Tag: 2024

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2024.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy announces that the UK has chartered a flight to help British citizens seeking to leave Lebanon.

• the UK has chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand British nationals and their dependants wanting to leave Lebanon
• the flight is scheduled to leave Beirut on Wednesday 2 October. Any further flights in the coming days will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground
• vulnerable British nationals will be prioritised for this flight

The UK government has chartered a commercial flight out of Lebanon to help British nationals wanting to leave following escalating violence in the region, the Foreign Secretary announced on Monday (30 September).

British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18 are eligible. All passengers must hold a valid travel document. Dependants who are not British nationals will require valid visas/permission to enter or remain that was granted for more than 6 months.

The government has worked with partners in recent weeks to increase capacity on commercial flights to enable British nationals to leave, and has now chartered a flight to provide additional capacity.

The flight is due to leave Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday (2 October). Those who have registered their presence with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will be sent details on how to request a seat.

If you’re a British national in Lebanon and have not already registered your presence there, you should do so immediately.

Vulnerable British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18, will be prioritised for this flight. This includes those with greatest need, including those with medical conditions, over-65s and children. British nationals should not make their way to the airport unless they have a confirmed seat on the plane.

Any non-British dependants boarding the flight will require a visa, granted for at least 6 months, to enter the UK, in line with usual immigration rules and entry process.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

The situation in Lebanon is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly.

The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority.

That’s why the UK government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed.

UK government officials have been working non-stop in London, Beirut and the wider region to provide support to British nationals to continue contingency planning for a range of scenarios in the region.  An FCDO Rapid Deployment Team has also arrived in Lebanon to bolster the support offered by British Embassy officials.

The safety of British nationals in Lebanon, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) continues to be the UK government’s utmost priority and the FCDO urges everyone to continue to follow the relevant travel advice, exercise caution, and monitor media in Lebanon for developments.

The UK has been calling for a ceasefire between Lebanese Hizballah and Israel for over a week and that further escalation must be avoided. A ceasefire would provide the space necessary to find a political solution in line with Resolution 1701.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2024.

Address by Minister for the Middle East in Washington DC to mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Coalition against Daesh.

• Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer will address the Global Coalition against Daesh meeting hosted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken
• the meeting in Washington DC comes after a US-Iraqi joint announcement on the transition of the Coalition military mission into a new security arrangement under Iraqi leadership
• the minister will meet with a number of Global Coalition countries, including the US and Iraq, to discuss the importance of supporting Iraq in defeating Daesh

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Coalition against Daesh, the Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer is in Washington DC today to attend its annual ministerial-level meeting.

At the meeting he will reflect on the huge progress achieved by the Coalition towards eradicating Daesh in Iraq and Syria over the past decade and look ahead to further government support.

Recent UK action has included support of the Iraqi Security Forces to prevent the resurgence of Daesh networks, funding stabilisation in communities formerly occupied by Daesh, and working to discredit its propaganda in multiple languages through the Counter-Daesh Communications Cell.

The global meeting will see ministers and representatives from the 87 partners of the Global Coalition gather to discuss the continuing threat from Daesh and to commemorate efforts to counter Daesh and stabilise liberated areas in Iraq and Syria.

The meeting comes shortly after the announcement that the Coalition’s military operation in Iraq will transition into a range of new security arrangements. The UK and the Global Coalition forces have helped Iraq to prevent the resurgence of Daesh.

Since 2014, the UK has trained over 120,000 security forces through Operation SHADER and contributed over £500 million in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to affected communities and internally displaced persons in Iraq and Syria.

In response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the UK has provided over £4.3 billion in aid to support millions of people in Syria and across the region by improving humanitarian conditions for those in dire need and supporting early recovery and resilience, such as through agricultural and livelihoods opportunities.

Hamish Falconer will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to tackle the continuing threat posed by Daesh and to help people and communities affected by their appalling activities rebuild their lives.

Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said:

In the decade since the UK helped form the Coalition we have made enormous progress together, including defeating Daesh territorially. However, Daesh is a threat that continues to destroy lives, in the Middle East and beyond. We now renew our commitment promoting security and stability in areas targeted by the terrorists, and to ensuring they can never resurge.

I am proud of the UK’s continuing role in the Coalition, from supporting security partners in Iraq and Syria, to rebuilding communities affected by terrorism, to leading international efforts against Daesh’s appalling propaganda.

The minister will meet the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, to discuss how the 2 countries can develop their security partnership and the role the UK plays in developing Iraq’s counter propaganda abilities.

He will highlight the invaluable work of the Communications Cell, hosted by the UK, whose targeted campaigns have diminished support for terrorism. Through work to undermine Daesh propaganda in the Middle East, Afghanistan and parts of Africa, the UK’s Counter-Daesh Communications Cell has reached audiences in the tens of millions, contributing to a sustained reduction in support for the terrorist group, and increased public trust in legitimate authorities and security forces.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 September 2024.

The 2024 Canada-U.K. Media Freedom Award has been presented today to independent Afghan journalists and media organizations for their courageous reporting despite restrictions imposed by the Taliban.

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, and H.E. Lord Collins of Highbury, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Africa) of the United Kingdom, presented the award to Lotfullah Najafizada, CEO of Amu TV, on behalf of his fellow independent Afghan journalists and media organizations.

This award signals the enduring commitment of both Canada and the United Kingdom to support free and independent journalism.

Every day, independent Afghan journalists and media organizations continue to offer a platform for uncensored information and hope in Afghanistan in the face of the severe repression brought by the Taliban since August 2021.

Independent reporters and media organizations navigate the risks posed by the Taliban’s harsh crackdown on journalism, working bravely to ensure the continuation of free press in a difficult climate. They report on significant issues affecting Afghanistan under Taliban rule, including human rights violations and the plight of women and girls, including forced marriages and bans on education.

Established in 2020, the Canada-U.K. Media Freedom award recognises those who have championed freedom of speech and democracy.

Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr won the award in 2023. Vietnamese journalist Pham Doan Trang was named as winner in 2022, and the 2020 winner was the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

The announcement of the 2024 award comes during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.

The Media Freedom Coalition, which the U.K. and Canada co-founded and now has more than 50 members, celebrated its fifth anniversary during the week’s activities.

Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada said:

We commend the independent Afghan journalists and media organizations who are working courageously and tirelessly to bring the world up-to-date information and thoughtful, expert analysis about what is happening in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

Media freedom remains essential to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world. These independent journalists and media organizations are giving a voice to people whose voices are being silenced. Canada will continue to support them, together with our partners.

Lord Collins of Highbury, UK Minister for Africa said:

Despite the many restrictions they work under, these brave Afghan journalists have found innovative ways to get accurate, timely and valuable information to the people of Afghanistan, including on the plight of women and girls. They play a vital role in preserving the truth. The U.K. remains committed to media freedom, and to championing human rights and democracy around the world.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 September 2024.

Representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Yemen gave a joint statement on the Houthis’ unjustified detention of people in Yemen.

Statement by representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Yemen:

On September 25, representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Yemen met to discuss the impact of unjustified Houthi detentions of United Nations, NGO, civil society, former diplomatic mission, and other staff in Yemen.

These individuals must be released immediately, and all staff must be allowed to perform their work without fear of unjustified detention or intimidation. We call on all countries and organizations to explore every possible diplomatic channel to advance negotiations for the release of current detainees.

The Houthis must respect international norms and ensure the safety and security of all diplomatic, humanitarian, civil society, and United Nations personnel. We cannot in good conscience put individuals at risk of unjustified detention or worse by continuing business as usual.

As a result of the detentions, we support the United Nations in its decision to minimize the exposure of staff to risk in Houthi-controlled territories. We welcome the UN decision to suspend all non-life saving and non-life sustaining activities in Houthi-controlled areas and call on the international community to redirect such assistance to elsewhere in the country. We urge the Houthis to provide an adequate operating environment in which principled humanitarian assistance can be implemented.

Delivering aid to those most in need across Yemen remains an international humanitarian imperative and requires an operating environment which assures the safety and security of aid workers. We underscore our strong concern for the welfare and dignity of the Yemeni people, and our desire to continue to be able to support their well-being, which is inhibited by the actions and repression of the Houthis.

We reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen, and our determination to stand by the people of Yemen.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 September 2024.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, gave a statement during Kazakhstan’s first WTO Trade Policy Review.

1. Thank you very much, Chair. First of all, let me offer a really warm welcome to the Minister and all his team from Astana. Great to have you here. Great to have you back, Ambassador Zanar Aitzhan, really lovely to see you. Let me thank you, Chair, as ever, for your introduction, the WTO Secretariat for your report and, of course, our Ambassador Sophia Boza Martinez, Ambassador and, of course, Professor. Thank you for your presentation this morning.
2. As this is the first Trade Policy Review since Kazakhstan’s accession 10 years ago, obviously, today, this week, indeed offers a really unique opportunity to reflect upon Kazakhstan’s trade policies over the last decade. And thank you, Minister, for your presentation to kick us off this morning, but also for the role that trade policy has played not just in Kazakhstan’s development, which you explained, but also in this organisation and in our work over the last 10 years.
3. Chair, I think probably is not a surprise to you or to most of the people in this room, but the UK is a great believer in the virtues and benefits of WTO accession. And I think they’re demonstrated by Kazakhstan’s economic performance over the last 10 years: trade growth from 57% of GDP back in 2017 to 62% last year, Most Favoured Nation tariff decrease from almost 8% in 2016 to 6% now.
4. During that same period, again, as the Minister related at the beginning, Kazakhstan has faced the shock, political, economic shock of the pandemic, but showed significant broad-based economic resilience. And we think that is, in part, the fruit of being a member of this organization. We particularly recognize the success of the ‘Digital Kazakhstan’ programme, which has facilitated the growth of so many Kazakh SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises).
5. The UK is, again, both the Minister and Sophia mentioned, a strong believer in the Kazakhstan’s economy. We are one of Kazakhstan’s top six investors, with an annual trade turnover of almost £ 3 billion, which reflects, in our view, a strategic partnership which we have nurtured since Kazakhstan’s independence back in 1991. And that partnership stretches across many areas, from business and education to climate and biodiversity and all the way from Astana and the Caspian Sea to the shores of Lake Geneva here in Switzerland.
6. For instance, Kazakhstan’s national airline Air Astana was successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange earlier this year; British universities, including Coventry and De Montfort, have opened campuses in Kazakhstan and offered dual degree programmes; British companies have made significant investments in flagship oil and gas projects and Kazakhstan’s mining sector. And here in Geneva, we are close partners, not just here in this organization, but also in the Human Rights Council, where we are proud to work with Kazakhstan as an elected member of that body.
7. We welcome Kazakhstan’s commitment to continue broadening and deepening that bilateral relationship. We look forward to hosting our annual Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Investment in London this autumn, and that 11th session of the Commission will provide an important opportunity to discuss how we can further strengthen that relationship for the future, with the first meeting since we signed the UK-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
8. Our engagement with this Trade Policy Review has been motivated by a desire to build upon that bilateral progress. Kazakhstan’s constructive answers to our Advanced Written Questions, thank you, should provide clarity, and we hope ease trade for UK and Kazakh businesses.
9. Most of all, Chair, Minister, we’d welcome progress in tackling one key Market Access Barrier that is faced by British businesses, and that is the use of subsidies favouring domestic agricultural machinery over imported “like” machinery. We fully understand the importance of increasing domestic manufacturing for Kazakhstan’s economy, but we do believe that those subsidies negatively impact Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector development, responsible for over 4% of GDP, pricing, we’d argue, the best technology out of the market. We’d also venture to suggest that those subsidies are not compliant with WTO rules. So, going forward, we would really like Kazakhstan to comply with those rules and take steps to modify or eliminate those subsidies.
10. We would also, I have to say, welcome Kazakhstan’s accession to the Government Procurement Agreement, as it suggested it would do during the WTO accession process. We maintain an offer of bilateral assistance, should you desire to take forward that process of accession.
11. More generally, let me pay tribute, as so many others have done this morning, to the role that Kazakhstan has played within this organisation since its accession. Minister, you touched on it, as did Sophia, most significantly the pivotal role you played in chairing the MC12 negotiations, even if we were denied the opportunity, sadly, by the Pandemic of a visit to Astana. It was a great privilege to work with Ambassador Aitzhan, who led the charge for the delivery, not just of that Ministerial Conference, but also for the Services paragraph, and it has been a great tribune for services in trade in this organisation as Chair of the Council for Trade in Services in Special Session. Your work is not being left unfinished. We need to push forward with ensuring that we give due recognition in this organization to the rapidly growing global services in trade, which offer such opportunities for countries in both the developed and developing world.
12. We also welcome Kazakhstan’s participation within a whole range of other plurilateral initiatives, as others have said this morning, including those on Investment Facilitation for Development, E-commerce and Services Domestic Regulation, all really important initiatives which we wish to see brought within the framework of this organisation.
13. And it would be remiss of me as one of the co-chairs of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, not to mention, as my Ukrainian colleague did, Kazakhstan’s commitment not just to that Working Group, but to the cause of trade and gender equality, particularly through enhancing women’s employment and entrepreneurial skills. So, I would really love Kazakhstan to come to that Working Group to share its experiences in supporting women in trade, including the Business Roadmap 2020-25 initiative, at one of our future meetings.
14. Finally, let me commend the Minister and is delegation, who had to face the WTO internal deadline of the 30th of August for submitting Advanced Written Questions, coinciding with their most important national holiday, the Constitution Day. I hope that they found time to have their own belated celebrations, if they haven’t done so far. And I hope that, at the end of this week, they will celebrate in style in this fair city.

Thank you.