code 3.1 as part of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.
- In September last year, Iran de-designated a number of experienced Agency inspectors and claimed that this was in response to action taken at the Board by some member states. This is a political move, described as “extreme and unjustified” by the Director General. Iran is obstructing the Agency’s ability to effectively conduct its verification activities in Iran. We echo the Director General’s strong condemnation and urge Iran to reverse it and to promptly re-designate those inspectors.
Chair,

Since the Board last met four months ago, no progress was made on implementation of the Joint Statement between the IAEA and Iran of 4 March 2023. That Joint Statement was agreed by Iran more than a year ago now, and it is clear that Iran has no intention to implement the commitments it made. We recall Iran also previously failed to implement the Joint Statements of 5 March 2022, 15 December 2021, 12 September 2021, and 26 August 2020. Let us be clear. Iran does not need new frameworks to co-operate with the Agency in order to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues. Such a framework already exists: the NPT Safeguards Agreement Iran signed and ratified, and the legally binding obligations it contains.

Chair,

On the long-standing nuclear material discrepancy at the Esfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF), we note that Iran has corrected its accounting reports, and that these indicate that the amount of Uranium sent from Jaber Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratory (JHL) to UCF was less than had been declared by Iran in 2003-2004. We note the Agency’s conclusion that this case “requires further consideration”. We expect Iran to fully co-operate with the Agency to clarify all outstanding questions. This is of particular concern as undeclared uranium metal experiments were conducted at the same laboratory in Iran between 1995 and 2002. This raises the question of the possible diversion of uranium metal.

Chair,

The Director General is unable to provide this Board and the wider international community the assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Iran’s public statements regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons should be of grave concern to us all. We echo the Director General in therefore questioning the “correctness and completeness” of Iran’s safeguards declarations. Iran’s comments are an unacceptable provocation and completely incompatible with Iran’s legal obligations under the NPT as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State.

Chair,

The Board has already adopted three resolutions on this matter. At the September 2023 Board, 63 member states joined a statement delivered by Denmark expressing deep concerns with Iran’s behaviour. Iran has still not implemented the essential and urgent actions contained in the November 2022 Resolution. As reported by the DG, Iran has not made any progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues. After so many missed opportunities and lost time, the need for the Board to hold Iran accountable to its legal obligations is long overdue. Iran must urgently, fully and unambiguously co-operate with the Agency. In the absence of decisive and substantive progress, the Board must be prepared to adopt another resolution at its next meeting, and to consider future action as necessary, including making a finding under Article 19 of Iran’s Safeguards Agreement. Iran cannot be allowed to evade its NPT safeguards obligations any further.

Chair,

We encourage the Director General to continue reporting to the Board of Governors and welcome making the report contained in GOV/2024/8 public. In its next report to the Board, we request the IAEA inform the Board whether it can exclude the possible presence of undeclared materials in other locations in Iran. We stress our unwavering support to the IAEA for their impartial and professional work on this issue.

Thank you, Chair.
April 2, 2024