Tag: 2025

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 January 2025.

Ambassador Holland reiterates the UK’s support to Ukraine, and calls on Russia to end its war and return to dialogue and risk reduction – including in the Forum for Security Cooperation.

Thank you Mr Chair, dear Cristobal, and to your Foreign Minister, for setting out Spain’s priorities for the Forum for Security Co-operation this Trimester.  You can count on the UK’s steadfast support, as you Chair our Forum at this crucial time for Euro-Atlantic Security.

Over the winter period, many of us marked Christmas and the New Year.  But the people of Ukraine have had no rest.  Today marks 1069 days of their ongoing defence of their homeland, from a full-scale invasion which continues to violate the UN Charter and to contravene the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles, including those on sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force.

That is why each week, we have met in this Forum to support Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable for breaching its commitments.  And that is why we particularly welcome Spain’s proposed FSC topic on Women, Peace & Security.

Mr Chair, our Ministers mandated the Forum to hold a weekly politico-military dialogue, with tasks that include risk-reduction.  They mandated the Chair to ‘ensure the good order and smooth running of meetings’.  To set the agenda.  And to select and invite guest speakers.  We fully support the Chair’s prerogative to execute its mandate.

Unfortunately, at the closing session last Trimester, we had to condemn the Russian delegation – for a fourth Trimester in a row – for its attempts to disrupt the FSC from functioning at all.  Once again, I express my thanks to Denmark, and to other previous Chairs, for keeping the Forum functional, despite Russia’s attempts to prevent it.

As we said repeatedly, there remains another path.  If the Russian state’s professed wish for peace is genuine, it must end this war by withdrawing all of its forces to outside of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.  And from Georgia and Moldova.  If the Russian state is serious about dialogue and risk reduction, it must stop trying to undermine our Ministerial mandate of this Forum meeting each week.

I wish to conclude by welcoming Estonia to the FSC Troika, and to thank Croatia for their work as they leave the Troika.  And most importantly, I wish you, Mr Chair, and your able teams here in Vienna and in Madrid the best of luck this Trimester.  You can count on the support of the UK delegation.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 January 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The UK is deeply alarmed by the events that have unfolded in eastern DRC.

Since we met on Sunday, M23, with support from the Rwandan Defence Forces, have closed in on Goma. M23 have declared that it is now under their control.

The humanitarian impacts are dire. The advances have displaced close to one million people in North and South Kivu. Civilian casualties are rising.

Hundreds of thousands of people who have already fled from M23’s advances, many of them several times before, are now on the move again, with virtually nowhere safe to go.

How many times must they pack up their lives and flee? The cycle must end.

The UK is also deeply concerned by the limited ability of humanitarian actors to get help to those who need it.

Key humanitarian routes – land, water and air – are closed and hospitals are overcrowded, with staff risking their own lives to provide emergency assistance.

More than 800,000 people in the area who were prioritised for support may no longer receive vital food and nutritional assistance.

We call on the parties not to obstruct the vital services that humanitarians are providing, and to cease hostilities and uphold the protection of humanitarian workers, as required in international humanitarian law.

We also urge all parties to consider essential humanitarian corridors to allow the resupply and delivery of essential life-saving items and the freedom and safe movement of civilians and humanitarian actors.

President, the UK is deeply concerned by the continued endangering of peacekeepers’ lives.

On Sunday I expressed my condolences to the families of the thirteen who have already been killed. Since then, four more peacekeepers have tragically been killed. We urge an immediate end to this violence.

We commend the leadership of MONUSCO and your courage under fire, and we thank you for their vital work.

Finally, President, the UK’s Foreign Secretary and Minister for Africa have spoken with Rwanda at the highest levels, as well as with wider partners in the region.

And we have made clear that there can be no military solution.

We urge all parties to cease hostilities and return to diplomatic talks immediately without preconditions.

We remain committed to ensuring this Council takes the necessary action to support an end to this conflict.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 January 2025.

UK Statement at Iraq’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President,

The United Kingdom welcomes the steps taken by Iraq in 2024 to implement the Yazidi Survivors Law, a groundbreaking piece of legislation and an important first step to provide justice for survivors.

We urge the Government to ensure the protection of freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, and to strengthen legal protection guarantees for journalists, the media and civil society.

We recommend that Iraq:

1. Protects the right to freedom of assembly, including by holding accountable any perpetrators of violence against protestors.
2. Strengthens the capacity and independence of the judicial system to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of sexual violence, and provide effective and necessary support for victims.
3. Ensures that amendments to Iraq’s Personal Status Law, including the code to be subsequently developed, are in line with Iraq’s International Commitments on women and children’s rights.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 January 2025.

UK Statement at Iran’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President.

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

We have noted President Pezeshkian’s election campaign comments on human rights issues, including the negative implications of hijab enforcement and internet filtering.

We remain deeply concerned about Iran’s failure to uphold its international legal obligations. In particular, its violent enforcement of mandatory veiling, intimidation of human rights defenders and journalists, and discrimination against minority groups.

We recommend that Iran:

1. Guarantees all individuals, but especially those facing charges carrying the death penalty, a fair trial, consistent with obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right, including access to a lawyer of their choosing.
2. Grants access to Human Rights Council mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteur on Iran.
3. Ratifies the UN Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 January 2025.

Statement at Egypt’s Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UK, Simon Manley.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom recognises Egypt’s progress, including the 2021 National Human Rights Strategy.

The arbitrary detention of journalists, activists and human rights defenders remains deeply concerning. The continued detention of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, detained for spreading false news, who has now served his five-year sentence including pre-trial detention, is unacceptable.

We recommend that Egypt:

1. Releases Human Rights Defender Alaa Abd El-Fattah,
2. Releases all detainees held for exercising their right to freedom of expression and lifts restrictions on news and social media websites in line with the ICCPR.
3. Ensures the new Criminal Procedures Code guarantees fair trial standards, and ends the practice of ‘rotating’ detainees in pre-trial detention,

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the ICC’s work in Sudan.

First, the Prosecutor was clear that the conflict in Sudan has gone on for far too long.

My Foreign Secretary saw the scale of the suffering for himself when he visited the Adre crossing on the Chad-Sudan border on Saturday.

As the Foreign Secretary said, this is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world.

For this reason, the UK has announced a further £20m in funding to assist with increased food production and life-saving sexual and reproductive health services for refugees fleeing Sudan.

This builds on our announcement in November of the doubling of our aid to over £226m.

These funds are delivering emergency food assistance to almost 800,000 displaced people.

They are providing improved access to shelter, drinking water, emergency healthcare and education.

Further efforts to galvanise international support are also required.

This is why my Foreign Secretary announced his intention to convene a meeting of foreign ministers to ensure aid gets to where it is needed most and to re-energise efforts to end this conflict.

Second, the International Criminal Court has a key role to play in ensuring perpetrators are held accountable for crimes committed in Darfur.

In that context, the United Kingdom welcomes the creation of a structured dialogue between the Office of the Prosecutor and Civil Society Organisations.

This can help ensure that the voices of victims are heard.

We further welcome the conclusion of the Ali Kushayb trial in December 2024.

As the first trial to be concluded in a Situation referred to the Court by the UN Security Council, this represents a historic milestone.

We look forward to hearing updates on any further applications for arrest warrants.

Third, the UK reiterates our call for full cooperation with the Court.

We welcome the constructive engagement by the Sudanese authorities with the ICC during this reporting period.

We further urge them to cooperate with the ICC to ensure the arrest and surrender of those subject to outstanding arrest warrants: Omar Al Bashir, Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein and Ahmad Harun.

Mr President, let me conclude by reiterating the UK’s continued support for the Court, and our respect for its independence.

It is important that the ICC is able to carry out its important work in Darfur and elsewhere without interference.

Sanctioning the ICC in response to one of its decisions would impede its ability to carry out this important work, in Darfur, Venezuela, Ukraine and in all situations where the Court is active.