Tag: Foreign Office

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

UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, begins her first visit to southeast Asia in Singapore.

• Deepening economic ties and climate collaboration focus on UK Indo-Pacific Minister’s first Southeast Asia visit
• Minister West will set out the new UK government’s approach to foreign policy, growth and climate at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2024 with government and business leaders
• Speaking to a meeting of Singapore-based semiconductor firms, the Minister will highlight the link between resilient supply chains and economic growth

Securing sustainable economic growth, resilient supply chains and climate action are at the forefront as UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West begins her first visit to southeast Asia today (17 September).

In Singapore, Minister West will join government and industry leaders from across the region at influential policy forum the Milken Institute Asia Summit, where she will set out the new UK government’s ambition to work with partners in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific to address global challenges and support economic growth. This includes through the UK-Singapore Strategic Partnership, launched in September 2023, which is deepening cooperation on trade and investment, defence and security and science and tech.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Minister West said:

My message to Singapore and partners in the Indo-Pacific is this: the UK is open for business. We know that our relationships in this region are essential to our future prosperity.

Secure economic growth relies on us working with partners to tackle the greatest challenges of this century, including the climate crisis and other threats to global security – so that is exactly what this government will do.

Aligning with Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s pledge to build a Global Clean Power Alliance to tackle the pressing climate crisis, the Minister will visit British-built Marina Barrage, an example of UK-supported infrastructure mitigating the impact of climate change. Attending the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association Summit, she will set out the government’s ambition to increase UK-Singapore cooperation on the research and development of critical tech including AI and quantum computing.

Following her visit to Singapore, Minister West will travel to Thailand on 19-20 September for discussions with the new Thai government.

Notes to editors

• The Marina Barrage sits across the Marina Channel and was used to create Singapore’s 15th freshwater reservoir. The barrage was designed by UK civil engineering firm Binnies and the reservoir by British engineers Mott MacDonald.

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

The UK government today has announced up to £1.9 million in funding to strengthen science, technology and innovation in Ghana and Nigeria through its West Africa Research and Innovation Hub.

The Sankore call for proposals will support the UK government’s partnership with governments in Ghana and Nigeria on Science, Technology and Innovation, facilitate commercialisation of innovative solutions, improve innovation policy and enhance government digital service delivery.

Named after a medieval centre of learning in West Africa, Sankore will support the implementation of the UK-Ghana Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy. It will promote collaborative work between universities, research centres and the private sector, and help turn new ideas into useful products for industry and support projects that fit with Ghana’s tech goals.

Launching a call for proposals at a press conference in Accra, Lord Collins, UK Minister for Africa, said:

This initiative is all about how we can work together to strengthen the global technology sector, creating opportunities for rapidly growing economies with lots of potential to compete on the world stage. The Sankore grant fosters partnerships at its heart, with a strong message that we go far when we go together.

Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Ophelia Mensah Hayford said:

Sankore will serve as a financing vehicle to catalyse the implementation of the UK-Ghana ST&I Strategy. This initiative is one of many initiatives the Ministry with the support of the UK Government intends to bridge the funding gap for Ghana’s Technological Innovation. We are happy to partner key actors in the innovation ecosystem to drive the economic transformation in Ghana through ST&I.

British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson added: > The launch of Sankore sends a clear message: the UK sees enormous value in partnering with African countries on science, technology and innovation, and we are committed to bringing those partnerships to life. This grant will further strengthen our existing partnerships on science, tech and innovation, in line with our joint the UK-Ghana ST&I Strategy.

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

UK Statement for the Interactive dialogue with the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances. Delivered at the 57th HRC in Geneva.

Mr Vice President, the United Kingdom would like to thank the Working Group for its report and for the insights provided.

The UK strongly condemns all instances of enforced disappearance; they are clear violations of human rights. As we know, this issue deeply affects the families of victims and leaves a lasting impact on their communities, as well as damaging and undermining the effectiveness of the rule of law.

We share concerns outlined in the report that limited records of disappearances do not accurately reflect the actual numbers of enforced disappearances in States, and that victims are likely to become subject to inhuman treatment and torture.

We must collectively advocate for increased global engagement to eradicate instances of these grave human rights violations.

The UK urges states to fully investigate all allegations of enforced disappearance and prosecute those responsible to provide justice for victims and their families. We must remain committed to promoting and protecting the rule of law internationally.

Members of the Working Group,

What tools for recording and raising allegations to the Working Group can be made readily available to those involved in investigating cases of enforced disappearances?

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

UK and Indonesia to sign agreements on development and critical minerals, as Development Minister visits region for first time.

• UK and Indonesia strengthen cooperation on sustainable growth, climate change and the empowerment of women and girls
• comes with Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds’ first trip to Indonesia, where she will sign 2 agreements to accelerate cooperation on development and critical minerals
• follows a major speech earlier today from the Foreign Secretary on the climate and nature crisis

The UK is committing to help accelerate the global transition to clean energy and efforts to tackle climate change. Anneliese Dodds, UK Minister of State for Development and Minister of State for Women and Equalities, has arrived in Jakarta to strengthen partnerships with Indonesia on green growth, climate, and the empowerment of women and girls.

The 3-day visit to Indonesia (16 to 19 September) is the minister’s first visit to Southeast Asia in her new role. It follows a major speech from the Foreign Secretary earlier today on the climate and nature crisis and comes as the UK and Indonesia celebrate the 75th year of their diplomatic relationship.

While in Indonesia, the minister will also sign 2 sets of bilateral memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Indonesia’s National Planning Agency (Bappenas) on development cooperation and strategic partnership on critical minerals with the Ministry for Energy and Mineral Resources.

Based on the principle of mutual respect and partnership, these MoUs will set out ways of collaborating on Indonesia’s development objectives and on shared priorities such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to address the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Anneliese Dodds, Minister of State for Development and Minister of State for Women and Equalities, said:

The new UK government’s development mission is to build genuine partnerships to help create a world free from poverty, on a liveable planet.

Indonesia is a vast country, with a huge population and great economic potential. Strengthening our relationship with Indonesia can help us, together, to tackle the climate and nature crisis while creating sustainable jobs and growth.

I’ll be working with key figures in the Indonesian government to make progress towards those goals, securing key agreements between our 2 countries on development and critical minerals.

I will also learn how grassroots projects in Indonesia are empowering women and girls while encouraging sustainable stewardship of its abundant biodiversity and natural resources.

Gender equality is the fundamental building block of all healthy democracies, and this government is committed to putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do.

Minister Dodds is attending a number of bilateral meetings while in Indonesia, including with Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, Vice Foreign Minister Pahala Mansury, Minister for National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa and Minister of Forestry and Environment Siti Nurbaya Bakar. Discussions will focus on cooperation on climate, green growth, energy transition, the international development agenda and more.

The minister will also attend discussions on progressing Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The JETP provides a finance package and technical assistance to support Indonesia’s shift to clean energy and global efforts to tackle climate change, unlocking new projects, jobs and drive economic growth.

While currently powered mostly by coal, Indonesia has massive renewable energy potential. Effective, more sustainable management of Indonesian forests coupled with helping it shift to cleaner energy is in everyone’s interests. UK technical know-how and access to finance will help make this happen – tackling the climate crisis and creating new economic growth in the process.

The minister will travel to the South Sulawesi province in East Indonesia to see how the UK is supporting local climate and development initiatives. She will engage with local communities to learn how they protect the environment through eco-tourism and community-led green growth practices, generating local revenues while supporting long-term education for women and girls.

The visit builds on the new UK government’s modernised approach to development, working hand in hand with diplomacy, resetting the UK’s relationship with the Global South and building partnerships based on genuine respect.

It complements the climate and nature ambitions set out in Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s major speech at Kew Gardens in London today, where he announced a Global Clean Power Alliance, plans to unlock more climate finance, and action to halt the decline in global biodiversity.

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

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni released a joint statement today.

Today we, the Prime Ministers of Italy and the United Kingdom, meet in Rome to celebrate the deep friendship between our countries.

Our countries are the closest partners and Allies. But we want to go further still. Today we agreed on our joint ambition to make this relationship count for even more, bilaterally and internationally.

We believe that this strategic relationship between the UK and Italy is more important than ever. In a world of danger and uncertainty, it is vital that Britain and Italy stand together. Here in Rome we agreed some practical measures to make that strategic relationship stronger than it has ever been, in full accordance with Italy’s membership of the EU and UK’s relationship with the EU.

The UK-Italy Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation gives us a strong foundation. But now we need to go further. Today we set out our ambition for the future: driving growth in both of our economies, and placing the defence and security of our people at the heart of all we do, including in support of Italy’s current Presidency of the G7, as well as in the context of the UK’s ambition to reset the relationship between the UK and the EU.

We agreed on our determination to defend freedom and democracy. We discussed Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and the hybrid threats the Russian State poses to Europe more widely. We reaffirm our pledge to stand resolutely with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We are determined to contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction, look forward to the conference which Italy will host in 2025, and recalled the importance of delivering on the $50bn ERA loans the G7 agreed in Apulia.

We discussed the conflict in the Middle East and the need for the release of all hostages, an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation on all sides, and for the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid. We reaffirmed our commitment to working closely together and with our European partners to address the new, destabilising, strategic environment. As NATO Allies we reaffirmed our full commitment to NATO and its missions and look forward to the Italian Navy and Italian Airforce participating in UK carrier operations in 2025 and the next meeting of the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers.

We agreed the vital importance of our collaborative defence programmes, including GCAP, for our shared national security interests and respective defence industrial capabilities, and we welcome the continued progress we are making. We emphasised the importance of all European partners working together to strengthen European defence industrial resilience. This includes maximising mutual export opportunities, jointly promoting our complex weapons capabilities and supporting multinational initiatives aimed at strengthening NATO and Europe. Effective NATO and EU cooperation will be key in these regards.

Both our countries, together with our European partners, share the same challenges from irregular migration. We will only make progress by working more closely together, including under the auspices of the Rome Process and with our multilateral partners, including the EU’s global alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling and the G7 Framework. Within the context of the Rome Process we agreed to jointly promote migration partnerships with countries of origin and transit, whilst also deepening our cooperation through practical measures, such as voluntary humanitarian returns and to explore further areas of common action.

We will significantly enhance our cross-border cooperation, including through the UK’s new Border Security Command, to take down the criminal organisations who profit from putting lives at risk. To this end, we will promote enhanced bilateral cooperation on investigative capacities, engaging relevant authorities in countries of origin, transit, and destination. We will encourage and improve data exchanges. We will utilise a “follow the money” approach to enhance cooperation on asset freezing and confiscation, looking to develop a joint taskforce on combating illicit financial flows. We are committed to going further in dismantling the supply chains of maritime equipment that undermine the security of our borders. We will work together to take stronger prosecutorial action against those criminals behind this vile trade. We will also maximise the opportunities to bring European and global partners together, including where possible through Europol and INTERPOL, to tackle the shared problems of organised immigration crime. We also commit to collaborate on raising awareness and informing potential migrants on the risks associated with migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, to deter them from embarking on perilous routes. We will leverage the Joint Strategic Security Committee and the Strategic Migration Partnership to keep working together on concrete follow-ups.

We will also work together to cooperate on wider criminal justice matters, by rapidly taking forward consideration of a wider bilateral agreement on enhancing experience sharing and mutual learning across the full breadth of our criminal justice systems, including concluding negotiations on our Prisoner Transfer Agreement.

Our trade relationship is flourishing, with bilateral trade flows worth £50 billion. New investment decisions, including the £485 million (€574 million) announced today, will boost jobs and growth and demonstrate our strong trade relationship. We have agreed that unlocking bilateral trade opportunities and promoting ease of doing business will be a priority for discussions between our Ministers and we look forward to a meeting of Italian and British CEOs in London in early 2025. We agreed to sign a wide-ranging Science MoU, as part of a UK-Italy Science, Innovation and Tech Dialogue, early next year.

The ties between our peoples lie at the heart of the friendship between our countries. Over 600,000 Italians live in the United Kingdom and tens of thousands of British citizens in Italy, with millions more visiting each year. Today the first cohort of UK-Italy Young Leaders from our joint programme launched last year are meeting tech leaders, cultural organisations and business representatives in London. We intend to further enhance cooperation on strengthening people to people links, and we strongly support maximising the existing opportunities for high school students to visit and study in both our countries.

Here today in Rome we commit together to opening an exciting and ambitious new chapter in the long and warm relations between Italy and the United Kingdom, full of promise and opportunity. We look forward to working closely together on this shared endeavour in the months ahead.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 September 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.

Thank you, President, and like others, I join you in thanking Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator Kaag and Executive Director Da Silva for your briefings. The UK strongly supports the UN’s tireless efforts to scale up aid into Gaza and pays tribute to you and the whole UN community for your work under increasingly difficult circumstances.

As you said, your briefing was sober and sombre. It couldn’t be otherwise describing an intolerable humanitarian situation in Gaza. As we’ve heard, over 41,000 people have now been killed, tens of thousands more are injured. 17,000 children are without parents. And 101 civilians remain hostage in Gaza, subject to horrific and inhumane conditions for almost a year.

We remain concerned too about the risk of wider regional escalation. We condemn the Houthi attack over the weekend, and we reiterate our demand for an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to release all hostages.

President, we welcome the news that the first round of the UN’s polio vaccine campaign in Gaza has now concluded, facilitated by Israel’s implementation of agreed tactical pauses.

Despite the challenges – including the attack on a UN vaccination convoy last week – this shows that deconfliction can work where there is a political will.

So, first, we now need to see this capacity for deconfliction applied to the wider humanitarian operation. Israel has committed to flood Gaza with aid: but this has not materialised. This is unacceptable.

Second, President, mass Israeli evacuation notices and the use of heavy weaponry mean that nowhere is safe in Gaza. We join the Secretary-General’s call for compliance with international law, especially the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution in attacks. We are horrified by the further killing of aid workers.

Just last week, as colleagues have said, we heard reports of 18 people, including six UNRWA staff members as the Secretary-General reported, killed by an Israeli military strike on the al-Jaouni school-turned shelter.

In total, 300 aid workers have been killed in this conflict. And we repeat our condolences to their families and their loved ones. And we reiterate that humanitarian workers must be allowed to carry out their work safely.

Third, the UK will continue to play a leading role in addressing this humanitarian crisis – including through our renewed funding for UNRWA, and support for other aid agencies providing lifesaving relief, as well as continued advocacy.

Colleagues, we are all rightly focussed on the immediate priority of securing a ceasefire and a hostage release deal. And we fully support US, Qatari and Egyptian efforts and call on both Israel and Hamas to take the deal on the table.

But we must also consider what comes next. There will be an enormous task in helping those in Gaza to rebuild. Early recovery will include clearing unexploded ordinance and rubble and providing essential services.

The rebuilding of Gaza must be accompanied by the rebuilding of hope. Hope for an end to this cycle of violence. Hope for long-term peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

This can be achieved only with a two-state solution, which affords Palestinians their inalienable right to self-determination alongside security for Israel.

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

Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Lord Hunt, delivered the UK national statement at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna.

Madame Vice-President,

May I thank you and also thank the Director General and the secretariat for all your work over the past year to ensure the agency’s continued success.

On behalf of the new UK Government, I’m proud to confirm that nuclear power remains an essential part of our Net Zero, energy security and clean power plans.

So we are backing the next generation of nuclear in the UK – in terms of new technologies and fuels, in terms of our enabling policies, and in terms of attracting new talent.

Our nuclear delivery body, Great British Nuclear, is currently evaluating bids submitted in its Small Modular Reactor competition, developing innovative technology to boost Britain’s energy security and sustainability.

And in fusion energy, we are progressing our Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production project. By working with commercial partners, we plan to build a prototype fusion power plant by 2040.

We’ve updated our policies on managing radioactive substances and nuclear decommissioning, driving innovation and sustainability, and providing greater flexibility on disposal options.

We’re looking forward to hosting the Women in Nuclear Global Conference in London in July next year – putting our commitment to increasing gender diversity in the nuclear workforce into action.

This year, we became the first European country to launch a commercial-scale High Assay Low Enriched Uranium, or HALEU, programme – with a landmark £300 million of funding – investing in domestic fuel cycle capabilities that will benefit not just the UK but our allies too, while driving innovation and research.

We are also very proud to be working as part of the Sapporo 5 group to promote genuine supply chain resilience.

Because a carbon neutral future depends not just on a diversified nuclear fuel supply chain that is reliable and resilient – but also one that is free from political influence.

Which is why we have committed to banning Russian uranium from use in UK reactors by 2030, and we encourage members to join us in taking assertive action to reduce dependency on Russia.

Madame Vice-President, while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, the UK is proud to have supported Ukraine and the IAEA to bolster safety and security at Ukraine’s nuclear sites under increasingly difficult circumstances.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains inaccessible to the Ukrainian authorities due to Russia’s illegal seizure and control.

We continue to call for Russia to withdraw and hand control of the plant back to the competent Ukrainian authorities.

We commend the IAEA’s essential work in Ukraine, including the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia, without which we would have no independent assessment of the situation at the plant.

The UK supports the DG’s efforts to protect nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. Russia’s illegal invasion and reprehensible attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continues to remind us of the vital importance of nuclear safety and security – in Ukraine and across the world.

The UK remains one of the largest contributors to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund. And we continue to support the expansion of nuclear security conventions, including the Amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

We continue to call upon all member states to ratify and implement those conventions as soon as possible.

We welcome the success of the International Conference on Nuclear Security earlier this year, and I want to thank the co-Presidents, Australia and Kazakhstan, for their chairmanship.

Whilst it was disappointing that consensus on the ministerial declaration was blocked by one state, we were still very pleased to support the statement issued by the co-Presidents and look forward to continuing to work in this area with member states to make progress.

Madame Vice-President, unfortunately, serious challenges remain to the safeguards regime on which we are all so dependent. We remain deeply concerned by Iran’s refusal to implement its legal safeguards obligations and co-operate with the Agency’s ongoing investigations into undeclared nuclear material and activity detected in Iran.

Iran has failed to provide the IAEA with credible explanations for the material detected over the last 5 years. As a result, the agency cannot assure that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Separately, Iran continues to escalate its nuclear programme to unprecedented levels. Its enriched Uranium stockpile now exceeds 28 times the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) limit and Iran continues to produce High Enriched Uranium with no credible civilian justification.

We remain determined that Iran will never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon, and committed to finding a diplomatic solution to this increasingly severe threat to international peace and security.

Madame Vice-President, the agency can continue to count on our full support in its efforts to strengthen the nuclear safeguards system.

And we call on all countries that have not yet done so to agree and ratify Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements, revised Small Quantities Protocols and Additional Protocols.

It is very important that the IAEA can continue to act independently, apply its unique legal and technical authority, and negotiate safeguards arrangements with member states without interference or politicisation.

As part of the AUKUS partnership, I want to reiterate our commitment to setting the highest standard of non-proliferation and transparency, and to keeping the international community updated as the non-proliferation approach is developed with the IAEA.

As DG Grossi confirmed to the Board in September 2022, naval nuclear propulsion was foreseen by the drafters of the Non- Proliferation Treaty. It was discussed during the negotiations to develop the model Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, resulting in the inclusion of specific mechanisms to enable states to pursue naval propulsion.

Madame Vice-President, the IAEA’s contribution goes beyond safety, security and safeguards. So many countries have benefited from the agency’s technical co-operation and the UK continues to make every effort to amplify and support this important work.

We look forward to November’s ministerial meeting as an opportunity to celebrate the progress and achievements of that programme, as well as looking forward to the IAEA SMR conference in October and the World Fusion Energy Group in November.

We thank again the Secretariat and the Director General for providing these opportunities for further collaboration and offer them our wholehearted support.

Thank you very much.

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

The UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have issued a joint statement to mark the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini.

The following is the joint statement released by the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, on the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini:

Two years ago today, Mahsa Zhina Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, was killed while in police custody in Iran. Her death sparked a nationwide protest movement, led by women and girls, which was unwavering in its demand for a better future.

We stand with women and girls in Iran, and Iranian human rights defenders, across all segments of society in their ongoing daily fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms.  At least 500 persons died and over 20,000 were detained in the Iranian security forces’ brutal crackdown on displays of dissent in 2022 and 2023.  But the global “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement remains united.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Iran, established by the United Nations Human Rights Council, has said that many of the human rights violations perpetrated against protesters amount to crimes against humanity.  The Iranian government has yet to address these allegations and has not cooperated with this internationally recognized mandate.

In daily life, women and girls continue to face severe repression in Iran.  The renewed “Noor” hijab crackdown, which enforces Iran’s law requiring women to wear headscarves, has spurred a fresh round of harassment and violence.  The Iranian government has bolstered its surveillance infrastructure to arrest, detain, and in some cases torture women and girls for their peaceful activism.  According to human rights organisations, Iran is one of the foremost executioners of women globally.

We call on the new Iranian administration to fulfil its pledge to ease pressure on civil society in Iran and to end the use of force to enforce the hijab requirement.  The recent surge in executions that have largely occurred without fair trials has been shocking, and we urge the Iranian government to cease its human rights violations now.  We, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, will continue to act in lockstep to hold the Iranian government accountable and will use all relevant national legal authorities to promote accountability for Iranian human rights violators, including through sanctions and visa restrictions.

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

Lord Collins, the UK Minister for Africa, will visit Ghana on 17th September. This visit, his first to West Africa, will reinforce the enduring partnership between the UK and Ghana.

During his visit, Lord Collins will meet stakeholders including Government Ministers, leaders in Ghana’s tech and innovation sector and food security agencies.

The Minister will also meet civil society organisations that work on issues of importance to both the UK and Ghana, including democracy and security.

Lord Collins will announce funding including:

• £3.8 million, in partnership with Shell Foundation, to make green energy more accessible to Ghanaians
• at least £1 million to support Ghana’s drought response
• £500,000 for a food fortification programme in northern Ghana

Ahead of his visit, Lord Collins, the UK Minister for Africa, said:

The UK and Ghana are close friends, and my visit is all about deepening our partnership for closer stronger collaboration across various sectors, from green growth to food security. Working together, we can address shared challenges and unlock new opportunities for both our nations.

British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, added:

We are thrilled to welcome Lord Collins to Ghana, where he will witness first-hand the breadth and depth of our partnership. The Minister’s choice of Ghana for his first West African visit speaks volumes about the importance of the UK-Ghana relationship to our new Government. The visit will reinforce our shared commitment to a prosperous, sustainable future for both countries.

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

Minister for Africa Lord Collins of Highbury embarks on a week-long visit to Ghana and Senegal to bolster partnerships for growth.

• UK support to boost growth, clean energy, food security and women’s empowerment announced as Minister for Africa Lord Collins begins week-long visit to West African regional powers, Ghana and Senegal
• in Ghana, UK funds will help small businesses to access clean energy sources and in Senegal, the minister will lead a delegation of 40 companies to explore opportunities to deepen trade and investment ties
• new funding will also improve access to reproductive health services for women and girls in Senegal

Modern economic partnerships are high on the agenda as UK Minister for Africa, Lord Collins for Highbury, embarks on a week-long visit to Ghana and Senegal to drive mutual growth and prosperity.

In Senegal, Lord Collins will meet Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. Leading a delegation of 40 companies, he will explore opportunities for increasing trade and investment between the UK and Senegal with a focus on partnerships that deliver mutually beneficial, sustainable growth.

He will also highlight new UK Export Finance-backed investment in infrastructure worth hundreds of millions of pounds, and commit UK support for Senegal’s new industrial strategy.

Visiting the Port of Dakar, Lord Collins will see first-hand how UK investment will support Senegalese and intra-African growth and trade and create jobs; and ride the UK-funded Dakar Bus Rapid Transit System, the first electric bus network in sub-Saharan Africa.

Approximately £7.24 million of UK funding has also been announced to empower women and girls to have greater voice, choice and control over their reproductive health and rights in Senegal, through the new Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) Dividend programme.

Subject to contract, the programme will be delivered by MSI Senegal, alongside Senegalese and international partners, the programme is expected to prevent almost 400,000 unintended pregnancies, 92,000 unsafe abortions, and over 550 maternal deaths. It is also estimated to save approximately £24.3 million in direct healthcare costs that would otherwise be paid for by families or the healthcare system.

Ahead of his visit, Lord Collins of Highbury said:

The UK is reconnecting with the world. We are deepening our relationships with our African counterparts based on genuine respect, focusing on partnerships that deliver mutually beneficial and sustainable investment and growth.

In Senegal, I’m leading a UK trade mission of 40 companies and announcing support to their flagship connectivity programme and their new industrial strategy. In Ghana, we’re unlocking access to a network of clean, green energy for small businesses through an innovative partnership with the private sector. These are the growth initiatives of the future.

But a country cannot grow sustainably without empowering its women. That’s why I’m also announcing new funding to empower women and adolescents to have more freedom to control their bodies and their future and to contribute economically.

Alain Christian Mbengue, MSI Senegal’s Country Director, said:

I want to thank the UK government, not only for this important investment, but for their longstanding partnership and support.

Through this funding we and our partners will be able to expand access to lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services that will support the Ministry of Health and Social Action to reach its ambitious targets and give women and girls from the poorest and most vulnerable communities the opportunity to follow their dreams and become our next generation of leaders.

During his time in Ghana, Lord Collins will meet with the President Nana Akufo-Addo and political leaders ahead of the country’s election in December 2024. The minister will also meet with the World Food Programme (WFP) to understand more about how climate change is contributing to food insecurity, launching a £500,000 food fortification programme, alongside new funding of at least £1 million to support Ghanaian communities suffering from drought and crop deprivation.

The UK, together with Shell Foundation, will also announce support for innovative energy firms Kofa and PASH Global to accelerate the green energy transition in Ghana. Backed by a commitment of £3.8 million, Kofa and PASH will help small businesses switch from petrol generators to sustainable batteries for powering appliances like refrigerators. The initiative also promotes the use of electric motorbikes, providing green energy solutions for everyday mobility.

The project is part of the UK’s Transforming Energy Access programme which works with countries to provide sustainable energy for millions of people, creating jobs and supporting livelihoods.

Background

• during his visit to Senegal, Lord Collins will also launch the British Council’s English Connects programme for 2024 to 2025 to increase access to learning English in Senegalese secondary schools
• subject to contract, MSI Senegal will lead a consortium, building on longstanding collaboration with international partners like IPAS, Options and Sightsavers. They will also bring in vital local knowledge and expertise from African organisations including RAES, Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) to improve women’s access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services in Senegal, with a focus on reaching the poor, vulnerable and hard-to-reach, such as women living with disabilities
• during his visit to Ghana, Lord Collins will launch a food fortification programme alongside new funding of at least £1 million to support Ghanaian communities suffering from drought and crop deprivation
• he will also launch a new £1.9 million Sankore call for proposals to support research and innovation in Ghana and Nigeria. Sankore is part of the UK’s Africa Technology and Innovation Partnership (ATIP) Programme