Tag: Foreign Office

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

The Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds visited South Sudan where she announced a package of support.

Anneliese Dodds visits a large camp for internally displaced people in Bentiu, witnessing first-hand the desperate situation of those impacted by regional conflict and the climate crisis
the Development Minister pressed senior South Sudanese Government ministers to act urgently to support humanitarian efforts and to make progress towards holding free and fair elections later in the year
she also announced a package of support for the most vulnerable people in South Sudan, Sudan and Chad, including new funding for a programme to tackle endemic gender-based violence
Development Minister Anneliese Dodds has today [22 August] announced vital UK aid for people in South Sudan, who face a humanitarian crisis driven by conflict, drought and flooding.

The minister visited the country’s largest internally displaced persons’ camp in Bentiu, Unity State, where 100,000 people live in extreme poverty surrounded by flood waters that have not receded in years, seeing how UK aid is supporting them.

This followed meetings with senior South Sudanese government officials in Juba, when the minister highlighted the urgent need for humanitarian aid to support those fleeing conflict.

She also pressed ministers on reforms to deliver free and fair elections scheduled for December 2024, emphasising the need for political progress to ensure peace and stability, greater government investment in health and education services and the importance of unrestricted humanitarian access.

In recent years, over a million people have been displaced by unprecedented flooding in South Sudan which has destroyed farms and livestock, and damaged schools and health facilities. The funding announced today will address these key issues, helping people improve farming techniques and build flood controls.

Further UK aid will support women-led organisations in South Sudan to work with communities to prevent gender-based violence, including education on the harm it causes. Counselling and support services will also be made available to women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence.

The Minister of State for Development, Anneliese Dodds said:

The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan has left over 75% of the population in desperate need, with many struggling to feed themselves and their families.

The camp I visited is also on the frontline of the climate crisis, following unprecedented flooding that threatens to overwhelm over 100,000 displaced people who are already facing acute hunger and need. The heartbreaking accounts I heard from those who were forced to flee the civil war in neighbouring Sudan hit home the urgent need to support those fleeing conflict. The levels of gender-based violence women and girls face in South Sudan is appalling, and I want to thank the survivors who shared their harrowing stories with me.

I also heard how UK aid is helping provide a lifeline to those in dire need and provide the building blocks for a better future. As Minister for Development and Women and Equalities I am determined to do more to alleviate their suffering of these people. New funding I have announced will save lives and tackle food shortages and malnutrition. It will also provide essential support to stop gender-based violence and ensure displaced communities can adapt to deal with the impacts of flooding and the climate crisis.

The conflict in Sudan is also causing vulnerable people to flee and seek safety in South Sudan and Chad. To address this, the UK is also providing food parcels for 145,000 people in Sudan and around 60,000 vulnerable refugees in Chad. Displaced people in South Sudan will also receive critical nutrition services for children under 5 and their caregivers.

Working in partnership with the UN and NGO partners, this package will provide 180,000 people with access to food and cash transfers, 15,000 children with treatment for severe malnutrition, and 40,000 displaced people with safe water in South Sudan.

All this support is part of a total funding package of £86 million for this year announced during the visit.

The Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Amy Pope said:

We welcome the much-needed attention the United Kingdom is bringing to the displaced people in South Sudan, where already fragile communities are facing the extreme impact of climate change, alongside a large influx of refugees and returnees escaping the war across the border in Sudan.

Since these multiple crises began, IOM has been responding to the mounting humanitarian needs of displaced populations in the region. While the needs are vast, these additional resources will help us save lives and provide practical solutions by scaling up life-saving transportation assistance, health care, provision of water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, and specific support for victims and survivors of gender-based violence.

In Ethiopia, on the last day of her trip, which finished yesterday [Wednesday 21 August] the minister met with Foreign Minister Taye Atske-Selassie to discuss UK support for peace and security across Ethiopia and the wider region, as well as economic growth and development priorities. Meeting with African Union Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, she discussed peace and security issues across the continent, including in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.

Background
The Minister for Development has announced a £86 million package which includes:

£69 million humanitarian assistance and resilience funding to South Sudan
£1.8 million to prevent gender-based violence and to support survivors in South Sudan
£15 million for those in Sudan, as well as people fleeing the Sudan conflict in Chad and South Sudan
this additional £15 million brings total UK ODA country allocations to Sudan, South Sudan and Chad this financial year to over £220 million
this funding aims to reduce the drivers of famine in South Sudan, protect women and girls and rebuild livelihoods for displaced communities, including people fleeing violence in Sudan
more than 9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan.
the Sudan conflict has left over half of the Sudanese population in desperate need of food assistance. The conflict has created additional strain on South Sudan, with more than 780,000 people arriving since April 2023
meeting with representatives of Sudanese political parties and civil society in Ethiopia, the minister also discussed regional efforts to end the conflict in Sudan

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 August 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on peacebuilding.

In 2016, the Sustaining Peace framework underlined the importance of shared responsibility to address conflict.

Seven years later, the Secretary General’s ‘New Agenda for Peace’ called for strengthened international foresight, nationally owned prevention approaches, and an all-of-system approach to tackling conflict.

Faced with the highest number of conflicts since the Second World War, we must work together, now more than ever, to act on these principles. So I will make three points:

First, conflict prevention should be at the forefront of our approach, to reduce the cost of conflict to human lives and development gains. The United Kingdom encourages the use of national prevention approaches to address drivers of conflict and strengthen national infrastructures for peace.

Such approaches should strive to be locally rooted, inclusive, human-rights based, and conflict sensitive. Embedding localised early warning mechanisms also helps identify risks and respond quickly, including on global issues such as climate change.

Second, it is clear underdevelopment can drive conflict, and conflict undermines development. Breaking this cycle is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Kingdom is committed to development partnerships founded on mutual respect that support countries’ national efforts to reduce poverty and instability. To deliver, the United Nations system needs to work as one. This means mutually reinforcing humanitarian, development and peace and security efforts.

For example, security sector reform and disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration efforts promote stability, strengthen governance and the rule of law, and prevent the recurrence of violence, enabling peace and development to flourish. Ms. Samai’s briefing brought out clearly how Sierra Leone, in so many ways, has been a good model in post-conflict peacebuilding.

Finally, the Summit of the Future offers an opportunity to reinvigorate our efforts. This includes maximising cooperation between the multiple actors – states, regional organisations and the UN – involved in mediation efforts. The promotion of women’s full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation in inclusive peace processes is indispensable.

And it also includes strengthening existing forums such as the Peacebuilding Commission to provide a constructive and UN-system wide space to support peacebuilding efforts. The 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review will be the next important step. I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 August 2024.

Africa Minister Lord Collins has announced new funding to tackle the outbreak of mpox cases in the DRC.

• UK support announced for ongoing mpox and cholera outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to improve access to clean water.
•  Lord Collins made the announcement during a visit to the DRC where he also discussed how the two countries can deepen their collaboration across a range of sectors.
•  He welcomed the recent ceasefire in eastern DRC and commitments to bring an enduring peace to the region.

The UK has announced new funding to work with DRC to bolster the regional African response to outbreaks of mpox and cholera in the country.

During a visit to the Institute National de Recherche Biomedical (National Institute of Biomedical Research) in the DRC, Lord Collins announced £3.1m of UK funding for a new partnership with UNICEF that will benefit over 4.4 million people in affected communities as well as help preventing the further spread of mpox to neighbouring countries.

This funding announcement follows a declaration from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the upsurge of mpox in the DRC and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

The Minister for Africa, Lord Collins of Highbury said:

“Working together, with our partners and using the expertise and dedication of Congolese scientists, including those at the world-leading research centre I have visited in DRC, our support will play an important role in ensuring global health security for all.

“By protecting the health and well-being of communities across DRC, and by helping contain these outbreaks, we reduce the risk of diseases spreading further afield. This will ultimately benefit us all.”

The UK remains in regular contact with the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on developments of the outbreak and is supporting the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa to respond to this health emergency.

The UK Health Security Agency is closely monitoring the situation, working with international partners including the World Health Organisation, European, US and Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and national public health agencies.

As the largest flexible donor to the WHO globally the UK is also helping it to allocate resources where most needed through vaccines and treatments.  As the second biggest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – providing £1.65bn over the 2020-2025 period – the UK is also working closely with them on ensuring access to mpox vaccines for low and middle income countries.

Professor Christian Ngandu, Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Coordinator at DRC’s National Public Health Institute said:

“The UK’s support to the DRC, in partnership with UNICEF, on the mpox response, will contributed to saving the lives of affected populations by aligning with the DRC’s national mpox preparedness and response plan.”

The announcement came as Lord Collins visited DRC this week to bolster bilateral ties between the UK and DRC and drive forward the bilateral relationship in key areas, including climate and trade and investment.

The Minister announced £6m of new UK funding to provide clean drinking water and sanitation to some 200,000 displaced in partnership with UNICEF and SAFER, helping improve access to clean water for all.

In meetings with key government ministers including the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, Lord Collins welcomed the UK and DRC’s strong partnership and underlined the UK’s commitment to strengthening collaboration in areas such trade, investment, climate and combatting sexual violence in conflict.

Following the successful UK-DRC Trade and Investment Mission in April, the Minister met with UK-linked businesses to discuss how the UK can play a constructive role in supporting improved supply chains of critical minerals in DRC and assist British businesses entering the DRC market.

The Minister also welcomed an announcement by British International Investment this week to invest up to $35 million (£27 million) into the development of Banana Port, a $300-400m project led by Emirati company DP World, that will help transform DRC’s economy.

In addition, he welcomed the UK’s new £90m Congo Basin Forest Action programme which will look to improve economic livelihoods whilst preserving forests and nature.

Lord Collins also discussed the UK and DRC’s long-standing collaboration to combat Conflict Related Sexual Violence, meeting with government ministers and civil society to understand more about this issue.

On the conflict in eastern DRC, Lord Collins welcomed the ceasefire agreement between DRC and Rwanda, recognising the important role played by Angola. He expressed UK support for President Tshisekedi’s commitment to bring an enduring regional peace to the east and underlined the UK’s condemnation of the actions of all illegal armed groups in eastern DRC, including the UN-sanctioned M23.

The UK is delivering a three-year humanitarian programme in the east of DRC, providing life-saving emergency assistance and increasing the resilience of crisis-affected communities affected by the conflict.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 August 2024.

The British Embassy and the Guatemalan Government are working together to upskill environmental capabilities of civil servants.

Nick Whittingham, British Ambassador to Guatemala, attended the inauguration of the training workshop: “The Art of the International Climate Negotiations 2024”.  The project is sponsored by the UK Government and other donors; and was attended by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Luis Ramírez; the Vice Minister of Environment, Edwin Castellanos; Ambassador Rita Mishaan, Director of the workshop, and Carlos Cerezo, representative of the Foundation for Eco-development and Conservation (FUNDAECO) of Guatemala.

The workshop will consist of 17 sessions from August to October 2024 where participants will address a variety of issues, from understanding the Paris Agreement, addressing gender and climate change, prepare for upcoming critical global appointments such as the COP16 and COP29, transition to the use of clean energies and developing of local policies aligned with international commitments.

Climate experts, international consultants and university professors will deliver the lectures which will be available in a hybrid format -in person and online-. The workshop will provide participants with basic negotiation skills, understanding of core environmental topics, and the ability to learn from the experiences of international negotiators. More than 40 people are expected for each session.

Nick Whittingham, British Ambassador to Guatemala, said:

We continue to be working with Guatemala in many environmental priorities, including supporting the development of a water law, protecting biodiversity through our Biodiverse Landscapes Fund and other Darwin initiative projects. This training course will continue this spirit of mutual collaboration and shared benefits.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 August 2024.

Mr Bharat Joshi has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Angola and non-resident Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe in succession to Mr Roger Stringer MBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.  Mr Joshi will take up his appointment during October 2024.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Bharat Suresh Joshi

Year	Role
2019 to 2023	FCDO, Head of Security Department and Senior Security Adviser
2018 to 2019	FCDO, South Asia and Afghanistan Department, leading on diaspora engagement and Cricket World Cup outreach
2013 to 2018	Chennai, Deputy High Commissioner
2009 to 2013	Yaounde, British High Commissioner and non-resident Ambassador to Gabon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic
2007 to 2009	Doha, UK Border Agency International Group Regional Manager
2006 to 2007	Dhaka, Director of Visa Services
2004 to 2006	FCO, Private Secretary to Minister for Africa
2003 to 2004	UKVisas, Head of Public Affairs
2002 to 2003	UKVisas, Policy Section Team Leader
Sept 2001 to   Nov 2001	FCO, Consular team press officer in wake of 9/11 attack
1999 to 2001	Banjul, Deputy High Commissioner
1995 to 1998	FCO, Assistant Desk Officer, European Union Department (External)

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 August 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Libya.

President, Libyans deserve stability and prosperity, but disappointingly a political settlement to enable this remains distant. Clashes over the last few months in Ras Ajdir, Tripoli, Zawiya, and the Ghadames basin, as well as oil field shutdowns in Sharara, demonstrate the fragility of the current situation.

Let me make three points this morning. First, we note the political initiatives taking place outside of the UN’s auspices, including the recent meeting of members of the House of Representatives and High State Council.

We welcome all efforts to foster political dialogue. But these should be inclusive if they are to be effective, and should recognise the central role of UNSMIL, as mandated by this Council.

Second, we share the growing concern expressed by the Panel of Experts over increasing violations and abuses of human rights. These include recent reports of unlawful arrests and mistreatment of journalists.

There is also a continued lack of protection of women, restricting their ability to participate in all aspects of Libya’s civil, social, and political space. Libya can only prosper when its citizens enjoy universal rights, and when its leaders and institutions uphold the rule of law.

Third, we note with regret the continued ineffectiveness of the arms embargo. The Panel of Experts continues to highlight flagrant malign breaches, such as the provision of military support, including by members of this Council.

President, the UK remains steadfast in support of UNSMIL. The Secretary General has our full support in his efforts to appoint a new Special Representative as soon as possible. We continue to call on all Libya’s leaders to engage in the political process in the spirit of compromise.

We call on members of the Council and others in the international community to work with increased focus and vigour on a shared vision for a stable, peaceful and secure Libya which is in the interests not only of the Libyan people but the wider region.

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

This week in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), we are fostering new collaborations and promoting GREAT UK creative industries at 30th Sarajevo Film Festival.

The United Kingdom is pleased to join celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Sarajevo Film Festival, an iconic annual event for the world’s film and creative communities.

This year, the United Kingdom will promote mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration with world-leading British experts.

The British Embassy Sarajevo, the British Council and the British Film Institute (BFI) will again be partnering with the Sarajevo Film Festival to support BiH creative talent.

British Ambassador Julian Reilly said:

We are proud of the UK’s longstanding association with the Sarajevo Film Festival. We are determined to nurture spaces where creative individuals and artists from various walks of life can come together, discuss art and culture, generate new ideas and build new collaborations .

This year, the UK‘s lead organisation for film and the moving image, the British Film Institute, will bring a delegation of 9 UK screen professionals to engage with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Southeast Europe professions and develop potential innovative collaborations with the region.

The BFI’s Head of UK Global Screen Fund and International Funds, Denitsa Yordanova, will join a panel discussion on collaborative opportunities, funding strategies and the exchange of creative resources with the UK.

Ambassador Reilly will host a reception for British and regional film professionals to cement their mutual relationships and promote the UK creative industry. Nine British productions and co-productions will be screened during this year’s Festival.

Ambassador Julian Reilly added:

Creative industries have a very important role in the UK. Our creative industries are worth £125 billion in economic value to the country as a whole, employing 2.4 million people.

Film and the TV sector is worth nearly £19 billion to the UK annually and provides more than 200,000 jobs. The cultural and creative industries can be a fantastic driver of economic growth, at the same time fostering cultural identity and diversity.

I am glad that the UK has for a while now been building closer relations and collaboration between the creative sectors of our countries. Our world-leading creative industry brings energy, ambition and economic opportunity, inspires new ways of thinking and doing, and invites you to see things differently.

We want Bosnia and Herzegovinian and Southeast European creatives to visit and collaborate with us.

The United Kingdom and the Sarajevo Film Festival have worked together since the first phases of the Festival. Many prominent UK artists, film directors and producers such as Mike Leigh, Jeremy Irons, Lesley Manville, Katrin Cartlidge, Stephen Frears, Mike Goodridge, Simon Wilkinson, Olivia Hetreed, Selina Ukwuoma, Kevin Dolan, Steve Matthews, have shared their wide experience and knowledge at previous festivals.

Numerous British movies were aired on the Sarajevo Film Festival screens, and major figures in British film including John Cleese, Mike Leigh, Mark Cousins, Cat Villiers, Stephen Frears, and Tim Roth have been awarded the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.

Through PlayUK, a British Council platform for improving film audio-visuals in the Western Balkans, UK experts have shared their knowledge on visual effects, virtual reality, film production and marketing.

The British Council was one of the initial partners of CineLink, the Sarajevo Film Festival’s industry platform. CineLink Industry Days offers valuable insight and access to the film industry, particularly within the region and many UK experts have contributed to this platform.

The United Kingdom hopes that this year’s strong engagement will lead to even more UK–BiH partnerships in the future, supporting economic growth and the development of the arts in both our countries.

During the Sarajevo Film Festival, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be able to learn more about the GREAT UK creative industry and about our cooperation with the Sarajevo Film Festival at the British Embassy Sarajevo  Facebook and Instagram pages.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 August 2024.

Foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany and Italy gave a statement following an update on Israel-Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

Statement by Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy:

We, the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages and are encouraged by the constructive approach adopted so far.

We welcome the fact that technical work will continue over the coming days, including on both the humanitarian provisions and the specific arrangements relating to hostages and detainees, and that senior officials will then reconvene before the end of next week with the aim of concluding the agreement.

We urge all parties to continue to engage positively and flexibly in this process. We underline the importance of avoiding any escalatory action in the region which would undermine the prospect for peace.  There is too much at stake.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 August 2024.

Signing of new Government to Government agreement between the Government of Peru and the Government of the United Kingdom.

• The signing took place at the Presidential Palace in Lima on Friday 16th August 2024 with the attendance of President Dina Boluarte, between His Majesty’s Ambassador to Peru Gavin Cook and Peruvian Ministry of Health Dr. César Vásquez Sánchez

Lima, 16 August 2024. The Government of Peru and the UK Government have signed a new government to government agreement to enable the delivery of a large-scale $630 million hospital infrastructure that will benefit around 5 million Peruvians in northern regions of the country.

The programme is a priority for the Peruvian government, as it aims to increase healthcare provision in those regions and reduce the regional healthcare gap in the country. It envisions the construction of two hospitals: the “Piura High Complexity Hospital” in the region of Piura, and the “Trujillo Regional Teaching Hospital” in the region of La Libertad, both in northern Peru.

The agreement further strengthens the UK and Peru’s diplomatic and trading relationship. Similarly, this new partnership enables a consortium of UK businesses – with local and international experience – to support the delivery of two large-scale hospitals, managed by the Peruvian Health Investment Agency, PRONIS.

HMA in Lima, Gavin Cook, said:

Today, the signing of this new Agreement is focused on closing gaps in health infrastructure and improving health services in a decentralised manner, promoting the implementation of hospitals following international best practices and standards in the care of people, and raising the quality of hospital infrastructure.

We hope that this is just the beginning of a new era of cooperation between the UK and Peru in the field of health where the UK can share the experience of the National Health Service (NHS) and the entire ecosystem of hospitals, primary care clinics, equipment suppliers, laboratories and researchers in the service of the health for the population.

We want to not only deliver hospitals but also promote access to innovation, knowledge transfer and capacity building to improve people’s healthcare.

Following an open procurement process, the UK consortium “UK Healthcare Alliance”, made up of Gleeds, Currie & Brown and Aecom, has been selected as partner on this large-scale hospital programme. The consortium will provide technical assistance, design and programme management, which will enable the hospital programme to progress.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed also commits the British Embassy in Lima and the Peruvian Government to work together in the areas of health and social infrastructure, sharing best practice and expertise, fostering knowledge transfer at all levels. The UK-Peru Healthcare Partnership will be formed to promote knowledge exchange and innovation in healthcare infrastructure.

This agreement is the fourth G2G agreement signed between the UK and Peru in the infrastructure sector, further enhancing our strong bilateral and trade relationship, boosting public investment as well as delivering social and sustainable infrastructure, resilient to climate change.

In 2017, the G2G partnership for the organisation of the Pan American and Parapan American Lima 2019 Games began. In 2020, the Reconstruction Programme was launched, which we are now implementing together with the National Infrastructure Authority. The third G2G agreement was signed in 2021 with the Special Public Investment Project Bicentennial Schools.

Through G2G agreements, the UK has brought international expertise and best practice to the Peruvian infrastructure landscape including through innovations in digital construction and the use of standard international contracts, that have reduced procurement timelines and increased transparency.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 August 2024.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné gave a statement following a joint ministerial visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Statement by the Foreign Ministers of France and the United Kingdom:

We, the Foreign Ministers of France and the UK, share a common interest in the security of the State of Israel and the stability of the region as a whole. We are in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the first joint UK-France ministerial visit for a decade. As 2 UNSC permanent members, we have a specific responsibility to support ending the current escalation and securing a lasting peace to the benefit of Israelis, Palestinians and the whole region.

The risk of wider conflict in the Middle East has never been higher and we must push for de-escalation now. We have urged Iran and its proxies to stand down the ongoing threats of military attack against Israel. We have also stressed to all parties that the spiral of escalating reprisals must end. We reiterate the importance of fully implementing UN Security Resolution 1701 on Lebanon.

We stress our full support for the current efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza led  by the US, Egypt and Qatar. There is no further time to lose to seize the opportunity and secure the release of the hostages. We strongly urge all parties to live up to their responsibilities. In addition, unfettered delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid is urgently needed, and civilians must be protected.

We reiterate that only a two-state solution, within the framework of international law, can bring a just and lasting peace to both Israelis and Palestinians. We strongly condemn settler violence in the West Bank which threatens both Israeli and Palestinian security and could put at risk ongoing diplomatic efforts. We remain committed to supporting cooperation and normalisation in the region. All actors in the region must make concrete gestures if they genuinely want to avoid war. We stand ready to engage with them to that end.

This joint visit is a symbol of the UK and France’s shared purpose in the region and wider world.