Tag: Foreign Office

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development spokesperson said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

Following the sentencing of Vadym Golda, a member of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission, Ambassador Holland condemns Russia’s detention and treatment of OSCE officials in Ukraine.

Thank you, Mister Chair.  We join the Chair-in-Office and the Secretary General in unequivocally condemning the sentencing last week of Vadym Golda to 14 years in prison.

The detention and treatment of Vadym and his colleagues from the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine are a violation of well-established international principles, including the Helsinki Final Act.  These are there to keep our fellow citizens safe when they are fulfilling their responsibilities under an international mandate. What is more, these are our colleagues.  Russia’s actions set a terrible precedent which should be of grave concern to us all.

Madam Chair, I repeat my government’s sincere gratitude to the brave women and men of the SMM in Ukraine. They performed their OSCE-mandated roles with integrity and professionalism.

The unlawful detention of our colleagues is truly shocking. The suffering that they and their loved ones are enduring remains a constant concern to us.

We call on Russia to end the unlawful detention of Vadym, Maxim and Dmytro and that of all Ukrainian citizens it has illegally detained. Thank you.

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

Tenth anniversary of the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine: UK statement to OSCE.

Thank you, Mister Chair.

Yesterday we marked the tenth anniversary of the downing of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine and the deaths of 298 innocent people from 17 countries, including 10 British nationals. The United Kingdom expresses its deepest condolences to all those who lost their loved ones.

The United Kingdom reiterates its full support for the efforts to pursue truth, justice and accountability, and to provide answers for the friends and families of those who so tragically died. We are grateful in particular for the work and dedication of the Joint Investigation Team.

The conclusion of the trial in the Netherlands at the end of 2022, and the conviction of three individuals for murder in relation to the downing of MH17, was an important step in securing justice for the families of the victims. However, this process has not run its course.

The downing of MH17 was a shocking violation of the international norms which keep our societies safe. All States have a responsibility to cooperate in full with efforts to establish accountability. The United Kingdom deeply regrets the Russian Federation’s decision to withdraw unilaterally from ICAO proceedings on MH17 and we continue to call on Russia to cooperate in full with efforts to establish accountability so that justice can be fully delivered.

Thank you, Mister Chair.

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

Ambassador Holland condemns Russia’s relentless targeting of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, which is a violation of humanitarian law and OSCE principles.

Madam Chair, in spring 2024, Russia significantly intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, continuing a strategy aimed at crippling Ukraine’s power supply. These attacks have continued into the summer and caused widespread and lasting damage across Ukraine. This has severely impacted civilians and their access to essential services including electricity, heating, and water. Russia’s attacks since spring 2024 have resulted in a total electricity loss of over 9 GW, with rolling blackouts occurring throughout Ukraine, plunging civilians into darkness.

Russia carried out one of its most extensive assaults in early June, launching 70 missiles and drones overnight, targeting energy facilities in at least five Ukrainian regions, resulting in substantial damage to the power system. Ukrainian air defences managed to intercept many of the incoming missiles and drones, but the attack still inflicted considerable damage on critical infrastructure and caused widespread civilian suffering.

The damage Russia has caused to Ukraine’s energy grid, comes at a particularly challenging time, as recently parts of Ukraine have been engulfed in a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. This has led to a sharp demand in electricity, mainly for air conditioning. The combination of rising temperatures with power shortages and disruptions to water supplies caused by Russian attacks, is incredibly dangerous for civilians – particularly to the health of the frail and elderly.

Additionally, Ukraine faces a great challenge to restore power before the winter – running the risk that millions may not have sufficient heat as temperatures drastically decrease.

Madam Chair, Russia is violating international humanitarian law by terrorising the civilian population with its relentless targeting of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and its persistent attacks on energy infrastructure also represent a violation of its commitments to the OSCE’s Helsinki Final Act. Russia has flouted several foundational principles of this organisation including respect for sovereignty, refraining from the threat  or use of force, and upholding human rights. The international community, including the OSCE, must continue to hold Russia accountable for these violations.

In the face of Russia’s aggression, the people of Ukraine have demonstrated their strength and resilience and we are committed to their long term support. The UK has already pledged nearly £150 million to reinforce Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and bolster its cybersecurity defences. We will continue to work with international partners to help Ukraine repair, protect and restore its energy system. Our commitment, to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to defend itself and to restore its sovereignty over all of its territory, is iron-clad. As we know, this is the only path to a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter and OSCE principles. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will roll out up to £84 million funding over the next 3 years to address the reasons for illegal migration.

• up to £84 million funding package announced for projects across Africa and the Middle East to address reasons why people flee their homes
• Prime Minister announces plans to work with the Global South and European partners to tackle illegal migration at source
• new initiatives agreed with Slovenia and Slovakia to tackle organised crime

The Prime Minister has today announced new plans to build on the government’s manifesto commitments to smash criminal gangs, secure UK borders and protect the vulnerable.

Speaking from the European Political Community summit – the biggest meeting of European leaders hosted in the UK for decades – the Prime Minister called on leaders to take an international approach to the growing irregular migration crisis as he announced plans to work with the Global South and European partners to tackle drivers of small boat arrivals.

A funding package of up to £84 million will be rolled out by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office over the next 3 years to address the factors that drive people into small boats.

Millions migrate every year due to conflict, climate change, and humanitarian crises, putting a strain on host communities and leaving vulnerable individuals open to exploitation.

The funding will support projects across Africa and the Middle East to improve education and employment opportunities as well as initiatives that will help to build resilience to global shocks like conflict and climate change, which are 2 of the leading causes of irregular migration.

Around 45 European leaders attended the summit to discuss some of the most pressing generational issues facing Europe – from the war in Ukraine to illegal migration and security cooperation – as part of a government reset with European relations. It was also the first time that migration was discussed at an EPC working group, reflecting the need for further collaboration to tackle this shared challenge.

The Prime Minister also announced new initiatives with Slovenia and Slovakia to tackle serious organised crime and stop the gangs that are profiteering from global instability. The deals with Slovenia and Slovakia will enable greater cooperation between law enforcement and help to strengthen security in the UK against cross-border terrorism, serious and organised crime, and people smuggling.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

If we are to tackle the rising crisis of migration, we must address why people flee their homes and risk dangerous journeys to the UK and other European countries.

Our package of up to £84 million will improve education, boost employment and build resilience to conflict and climate change across the Middle East and North Africa – to help bring down migration figures whilst improving lives for the world’s most vulnerable people.

The summit has brought together our key European counterparts as part of a reset in relations, not only to tackle illegal immigration, but other shared challenges including greater security cooperation and continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.

A key focus of the UK’s work upstream will be to improve the long-term prospects for people in their home region by supporting them to access education and employment opportunities.

New programmes to help Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon to access education, improve skills, and find employment opportunities will be introduced to deter migrants from travelling onwards.

These initiatives will help to build on the commitments made by the UK at the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Global Refugee Forum in December last year to ensure refugee children can access education, which improves livelihoods, reduces marginalisation and risk of abuse.

Meanwhile funding in North and East Africa, including for the Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) programme, will help migrants to fill local skills gaps whilst ensuring their rights are protected. Opportunities for individuals to positively contribute to their local economy can help them to better integrate into society and deter them from dangerous onward travel in search of opportunities elsewhere.

Humanitarian aid for communities impacted by conflict will also be provided as part of today’s package. This includes funding to provide food, water, shelter, and health interventions to over 210,000 individuals in Sudan, where over 8.7 million people have been displaced due to the conflict. Sudanese refugees in Eastern Chad, which is currently host to more Sudanese refugees than any other country, will also be supported. Not only is this aid vitally needed, but it will also help people to stay within their home region so they can return to their homes when conditions allow.

The UK will also increase its funding to a number of multilateral organisations to support governments that host high volumes of refugees and to improve the resilience of nations that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

The UK will also contribute up to £2 million to support the IOM’s work in Libya, including for voluntary humanitarian returns. The initiative helps vulnerable migrants in Libya return to their home country and reintegrate into their community in a safe and dignified manner. The project has also been supported by the EU and has been promoted by Italy through the Rome Process.

Background

Of the total £84 million, which comes from existing Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets, funding includes:

• £13 million to expand Migration for Development programmes in North and East Africa
• £21 million in multilateral support for key host and transit countries, including Libya, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Chad
• £26 million for programmes across the Middle East and wider region to support Syrian refugees
• £24 million in direct funding to support communities in Sudan, Chad, and Ethiopia

Additionally, up to £2 million will support the IOM’s work in Libya.

Find out further information about the UK’s commitments at the Global Refugee Forum: UK unveils support to tackle displacement and illegal migration.

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

Lord Pickles visited Jersey from 8 to 10 May 2024 to mark Liberation Day, the end of Jersey’s occupation by Nazi forces during World War 2.

Key to the UK’s Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) was the visit by Lord Pickles to Jersey to take part in Liberation Day. The Channel Islands were the only part of Britain to be occupied by the Nazis during the Second World war. Liberation Day marked the end of almost 5 years of occupation by Nazi forces during World War 2. Jersey was liberated by British troops on 9 May 1945, the day after VE Day, which saw an end to the hostilities in Europe.

This year, Lord Pickles in his capacity as chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance took part in the annual commemorations. This included a dinner hosted by the Bailiff of Jersey at the Old Library, Royal Court House, St Helier, and the re-enactment of Liberation Day around Liberation Square, where crowds gathered in 1945 to welcome British troops and watch them unfurl the Union Jack from the balcony of the Pomme d’Or Hotel.

This was followed by solemn service at the Slave Workers’ Memorial at Westmount, a memorial that remembers the thousands of slave and enforced workers who suffered at the hands of the German forces. The service was hosted by Gary Font, the son of a Spanish Civil War fighter who was forced into slave labour in Jersey. Lord Pickles laid a wreath at the Slave Workers’ Memorial with the following message: ‘In memory of all foreign labourers who died during the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands and remembering those that suffered and survived’.

Lord Pickles also hosted and spoke at a panel discussion on 10 May 2024, entitled ‘ The Memory of Forced and Slave Labour in the Channel Islands’. Speakers included:

Dr Paul Sanders (NEOMA Business School, France)
Martha Bernstein (Jersey Jewish Congregation)
Sarah Buckingham (Jersey Heritage), and
Gary Font (spokesperson for forced and slave labourers in Jersey)
The panel was chaired by Dr Gilly Carr (University of Cambridge).

There was a broad discussion on ensuring we remember the victims of slave and enforced labour on the Channel Islands. Hope was expressed that the upcoming Alderney Review would name victims and thus give them lasting dignity.

Dr Carr asked Lord Pickles why is it so important for us to remember forced and slave workers in the Channel Islands? He said:

The camps in Alderney were significant in the history of the Holocaust not just because they were sited on British soil but also because there had been considerable speculation in recent years over numbers of individuals murdered by the conditions in the camps.

Lord Pickles went on to say that:

Numbers matter because the truth matters. The dead deserve the dignity of the truth; the residents of Alderney deserve accurate numbers to free them from distortion. Exaggerating the numbers of the dead, or even minimising them, is in itself a form of Holocaust distortion and a critical threat to Holocaust memory and to fostering a world without genocide.

Lord Pickle went on to say that he hoped the review which will be published on 22 May will put to rest theories on numbers and provide lasting dignity to the dead and some peace to the residents of Alderney who continue to remember them at the Hammond War Memorial every year in May.

Other key themes emerging from the panel discussion was the desire for good educational programmes in schools to tie that in with authentic sites in the island. Westmount, for example, has no information board and yet it is the place where forced and slave labourers were buried during the occupation and where Spanish Republican survivors who stayed in the island held their own annual memorial which continues today.

The audience, many of whom represented the education, heritage and survivor communities, engaged with the panel and discussed how the history of slave and enforced labourers should be remembered and how it should be part of the education offer.

Lord Pickles ended his visit to Jersey with a Shabbat dinner with the Jewish community where concerns were raised about the rising levels of antisemitism across the UK especially on university campuses and recent Pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Jersey. He reassured the Jewish community of Jersey that better days will come.

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

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Russia’s invasion poses a profound challenge to the international order on which our prosperity and security depends.

Thank you, Mr Chair. Almost two and half years on, Russia’s illegal war of aggression continues unabated, posing a profound challenge to the international order on which our prosperity and security depends.

The outcome of this war matters to every member of this Forum. Russia likes to advance its narrative of disinformation advocating a ‘multipolar world’, but in reality, this is nothing more than a world where Russia is free to challenge its neighbours’ sovereignty and disregard the very security architecture we are here to preserve.

Russia must not be allowed to operate with impunity, violating the borders of other sovereign countries, dictating to other sovereign nations which security arrangements it may or may not make. It is imperative that Ukraine is successful in repelling Russia’s invasion because the consequences of a Russian victory for Ukraine and the wider region are too dire to contemplate. But Ukraine has shown, with our support, that they can win this war and restore sovereignty over their internationally recognised borders.

The reality is that this war has been a military and political disaster for Russia. To date, more than half a million Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded during Russia’s war.  The average daily number of Russian casualties (killed and wounded) in May was 1,200 per day. It is estimated that 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the last 60 days alone. The Russian people are being forced to pay the price for Russia’s President’s miscalculation – every Kinzhal missile costs USD 7 million, as much as 130 Russian teachers’ annual salaries. With Defence now accounting for up to 30 per cent of Russia’s Federal government spending and 6 per cent of its GDP, this war is taking its toll on Russia.

In framing its argument, Russia seeks to deflect from the reality that there is one aggressor in this war: Russia itself. The policies in support of Ukraine are not inherently anti-Russian, nor do they pose an existential threat to Russia, as the Russian narrative would have us believe. They simply require that Russia ends hostilities towards Ukraine and withdraws from Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.

In the face of Russia’s disregard for international law, the United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine. We do this recognising that if Ukraine’s borders are not secure, no one’s borders can be secure. That is why the United Kingdom has committed, this year, to sending the UK’s single largest package of equipment to Ukraine, including air-defence and long-range missiles, vehicles, and ammunition.

This is a demonstration of the United Kingdom’s long-term commitment to Ukraine and to European security more broadly.

In closing, Mr Chair, I reiterate that Russia’s invasion poses a profound challenge to the international order on which our prosperity and security depends. This should matter to every country, no matter where they are in the world. Ukraine’s security is inextricably linked to all of us, and the United Kingdom will maintain the resolve and provide the ability to ensure that Ukraine wins. Thank you.