Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 August 2024.

Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

President, as our briefers today have made clear, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda recognises the critical role women play in building sustainable peace. Women’s contributions are integral in all stages of peacekeeping missions, including drawdowns, transitions and withdrawals.

I will set out three priorities today: perspective, participation and prevention.
First, perspective. We must integrate a gender perspective into all components of peacekeeping missions, including preventing and responding to Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). Gender-responsive conflict analysis and technical gender expertise are critical to mission effectiveness, including in transition planning.

I am pleased that we have secured strong gender commitments in recent mandate renewals, including on gender-based violence in Haiti and on women’s participation in Colombia.

We call on Member States, UN entities and NGOs to prioritise WPS considerations in all disengagement planning, including the planned withdrawal of MONUSCO.

Second, participation. Women peacekeepers engage with populations and in places less accessible to men, bringing unique insights. This improves awareness of security risks, including CRSV, and builds trust with local communities.

The UK is creating an enabling environment for women peacekeepers. We contributed £1 million to the Elsie Initiative Fund last year, and the British Peace Support Team is training women in driving and weapons handling, improving women’s pass rates in assessments.
Participation of women’s rights organisations is also key. MINUSMA was a strong example of this; their engagement with civil society allowed them to change attitudes towards CRSV and better advocate for survivors.

Lastly, prevention. Transitions and drawdowns expose local communities to heightened risks of CRSV due to security gaps, weakened institutions and increased political tensions. It is therefore vital to ensure prevention remains an ongoing priority through the development of mission-wide, coordinated and survivor-centred approaches for addressing CRSV. This particularly in the context of in live transitions and withdrawal.
Prevention also includes tackling sexual exploitation and abuse. This is why, last year, through the British Peace Support Team, the UK trained 2,208 troops and police on sexual exploitation and abuse.

President, to be truly effective, peace and security mechanisms must understand and address the security needs of all people, including women and girls. Let us commit to ensuring that the WPS agenda plays a central role in all peacekeeping plans, including drawdowns, transitions and withdrawals.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 August 2024.

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds will pledge new UK aid and meet key Jordanian Ministers in her first official visit to the Middle East.

• Anneliese Dodds calls for peace and security in the Middle East amid escalating tensions, on her first visit to the region in her role
• the International Development Minister also pledges new UK package of food, water, health, education and wellbeing support for Gazans on visit to Jordan
• she will meet key Jordanian Ministers to discuss how their 2 countries can work even more closely together in future

As tensions rise between Israel and Lebanon, the minister will call for calm in the wider Middle East, and continue diplomatic efforts made by the Foreign and Defence Secretaries in Qatar, Lebanon and Israel last week to lead a renewed push for peace.

She will also repeat calls for British nationals to leave Lebanon now, due to rising risks associated with the ongoing conflict between Israel, Lebanese Hizballah and other non-state actors in Lebanon.

Amid the threat of growing instability in the wider region, Gazans continue to face a devastating humanitarian crisis.

During her visit to Jordan, the minister will announce £6 million in funding for UNICEF’s work to support vulnerable families in Gaza.

The £6 million package will help tens of thousands of Gazans access food and water, as well as health, education and wellbeing services.

She will also visit a World Food Programme depot, which plays a key role in the delivery of aid to Gaza.

Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said:

Now is the time for calm, if we are to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East. It is in no-one’s interests for tensions to escalate and spread across the wider region.

We are seeing the humanitarian impact of conflict on Gazans. This new UK support will provide a lifeline for vulnerable families, giving them access to basic food and water during a desperate time. I am grateful to the Jordanian Government for supporting UK efforts to get aid to those in such desperate need.

But this appalling situation cannot continue. We must see an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and unfettered access to lifesaving aid for those in Gaza.

UK funding will support the vaccination and immunisation of over 20,000 children, provide over 8,000 school-aged children with recreational activities to boost their wellbeing and help over 55,000 people in Gaza access clean water and sanitation.

During her visit, the minister will also meet key charity partners, including the World Food Programme to hear about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Jordan.

Separately, the UK is also announcing today it is allocating £14 million to support refugees in Jordan. The funding will be delivered in September this year, with £7 million going to UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency – and the same amount to the World Food Programme. Jordan is currently home to over 3 million refugees, many of them from neighbouring Syria.

During her visit the minister will meet Jordanian Minister of Finance, Mohamad Al Ississ, and the foreign ministry’s Secretary General, Majid Al-Qatarneh to discuss Jordan’s successful economic performance in a challenging geopolitical environment. The ministers will agree steps for the UK and Jordan to accelerate efforts to boost their economic prosperity, as well as find ways of building resilience to the climate crisis.

Background

British nationals should not travel to Lebanon and those who are already there should leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 August 2024.

The UK will donate essential security equipment for Ecuador’s fight against organised crime as part of the new British Minister for Latin America’s first official overseas visit.

Baroness Chapman met senior members of the Ecuadorean Cabinet to discuss how the UK and Ecuador can deepen security co-operation.

They also signed a double-taxation agreement between the UK and Ecuador – removing tax barriers to doing business in both countries, boosting growth, trade and investment.

The Minister will later meet National Police officers at an anti-narcotics base to learn about the challenges they face.

On behalf of the UK, she will donate four vehicles and other equipment. The items will make police officers safer and bolster capability in combating criminal gangs.

Ecuador is the first country the Minister is visiting in Latin America since being appointed last month.

Baroness Chapman, Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, said:

The new UK Government is committed to renewing our partnership with Latin America – co-operating closely on shared priorities including climate change, security and economic prosperity.

I’m making my first visit, as Minister, to Ecuador – a country with which we share democratic values – to offer my unequivocal backing in your fight against organised crime.

Which is why the UK is donating essential security equipment to brave police officers putting their lives on the line daily to protect the Ecuadorean people.

Violence must never be allowed to prevail over democracy and the rule of law.

Baroness Chapman’s programme – which will also include travel to the Amazon and meeting indigenous leaders – reflects the growing environmental, trade and security ties between the UK and Ecuador.

The UK manages over $200 million of projects in the Ecuadorean Amazon – including $34 million in direct funding to communities – to enable sustainable use of land and reduce deforestation.

Trade is also increasing between the two countries. In 2023, it grew by 10 per cent to total £329 million per year.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 August 2024.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle met with Ukrainian counterparts and UK defence industry leaders in Ukraine.

• UK government and defence industry leaders visit Ukraine.
• Leaders initiate negotiations for contracts under the Defence Export Support Treaty.
• This will enable Ukraine to access UK Export Finance to acquire military equipment from UK companies.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle met with Ukrainian counterparts and UK defence industry leaders in Ukraine in recent days to initiate negotiations for contracts under the Defence Export Support Treaty, signed during President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK two weeks ago.

The treaty, signed by Defence Secretary John Healey and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov on 19 July, will enable Ukraine to draw on £3.5 billion of export finance to acquire military equipment from UK companies. This will help to boost both the UK’s and Ukraine’s defence industrial bases and support investment in further military capabilities.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle said:

“The UK stands united with Ukraine. Our government has already pledged to step up support, confirming £3bn a year to support Ukraine and a new package of crucial ammunition, anti-armour missiles and artillery guns.

“My visit is another demonstration of our commitment to work in partnership with industry to boost production of essential military kit, both for Ukraine and to replenish UK stocks.”

The Minister met with Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries for European Integration, Serhiy Boyev, and the Ukrainian National Armaments Director, Oleksandr Serhii, and toured UK industrial facilities in Ukraine, seeing first-hand how the UK is enhancing Ukraine’s industrial capacity.

The Minister’s visit comes just weeks after she and the Defence and Business Secretaries met with President Zelenskyy and industry leaders in London. From industrial sites at home, to facilities in Ukraine, the UK defence industry has been providing critical equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Working with local partners, UK firms are providing maintenance and repair for UK-supplied weapons and helping to get vehicles and equipment back onto operations from facilities in Ukraine.

From recommitting to spending £3 billion a year of military support to the Government’s recent commitment to fast-track deliveries, the UK continues to stand with Ukraine.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 August 2024.

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

There is only one possible conclusion from the Famine Review Committee’s data: there is famine in Sudan, and that famine is entirely man-made.

Today, one hundred Sudanese civilians, men, women and children will die from starvation.

Tomorrow, one hundred more.

This appalling loss of life will continue until the warring parties put the Sudanese people before power.

President, the level of suffering in Sudan is unimaginable. It exists far beyond Zamzam camp, and it is a direct consequence of the actions of the warring parties.

The Sudanese Armed Forces are obstructing aid delivery into Darfur, including by shutting the Adre crossing, the most direct route to deliver assistance at scale.

The Rapid Support Forces’ ongoing assault on Darfur has forced thousands to flee and created the conditions for starvation to spread. It does not need to be this way. The warring parties and those with influence can take immediate action to prevent further suffering.

First, we call on the warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. This includes opening the Adre crossing, lifting bureaucratic obstacles and taking measures to protect aid workers, so they can deliver food to starving communities.

Second, there is no military solution to this crisis. We call on the warring parties to join talks in Geneva and engage in good faith, to agree steps to a durable ceasefire, full humanitarian access and the protection of civilians.

And third, in March, the Secretary General released a White Note under Security Council resolution 2417 to warn this Council of the risk of famine in Sudan. The UN’s warnings and calls for action have been ignored by the warring parties just as they have ignored international calls for a ceasefire, including by this Council.

In the face of such blatant disregard for human life, this Council should consider all necessary tools to end this man-made crisis.

President, it is not too late to prevent further suffering. The time to act is now.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 August 2024.

Statement by Legal Adviser Colin McIntyre at the UN Security Council briefing on ICC Sudan.

Mr. President, the UK is alarmed by the escalation of violence inside Sudan, including in Darfur. The ongoing fighting in El Fasher has caused significant civilian loss of life and has forced thousands to flee their homes. There are also a growing number of reports alleging that serious international crimes are being committed in Darfur as well as elsewhere in Sudan. This includes the recruitment of child soldiers, conflict-related sexual violence, and violence targeted at specific ethnic groups. We are gravely concerned by such reports.

In this context, we particularly welcome the progress that the Office of the Prosecutor has made in advancing accountability as outlined in the 39th report including through continued engagement with Sudanese civil society organisations and through the extensive deployment of investigators to Chad to collect further testimonial evidence.

The UK also welcomes some signs of improved cooperation from those in power in Sudan, including through the provision of visas, the facilitation of a field visit to Port Sudan and engagement in relation to certain priority Requests for Assistance. It is essential that this cooperation continues to improve.

The UK is also pleased to note the continuing progress in the trial of the former Janjaweed commander, Mr Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb. As this landmark case moves forward towards its final stages we pay tribute to the more than 100 victims and witnesses who have participated in the trial. Such trials are critical to ensuring accountability and justice. Indeed the progress in this trial serves to highlight the crucial importance of ensuring that the other individuals subject to outstanding arrest warrants are surrendered to the Court. We call upon the Sudanese authorities to do more to respond substantively to the Office of the Prosecutor’s request for information concerning the whereabouts of Ahmed Harun, Omar Al-Bashir and Abdel Raheem Hussein.

Finally, we note that in October last year, the Human Rights Council adopted the ‘Sudan Core Group’ resolution to establish an independent and international Fact-Finding Mission. We believe that this represents a further important contribution to ensuring impartial investigations of human rights violations and abuses.

Mr. President, the UK reiterates its continued support for the International Criminal Court and for its important work in this situation. This conflict must not be forgotten and we remind all parties to the conflict that the Prosecutor’s mandate is ongoing.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 August 2024.

The Government announced that the 2024 edition of the UK-France Local Government Forum will take place in Leeds on 12 and 13 December, co-hosted by Leeds and Bradford City Councils and supported by the West Yorkshire Mayor. This will be the third edition of the forum, following on from the successful 2022 event in Nancy.

The forum is an opportunity for mayors, leaders, cabinet members, councillors and officers from sub-national government – be that district, borough, city, unitary or county councils, as well as combined authorities – to meet and exchange with French counterparts on subjects of common interest, as well as be part of a dialogue with national government representation. This year’s forum will focus specifically on social inclusion and placemaking and will be extra special in this 120th anniversary year of the Entente Cordiale, which ushered in a new era of cooperation between Britain and France. The ties between the UK and France are deep, historic and vital, and it is the partnerships between our communities that sustain and enrich those ties.

The Government welcomes interest to attend or participate in the forum, in particular from leaders of councils or combined authorities with active partnership projects and or twinning arrangements with their equivalents in France and those who might be interested in establishing or re-invigorating such links.

The Government will share further details of the programme and how to register in due course. If you require further information or have any questions, please contact: UKFRLocalGovForum@fcdo.gov.uk

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 August 2024.

Lebanon travel advice has been updated to reflect the fact that dependants of British Embassy Beirut staff have been temporarily withdrawn.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson, said:

We are deeply concerned with the highly volatile security situation in Lebanon. The safety of British nationals is our top priority, which is why we have deployed additional consular officials, Border Force and UK military personnel to the region.

We have also temporarily withdrawn the families of officials working at the British Embassy Beirut. The embassy continues to provide support to British nationals. The situation will continue to be monitored closely.

All British nationals should leave Lebanon now, while commercial routes are still available.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 August 2024.

Statement by G7 foreign ministers and the High Representative of the EU:

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the EU, express our deep concern at the heightened level of tension in the Middle East which threatens to ignite a broader conflict in the region.

We urge all involved parties once again to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions and engage constructively toward de-escalation. No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 August 2024.

The Foreign Secretary called for de-escalation along the Blue Line and the need for a diplomatic solution based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, accompanied by Defence Secretary John Healey, ended a one-day visit to Lebanon yesterday.

This was David Lammy’s first official visit to Lebanon as Foreign Secretary, following his call with Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati in his first week of office.

The Foreign Secretary called for de-escalation along the Blue Line and the need for a diplomatic solution based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The visit comes following the Foreign Secretary’s condemnation of the strike in Golan Heights which tragically claimed at least 12 lives and raised deep concerns over the risk of further escalation and destabilisation.

The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, and Lebanese Armed Forces Commander (LAF) General Joseph Aoun.

Their discussions focused on tensions across the Lebanese southern border with Israel and the wider situation in the region.

The visit is part of the Foreign Secretary’s regional visits over the past month, in which he reiterated the British government’s call for de-escalation in the region, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

This is a worrying time for people in Lebanon: they have been through a lot in the past 5 years, including the terrible port explosion that claimed so many lives.

I’m here on the ground meeting with influential figures to call for immediate de-escalation in the region.

I’ve raised my concerns about the on-going tensions between Lebanon and Israel and have highlighted the UK’s determination to avoid miscalculation.

Defence Secretary John Healey said:

De-escalation must be our primary focus as this region stands at a crossroads. The loss of innocent life in recent weeks and months is unbearable. This has to end.

All sides must step back from conflict and step-up diplomacy. We will work with important partners like Qatar as our government leads a renewed push for peace.

British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell said:

This is a very important visit by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey, their first joint visit overseas since their appointments last month.

The situation across the Blue Line remains fragile and escalation is in no one’s interest.  In his meetings, the Foreign Secretary stressed the need for de-escalation and a diplomatic solution based on UNSCR 1701.

The joint visit reaffirms the UK’s long-standing commitment and support for Lebanon’s security and stability, including as a steadfast partner to the Lebanese Armed Forces.