Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2024.

Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

The UK is deeply alarmed by the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv which saw an Israeli civilian killed in his home and 10 other civilians wounded. My Foreign Secretary condemned this reckless escalation in his statement to the UK Parliament last week. We call for urgent de-escalation.

Since October 7th, the Houthis have launched UAVs and missiles towards Israel, in dangerous and illegal attacks. These actions risk a further deterioration in the stability and security of the region and we call upon the Security Council to condemn the Houthi attacks against Israel in addition to their wider destabilising activity in the Red Sea. This includes launching over 305 attacks against international shipping, impacting over 100 ships and killing innocent crew. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Galaxy Leader and its crew illegally detained by the Houthis since November 2023.

In addition, we must not lose sight of the fact that Houthi actions, enabled by support from Iran, are part of a wider Iranian strategy to destabilise the region with its malign influence and use of proxies. We call upon Iran to cease its nefarious support to armed groups and terrorist organisations in the Middle East which only serve to increase the suffering of ordinary people.

Finally, while we can confirm that there was no UK involvement in the Israeli strikes against the Houthis on 20 July, the UK remains resolute in its support to Israel’s right to self-defence in line with international law and international humanitarian law. The Houthis seek to use the situation in Gaza as justification for their reckless behaviour. Let me be clear, there is no justification for these attacks and more broadly there can be no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East. Yemenis are once again paying the price for the destructive actions of the Houthis and further escalation will only worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

A diplomatic solution in the region is the only way forward. We strongly support the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the US to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, get the hostages out and humanitarian aid in. The deal, as endorsed by this Council in resolution 2735, is the best chance to secure lasting peace. Innocent Palestinians continue to face unfathomable human suffering in Gaza, with a devastating impact on women and children. At least 120 hostages remain in horrific conditions. We urge both sides to show flexibility in negotiations and to recommit themselves to a renewed peace process resulting in a two-state solution. President, I reiterate the UK’s call for de-escalation and for meaningful progress to bring about lasting peace and security for the region.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2024.

Statement by Deputy Political Coordinator Laura Dix at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

First, as you’ve made clear, the humanitarian situation across Syria remains dire, borne out of over a decade of conflict and the actions of the regime. This includes its recent decision to blockade aid into Rukban camp, which has led to severe food scarcity. We call on the regime to permit commercial access into Rukban camp and to ensure all routes for humanitarian access – including into North West Syria – are sustained and predictable. Short-term, last-minute decisions are not appropriate as the UN continues to make clear. Access should be granted for as long as humanitarian needs demand it.

Second, in light of the UN sanctions report published last week, I wanted to underscore that our sanctions against the Assad regime have a clear purpose: they are designed to hold to account those responsible for committing abhorrent atrocities over the last 14 years, including perpetrators of serious human rights violations and chemical weapons use. We have taken clear steps to ensure that sanctions and any tools aimed at holding the Assad regime accountable do not impact the wider Syrian population or the delivery of humanitarian support. We resolutely support those affected by the ongoing devastating conflict.

Third, the only route out of this crisis is via a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement. This month’s parliamentary elections in Syria were held with the aim of sustaining Assad’s dictatorship and giving a semblance of popular legitimacy to his unreformed and undemocratic regime. In response, we have seen protesters inside Syria boycott the elections and demand a fairer and more transparent process. Legitimate elections in Syria can only be a product of a genuine political process in line with UNSCR 2254, which allows for the participation of all eligible Syrians, including members of the diaspora.

President, I end by recalling that it is in Assad’s power to end this intolerable conflict and to take responsibility for the human rights violations and abuses that Syrians have endured. It is time to deliver on the legitimate demands of the Syrian people and to make a genuine commitment to peace in line with resolution 2254.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2024.

FCDO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Catherine West gave a statement on the current situation in Bangladesh.

Catherine West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), said:

The UK is deeply concerned by the violence we have seen in Bangladesh in recent days, with reports of hundreds killed and thousands injured. The loss of life is unacceptable. Peaceful protestors must not be subject to violence.

The rights to protest, to peacefully assemble and to express different political views are rights which the UK holds dear and must be protected.

Access to the internet and communications services must be restored quickly so people in Bangladesh can be reconnected with their families and friends in the UK and across the globe.

We urge an end to the violence and loss of life and call on all sides to find ways to restore calm across Bangladesh, including by establishing a pathway for constructive political dialogue in the interests of the people of Bangladesh.

Our thoughts are with everyone affected. The people-to-people connections between our two countries are strong, with a strong Bangladeshi community in the UK contributing enormously.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.

Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on cooperation between the UN and regional organisations.

I will make three points. First, the UK supports regional organisations playing a role in upholding peace and security in their regions. This includes regional peacekeeping partnerships that reflect the UN’s common values and principles, including respect for human rights. For example, the EU’s Operation Althea and the OSCE’s operation in Bosnia has helped facilitate the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. The OSCE is undertaking important work on a wide array of security issues in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

Second, to carry out this role effectively, regional organisations need to be responsive to the needs of their members, and act in line with the UN Charter. To the extent that the these organizations are willing to do this, they can play a constructive role in their regions. All States have a sovereign right to choose their own security partnerships, including military alliances. Participation cannot be coerced. “Collective security” does not mean a sphere of influence, and “cooperation” does not require subjugation of sovereignty. Russia’s aggression against Georgia in 2008, and against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, undermines the role of regional organisations in the neighbourhood, particularly the CSTO. Georgia and Ukraine withdrew from CIS due to this violation of their sovereignty.

Third, the UK warmly welcomes the Central Asian region’s strong engagement with the UN, underlined by the Secretary-General’s regional tour this month, and the work of UN bodies such as UNDP and UNOCT in the region. We look forward to next week’s consultations on UNRCCA, which makes a valuable contribution to security in the region, including counter-terrorism, and women, peace and security. The UK also values our own relations with the Central Asian states. Earlier this year, we launched a regional climate programme that will help improve Central Asia’s climate resilience by strengthening regional cooperation on water and energy. And we look forward to COP 29 in Azerbaijan. There are no binary choices in partnerships – the UK is ready to work with regional partners across the globe to build stability and security, promote growth and tackle global challenges.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.

Justin Addison, UK Delegation to the OSCE, tells the OSCE’s Economic and Environmental Committee (EEC) that Russia is prioritising its own aims above global food security.

Mr Chair,

The UK delegation would like to thank the Austrian chair of the EEC for convening this session to discuss food security. As you rightly said at the start, conflict situations in regions key to global food trade can severely impact food security.

Ukrainian grain exports are crucial in ensuring global food security and the resilience of global grain markets. Before Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion, Ukraine accounted for around 10% of global wheat exports and 12% of corn and barley exports.

Russia has cynically attempted to prevent Ukraine from exporting its grain, prioritising its own aims above global food security. In 2023, it deliberately obstructed and then withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, after which it deliberately attacked Ukraine’s grain storage and export infrastructure.

However, these attempts have failed. Ukraine’s military successes have now pushed back Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, enabling it to resume exports from its Black Sea ports. Since last summer, Ukraine has exported 36 million tonnes of agricultural produce and 17 million tonnes of other cargo through the Black Sea. Through all routes, Ukraine has now exported all its harvest from 2023.

There is ample evidence that Russia is also systematically acquiring grain from occupied Ukrainian territory and selling it on, with farmers forced to sell their produce to occupation authorities. This is grain which Ukraine should rightfully be supplying to world markets, instead of either being transferred to Russia for consumption or sold abroad, passed off as Russian grain.

All buyers of Russian grain, including those represented in this committee, should consider these facts when making purchasing decisions.

Russia often likes to claim that Western sanctions are hindering its agricultural exports. We have always been clear that the target of our sanctions is Russia’s war machine and not its food and fertiliser sectors. The UN and other partners have taken significant steps to ensure that Russian food is able to access world markets.

Mr Chair, food security is another casualty of Russia’s unnecessary and unprovoked war, and Ukraine’s response is another example of their resistance in the face of such aggression. Ukraine’s ability to export and trade freely, efficiently and economically is vitally important in stabilising global food prices and preventing global food shortages.

This aim will only be achieved when President Putin decides to end this senseless war and fully withdraws from Ukrainian territory.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.

• Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced that the UK will restart funding to UNRWA in order to get aid as quickly as possible to those who need it in Gaza
• in statement to MPs, Lammy said UK aid funding to Gaza is a “moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe”
• the Foreign Secretary also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire to secure the release of hostages and end the suffering in Gaza, following his visit to the region earlier this week

The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK will lift the pause on funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the key aid delivery body operating in Gaza.

In his first statement to MPs, the Foreign Secretary outlined that the UK will release £21 million to support its lifesaving work in Gaza and the provision of basic services in the region.

This funding will go towards UNRWA’s flash appeal for Gaza and the West Bank, which focuses its resources on emergency food, shelter and other support for 3 million people, as well as its wider work supporting 6 million Palestinian refugees across the region.

The Foreign Secretary said to Parliament:

Humanitarian aid is a moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe and it is aid agencies who ensure UK support reaches civilians on the ground.

UNRWA is absolutely central to these efforts. No other agency can get aid into Gaza at the scale needed.

I was appalled by the allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7th October attacks. We are reassured that after Catherine Colonna’s independent review, UNRWA is ensuring they meet the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures, including on vetting.

UNRWA has acted. Partners like Japan, the EU and Norway have now acted. This government will act too.

The UK’s funding for UNRWA was paused in light of allegations by Israel that 12 staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. Following an independent review by Catherine Colonna and the subsequent action plan UNRWA has provided setting out detailed management reforms, the government is confident that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality.

Today’s announcement brings the UK into line with partners such as Germany, the EU, Sweden, Japan, France and other donors.

UNRWA is the main provider of humanitarian relief within Gaza, and other UN and humanitarian actors depend on UNRWA’s distribution network to get aid to those who need it most. UNRWA has provided 1.15 million people facing devastating hunger in Gaza with food parcels.

The Foreign Secretary spoke with UN Secretary General Guterres last night to confirm the UK’s decision to restart funding and discuss the UN’s vital role in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds will meet UNRWA Commissioner General Lazzarini today to discuss how the funding will support UNRWA’s work and condemn the killing of almost 200 UNRWA workers in the conflict.

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said:

The situation in Gaza is intolerable and unacceptable and urgent action is needed to alleviate the suffering of civilians there.

UNRWA is the only agency that can deliver lifesaving humanitarian aid at the scale needed. But it can only operate effectively if it has access to the whole of Gaza and it is safe for UNRWA staff to work there.

That’s why we are calling for unfettered access for humanitarian organisations alongside an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages and a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.

The Foreign Secretary also set out in Parliament today his wider plan to reach an end to the conflict in Gaza. He made clear the immediate priority is a ceasefire complied with by both sides, the release of all hostages and a surge of aid into Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary said to Parliament:

Britain wants to see an immediate ceasefire. The fighting must stop. The hostages must be released. Much, much more aid has got to enter Gaza…. This horror must end, now.

The Foreign Secretary raised the urgent need for the conflict to end during his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 14 to 15 July.

As part of the visit, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will provide another £5.5 million this year to UK-Med to fund their life-saving work in Gaza. This funding will be used to support the ongoing work of their field hospitals and the emergency department at Nasser Hospital.

In the long-term, the Foreign Secretary outlined that the UK is focused on creating a pathway towards a two-state solution which guarantees security and stability for Israelis and Palestinians.

He made clear that any long-term solution must include a crackdown on the rise in settler violence and settlement expansion and a reformed Palestinian Authority, given the powers and resources it needs to govern effectively.

Background

• the UK will provide £6 million to the Gaza flash appeal, through which UNRWA is specifically focusing its support to address the most urgent needs of more than 3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank
• a further £15 million with be disbursed to UNRWA’s programme budget to provide basic services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and wider region
• last week, the UK signed a joint statement alongside more than 117 member states including the US, Germany, Jordan, Kuwait and Slovenia, making clear their shared commitment and support to the “vital and indispensable role” of UNRWA in providing life-saving aid to generations of Palestinian refugees
• the UK’s funding for UNRWA was paused in light of allegations by Israel that 12 staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. The government is assured the UN agency is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality, after seeing the independent investigation by Catherine Colonna, and the subsequent action plan UNRWA has provided setting out detailed management reforms
• the UK’s position is now in line with partners such as Germany, EU, Sweden, Japan, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Austria, Finland, Iceland, Romania and Estonia

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.

Lord Pickles endorsed the guidelines at a meeting of the World Jewish Congress Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) Forum in Buenos Aires.

On 17 July at the Argentina Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Buenos Aires, 36 countries endorsed new Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, including the UK.

The UK was one of several countries who provided examples of best practice which the US reflected in the guidelines.

Lord Pickles, the United Kingdom Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, said:

Congratulations to Argentina and the US. I am delighted that the global guidelines were one of the first documents the UK’s new government endorsed.

We need to learn from the IHRA non-legally binding definition that it is easy to adopt initiatives, but it is much harder to implement them. We must recognise the importance and protection of Jewish life. If we cannot protect our citizens, the state fails.

This is not just a responsibility for governments. Civil society has an important role to play, and these guidelines will be crucial in addressing the ongoing scourge of antisemitism.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.

The FCDO has issued a statement in response to the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion related to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development spokesperson said:

We have received the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on Friday 19 July and are considering it carefully before responding. The UK respects the independence of the ICJ.

The Foreign Secretary was clear on his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this week that the UK is strongly opposed to the expansion of illegal settlements and rising settler violence.

This government is committed to a negotiated two-State solution which can deliver a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 July 2024.

Following the escalating violence during the student protests about quota reforms in Bangladesh, FCDO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Catherine West gave a statement.

“The UK government is deeply concerned by the violence following protests in Bangladesh.

The UK supports fundamental freedoms and respect for human rights, including the right to protest and peaceful assembly.

We urge all sides to end the violence and find a peaceful way forward.”

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 July 2024.

Ambassador Holland thanks Austria’s Court of Audit for their professional work as External Auditor, and underlines the importance of the urgent adoption of the 2024 Unified Budget.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The United Kingdom thanks the Secretary General, and representatives of the Austrian Court of Audit and the Audit Committee for their presentations today and their comprehensive reports.

The External Auditor and Audit Committee reports provide an important overview of the OSCE’s financial health, and a useful oversight of the organisation’s administration and internal controls. We recognise that the audit assessments have been made in the context of significant ongoing challenges, including the impact of Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, the continued non-agreement of the OSCE Unified Budget, and the gap prior to the appointment of the current External Auditor.

The UK welcomes the unqualified opinion of the External Auditor that the OSCE’s financial statements for 2023 presented fairly the financial position of the organisation. We appreciate the professional work of the Austrian Court of Audit in this role, particularly having taken this on at such short notice. We hope you will be able to consider an extension beyond September.

Madam Chair, the Reports and presentations this morning further underline that approval of the Unified Budget remains one of the most pressing issues facing this organisation. As, the Financial Report states, the lack of budget approval is continuing to damage the reputation of the OSCE, and the lack of an updated and approved Post Table hampers the organisation’s ability to deliver its mandate.

The United Kingdom deeply regrets that successive years of non-agreement of budgets have left the OSCE’s finances in such a parlous state – constrained by monthly allotments and uncertainty, amid high levels of inflation and rising costs. It is now almost three years since the agreement of the 2021 Unified Budget – which was itself agreed 8 months late. Such unacceptable delays are primarily due to political will, and the use of the budget as a political tool by some participating States.

The UK again urges the swift adoption of the 2024 Unified Budget, and for participating States to engage constructively, pay their arrears, and ensure the OSCE is able to carry out its work effectively in line with the OSCE principles we have all signed up to.

We commend the OSCE executive structures for your ongoing work to adapt to the financial challenges facing the organisation, and for helping to maintain continuity of business. We also appreciate the leadership and tireless efforts of successive Chairs-in-Office – North Macedonia and Malta – towards reaching agreement.

Thank you again to the Austrian Court of Audit and the Audit Committee for the comprehensive reports. As always, the UK looks forward to engaging constructively on the report recommendations.

Thank you, Madam Chair.