Tag: 2025

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 February 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.

President, Russia is once again using this meeting in an attempt to distort the truth behind its illegal war. I will make three points about lessons.

First, the events of the last decade in Ukraine originate from a simple, sad reality: Russia’s imperialist ambition and failure to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Russia is not a reliable party to agreements or treaties.

In freely signing up to the Minsk Agreements, Russia had the opportunity to ensure peace.

Russia and Ukraine were the sole parties to these agreements.

And this Council consistently called on all parties to implement their commitments in full, right up until the moment when President Putin decided that, on 22 February 2022, I quote the Minsk Agreement ‘no longer existed.’

Second, Russia continues to violate the UN Charter and international law in multiple ways.

In its war in Ukraine, Russia has targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure, hospitals, schools, energy infrastructure, it has abducted children, it has raped women, it has compromised nuclear safety and security, flouted international law, and tortured detainees.

For all these reasons, it is no surprise that the ICJ has issued an indictment on President Putin.

We will not tolerate Russia’s attempts to spread disinformation and divert this Council’s attention away from its atrocities, or efforts to subjugate a sovereign state.

Russia is the sole architect of the war in Ukraine and could end it now if it chose to by withdrawing its forces.

Third lesson is that the international community must stand firm in support of peace and security.

No one wants this war to end more than Ukraine.

But Putin’s so-called preconditions for talks – reaffirmed by his deputy Foreign Minister just a few days ago – have been that Ukraine withdraw from its own sovereign territory, and abandon its sovereign right to choose its alliances.

No country could or should accept this.

We can and must create the conditions for a just and lasting peace, which protects Ukraine’s security, sovereignty and independence.

This will require robust security arrangements from the outset, which ensure that Russia is never able to invade again.

Putin has shown time and again that he will break a weak deal.

The UK will continue to play our part.

We will continue to provide concrete support for Ukraine’s self-defence and security for as long as it is needed.

And we are clear that Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any negotiations.

Let me conclude, President, by reminding Russia that the suffering of so many Ukrainians today simply would not exist if Russia fulfilled its most basic obligation as a member of the United Nations: to respect the principles of the UN Charter.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2025.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance commemorates 25 years of the Stockholm Declaration and looks ahead to the future of Holocaust remembrance.

On Monday 17 February, the UK presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) welcomed Heads of Delegation from the 35 IHRA Member Countries to London for an event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration on Holocaust Remembrance. We also invited key figures who played an important role in shaping international activity on Holocaust education, remembrance and research over the past 25 years, as well as Holocaust survivors, representatives of the Jewish community and civil society.

The UK government is committed to international co-operation to promote education, remembrance and research about the Holocaust. The UK was one of the founding signatories of the Stockholm Declaration in 2000, through which we pledged that the terrible events of the Holocaust would remain forever seared in our collective memory.  This commemoration event provided an important opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved in terms of promoting Holocaust remembrance, and look ahead to the future.

IHRA Chair and UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues Lord Pickles reflected on the achievements of the past 25 years. He noted that the pledges made 25 years ago were still as relevant today as they were in 2000. Lord Pickles stressed the importance of safeguarding Holocaust sites, opening up Holocaust-related archives, and the promotion of testimony and Holocaust-related objects. He also drew attention to the dangers caused by ongoing Holocaust distortion, adding that the truth can never harm us.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US President Bill Clinton both addressed the audience via video message. They reflected on their efforts, alongside former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, to strengthen international co-operation on Holocaust remembrance 25 years ago and to bring together world leaders to sign the Stockholm Declaration and form the IHRA.

Looking ahead to the future, participants emphasised that further collective action was needed to tackle the challenges of Holocaust distortion and the global rise of antisemitism. The role of emerging technologies was also highlighted as an area to explore, given the potential to harness artificial intelligence as a force for good in Holocaust education. All agreed that it was essential to continue to educate about the facts of the Holocaust, to ensure the truth is never forgotten.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2025.

Statement highlighting UK Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds’ convening of a ministerial roundtable to urgently address the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

On 13 February, the UK Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds MP, convened Ministers and other representatives virtually from Canada, Egypt, EU, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, UAE and USA with the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher. The participants discussed how to urgently address the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan where over 30 million people are in urgent need of assistance, more than 12 million are displaced and famine conditions have been confirmed.

The participants agreed on the critical need for both warring parties to adhere to their commitments agreed in the Jeddah Declaration to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief both into and throughout Sudan. They expressed concern that only a fraction of aid available has been able to reach those in most need and discussed the importance of all sides lifting the bureaucratic impediments that are unnecessarily blocking or delaying the distribution of aid.

They took note of other efforts to galvanise international action and attention on the humanitarian situation in Sudan, including the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan co-hosted by Ethiopia, UAE, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development on 14 February that called for a Ramadan humanitarian pause and the launch of the 2025 UN Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the Regional Refugee Response Plan on 17 February.

The participants re-affirmed their commitment to the Sudanese people and agreed to re-convene at regular intervals to strengthen the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2025.

The UK Armed Forces are working with allies to deliver joint exercises with African partners to protect our people, prosperity and shared values.

The UK Armed Forces have been one of the biggest contributors to two large-scale military exercises that are reaching their climax this week across the land and sea of East Africa. The United States is leading both exercises and has brought together over 2,000 personnel from the armed forces of 29 countries, including 22 African nations.

The UK is responsible for delivering component parts of these multinational training exercises, under United States stewardship. The UK has been one of the biggest contributors to the Exercise Justified Accord ‘Field Training Exercise (FTX)’ which sees B Company 3 RIFLES exercise alongside a company from the US 173rd Airborne Brigade, a company of Kenya Army infantry, a troop of Kenyan Marines, Kenya Airforce fixed wing and rotary wing assets and, one infantry platoon each from Tanzania and Somalia.

Exercise Justified Accord is a land multinational exercise being delivered between 10 – 21 February hosted by Djibouti, Kenya and Tanzania. It began with table-top exercises that have laid the foundation for full-scale live activity, which are now underway. The action-packed drills involve coordinating and executing ground attacks, calling in air-support, urban warfare, using drones, and breaching and clearing buildings, as well as medical evacuations.

Cutlass Express is being conducted simultaneously, mostly in Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania. It is a naval warfare exercise which focuses on boarding various types of vessels at high speed to take command and control. The exercise challenges teams to complete scenarios which become increasingly harder and involve different types of vessels – from boarding small boats and dhows, to gaining control of larger vessels whilst under fire.

In another example of the United Kingdom and the United States being long-term partners for long-term stability and security, Exercise Cutlass Express is taking place for the 15th time, whilst Exercise Justified Accord has been conducted in various forms since 1998. Further joint exercises with African partners are planned for 2025.

Both exercises will ensure that the different forces involved work together to achieve combat objectives and prepare for real-life scenarios where they may have to collaborate quickly and effectively to counter threats in the region.

Falling just after the election of the new African Union Chairperson, the exercises also support the African Union’s security objectives by preparing partners for United Nations and African Union missions in Africa.

It serves as another example of the UK’s support for improved security not just in East Africa, but across the whole of Africa. These include the creation of the history-making, first-ever Kenyan marines and joint-training with the special forces of Nigeria and Ghana.

Olly Bryant, Defence Attaché at the British High Commission Nairobi, said:

The UK is a long-term partner, helping to deliver long-term stability and security across East Africa, and we are proud to be working with our allies on delivering high-capacity and high-quality activity. We are also proud of our security partnerships with our partners across Africa, which protect our people, prosperity and shared interests – we go far when we go together.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2025.

Mr Alex Pinfield OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco in succession to Mr Simon Martin CMG.  Mr Pinfield will take up his appointment during August 2025.

Curriculum Vitae

Full name: Alexander Giles Pinfield