Tag: Foreign Office

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

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment. UK Statement at the 55th Human Rights Council.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes today’s dialogue with the Special Rapporteur and notes with appreciation his latest report, including the extensive recommendations for States to consider supporting businesses to better protect our planet.

The UK government is clear that it expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UNGPs clearly set out the duties of States (in which business enterprises are domiciled or operating) and responsibilities of business enterprises to prevent, address, and remedy human rights abuses in business operations and global supply chains.

The UK welcomes the report’s attention to the importance of transparency and disclosure. Coordination in sustainability disclosures and reporting requirements encourages sectors to demonstrate socially responsible and environmentally sustainable practices. The UK is introducing due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to help tackle illegal deforestation in our supply chains. This is part of a wider package of measures to increase our sustainability practices and contribute to global efforts to protect forests and other ecosystems.

Special Rapporteur,

How can we encourage an appropriate balance of legal and voluntary measures for positive business impact on human rights and the environment?

Thank you.

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

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

Thank you President and thank you, Secretary-General, for your sobering update.

Colleagues, the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces bear responsibility for the horrendous situation in Sudan.

Shelling and attacks from both sides in heavily populated, urban areas and across the entire western region of Sudan, continue to kill and terrorise civilians.

The situation for children is particularly unbearable.  Four million have been displaced. Over 700,000 will suffer from the deadliest form of malnutrition this year.

Sudanese children have missed a year of school and face the fear of not knowing when they will receive their next meal.

The Sudanese Armed Force’s withdrawal of permission for cross-border deliveries of humanitarian aid from Adre in Chad is indefensible.

We call on the Sudanese authorities to honour their commitments to facilitate crossline and other cross-border routes for the delivery of life-saving assistance for the Sudanese people.

They need to remove the red tape and deliberate obstructionism which has prevented meaningful crossline assistance in recent months.

To the people of Sudan, who for nearly a year have been made to witness their country’s descent into near collapse: you have not been forgotten.

The situation in Sudan warrants a robust response from this Council and increased attention from the international community.

As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, we echo the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate ceasefire and we urge all parties to allow for unhindered cross-border and crossline humanitarian access.

We encourage international partners, including the AU, IGAD and regional states, as well as the UN’s Personal Envoy, to prioritise coordination of their efforts to end this conflict, and to reject attempts by the warring parties to pit different mediation tracks against each other.

President, it should not be for the military leadership of both the SAF or RSF to determine the political future of Sudan.

We call on them to give way to a civilian, transitional government that will fully respect the basic human rights of the Sudanese people.

I thank you.

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

On Wednesday 6 March, France, Germany and the UK (E3) gave a joint statement to the IAEA Board of Governors on Iran’s implementation of its obligations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Delphine Hournau-Pouëzat, French permanent representative to the IAEA on behalf of E3:

Chair,

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom thank Director General Grossi for his report on the implementation of Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement contained in GOV/2024/8.

We commend the DG and the Secretariat for their continued professional, independent and impartial verification of Iran’s fulfilment of its safeguards obligations. We commend their repeated efforts to engage Iran to clarify information regarding the “correctness and completeness” of its declarations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement. Due to Iran’s prolonged failure to address outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency is unable to assure that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Chair,

It has been five years since the Director General first reported evidence to the Board of possible undeclared nuclear material and activities at a number of locations in Iran. Since then, Iran has failed to resolve these long-standing concerns, despite numerous resolutions by the Board, most recently in November 2022. In that time, the number of instances where Iran has acted against its legal safeguards obligations has grown. Let us briefly recall these issues:

• Iran has yet again failed to provide any technically credible explanations regarding Turquzabad and Varamin, despite having promised the Agency further information in August 2023. It has been five years since the Turquzabad investigation was opened and three and a half years since the Varamin investigation was opened. We must ask Iran, then, whether any of the nuclear material and/or contaminated equipment used at these locations remains in its territory and is not included in its declaration.
• Iran refuses to implement Modified Code 3.1 – a legal obligation that Iran cannot unilaterally suspend or modify. Iran is not giving the Agency required design information for multiple new nuclear facilities, even as it begins construction. It is unacceptable that the Agency is forced to rely instead on commercially available satellite imagery to monitor these activities. This is particularly concerning given Iran’s history of constructing undeclared nuclear facilities. As the DG notes, Iran remains the only State with significant nuclear activities that is not implementing Modified Code 3.1 as part of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.
• In September last year, Iran de-designated a number of experienced Agency inspectors and claimed that this was in response to action taken at the Board by some member states. This is a political move, described as “extreme and unjustified” by the Director General. Iran is obstructing the Agency’s ability to effectively conduct its verification activities in Iran. We echo the Director General’s strong condemnation and urge Iran to reverse it and to promptly re-designate those inspectors.

Chair,

Since the Board last met four months ago, no progress was made on implementation of the Joint Statement between the IAEA and Iran of 4 March 2023. That Joint Statement was agreed by Iran more than a year ago now, and it is clear that Iran has no intention to implement the commitments it made. We recall Iran also previously failed to implement the Joint Statements of 5 March 2022, 15 December 2021, 12 September 2021, and 26 August 2020. Let us be clear. Iran does not need new frameworks to co-operate with the Agency in order to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues. Such a framework already exists: the NPT Safeguards Agreement Iran signed and ratified, and the legally binding obligations it contains.

Chair,

On the long-standing nuclear material discrepancy at the Esfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF), we note that Iran has corrected its accounting reports, and that these indicate that the amount of Uranium sent from Jaber Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratory (JHL) to UCF was less than had been declared by Iran in 2003-2004. We note the Agency’s conclusion that this case “requires further consideration”. We expect Iran to fully co-operate with the Agency to clarify all outstanding questions. This is of particular concern as undeclared uranium metal experiments were conducted at the same laboratory in Iran between 1995 and 2002. This raises the question of the possible diversion of uranium metal.

Chair,

The Director General is unable to provide this Board and the wider international community the assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Iran’s public statements regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons should be of grave concern to us all. We echo the Director General in therefore questioning the “correctness and completeness” of Iran’s safeguards declarations. Iran’s comments are an unacceptable provocation and completely incompatible with Iran’s legal obligations under the NPT as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State.

Chair,

The Board has already adopted three resolutions on this matter. At the September 2023 Board, 63 member states joined a statement delivered by Denmark expressing deep concerns with Iran’s behaviour. Iran has still not implemented the essential and urgent actions contained in the November 2022 Resolution. As reported by the DG, Iran has not made any progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues. After so many missed opportunities and lost time, the need for the Board to hold Iran accountable to its legal obligations is long overdue. Iran must urgently, fully and unambiguously co-operate with the Agency. In the absence of decisive and substantive progress, the Board must be prepared to adopt another resolution at its next meeting, and to consider future action as necessary, including making a finding under Article 19 of Iran’s Safeguards Agreement. Iran cannot be allowed to evade its NPT safeguards obligations any further.

Chair,

We encourage the Director General to continue reporting to the Board of Governors and welcome making the report contained in GOV/2024/8 public. In its next report to the Board, we request the IAEA inform the Board whether it can exclude the possible presence of undeclared materials in other locations in Iran. We stress our unwavering support to the IAEA for their impartial and professional work on this issue.

Thank you, Chair.

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

France, Germany and the UK (E3) gave a joint statement to the IAEA Board of Governors on Iran’s implementation of its nuclear commitments under the JCPoA.

Chair, On behalf of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, I thank Director General Grossi for his latest report GOV/2024/7, and Deputy Director General Aparo for his technical briefing.

We are grateful to the Agency for the professional and impartial work of their team of inspectors and for their objective reporting on Iran’s nuclear programme. We encourage the Director General to keep the Board informed of all activities and developments requiring clarification by Iran.

Regrettably, the IAEA’s report again confirms that Iran continues on its escalatory path, in increasing violation of its JCPoA commitments. Over the past five years, Iran has pushed its nuclear activities to new heights that are unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme. Iran continues to refuse to reverse the de-designation of Agency inspectors and is failing to implement the Joint Statement of 4 March 2023. These actions cast reasonable doubt on Iran’s willingness to fully live up to its obligation and commitment to cooperate with the IAEA. This is shown by the IAEA not being able to provide assurance of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.

Chair, In the reporting period, Iran has continued enriching uranium far beyond what it committed to in the JCPoA. It now possesses 27 times the JCPoA limit of enriched uranium. The recent slight reduction of the stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 % should not lead us to false hope and wrong conclusions: enrichment up to 60 % has continued unabatedly; increasing rates of production will soon see the stockpile increase again: and downblending has amplified the sharp increase of the stockpile of uranium enriched up to 20 %. Overall, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium has increased by 30 % in just three and half months. Iran likely now has about three significant quantities of highly enriched uranium. The IAEA defines a significant quantity as the approximate amount of nuclear material from which the possibility of manufacturing a nuclear explosive device cannot be excluded.

Iran has also installed yet more advanced centrifuges and has laid ground for a further expansion of its enrichment capabilities, including at the underground Fordow site. We recall the significant work previously reported by the IAEA on uranium metal, which is a key step for the development of a nuclear weapon, and takes Iran dangerously close to actual weapons-related activity.

Furthermore, DG Grossi rightly reports that Iran has taken no meaningful steps to implement the Joint Statement. We note that Iran has taken no substantial action in response to the DG’s request to re-designate experienced Agency inspectors. Combined with Iran’s continued nonapplication of the Additional Protocol, this action by Iran seriously affects the IAEA’s verification and monitoring capabilities and activities. The DG states in his report that, Iran’s continued lack of transparency and its active rejection of verification measures provided for in the JCPoA means the Agency has definitively lost continuity of knowledge in a variety of fields. The IAEA does not know, for example, how many centrifuges Iran has and where they may be located. This information gap has had detrimental implications for the Agency’s ability to provide assurance of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.

Chair, The E3 have consistently worked towards a diplomatic solution that would permit Iran to return to full compliance with its international obligations and JCPoA commitments. Iran failed to prove its readiness for such a negotiated outcome by refusing reasonable proposals that were put on the table in March 2022 and again in August 2022, and has instead chosen to further advance its nuclear programme. We reiterate our call on Iran to halt its nuclear escalation. We strongly urge Iran to return to the limits imposed by the JCPoA, in particular regarding enrichment capabilities and activities; and to finally live up to the commitments it has made regarding transparency and cooperation with the IAEA necessary for effective verification and monitoring. We also urge Iran to re-apply all transparency measures that it stopped in February 2021 and that were agreed to in the 4 March 2023 Joint Statement between Iran and the IAEA, as well as to re-implement and swiftly ratify its Additional Protocol. Iran must now take serious and meaningful steps that show a genuine desire to de-escalate and to rebuild urgently needed trust between Iran and the international community. Recent public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons go in the opposite direction and are all the more concerning and inconsistent with Iran’s legal obligations under the NPT.

Chair, The DG’s report makes very clear that Iran’s nuclear advances significantly harm international security and undermine the global non-proliferation architecture. We will continue consultations, alongside international partners, on how best to address increasing doubts about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. We remain committed to a diplomatic solution and stand ready to use all diplomatic levers available to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Finally, we ask the Director General to keep the Board of Governors informed on the status of Iran’s nuclear programme well ahead of the next meeting in June 2024, and provide earlier updates as necessary. We also ask for the report to be made public.

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

At the OSCE FSC Security Dialogue, Ambassador Neil Holland speaks about the importance of Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Thank you, Mr Chair. And thank you panellists, for sharing your expertise on this important subject. It is absolutely right that we discuss the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in the FSC, on the week that we mark International Women’s Day.

It is more than ten years since Russia sought to illegally annex Crimea and over two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Events on the ground continue to demonstrate the relevance of Women, Peace and Security to the politico-military dimension. The WPS Agenda aims to recognise and empower women as integral stakeholders and decision makers in international security. We see this in Ukraine every day. As our Ukrainian colleague made clear, tens of thousands of women serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Territorial Defence Forces. Many more play crucial roles across society – including as medical professionals, first responders, aid workers – often in addition to being primary caregivers. We salute their courage and resilience in helping Ukraine secure a successful and sustainable peace.

Two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, we continue to witness the disproportionate impact of war on women and girls. The WPS Agenda also aims to protect victims and survivors. This is why the UK is resolutely committed to holding all those responsible to account, including through our support for the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group. This was launched in May 2022 to reinforce Ukraine’s domestic investigations and the prosecution of core international crimes. As part of this work, a member of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts is working to support the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General to implement its Conflict-Related Sexual Violence strategy. This includes helping to embed international guidelines and best practice, including on survivor-centred approaches, into the work of Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators.  We have also stepped up our assistance to the ICC. The international community and national authorities must work to uphold survivor’s rights and help bring perpetrators to justice.

At home, the UK is making progress towards enhancing women’s participation. The numbers of women serving in the armed forces have been steadily rising and we have worked hard to facilitate meaningful inclusion. This includes through the provision of flexible working schemes and gender-sensitive improvements to training and uniform.

In 2022, the Ministry of Defence announced a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse. This is in addition to mandatory pre-deployment gender awareness training and annual refreshers on international humanitarian law.

At the OSCE, the UK and Belgium championed the annual voluntary report on WPS under the Code of Conduct (on Politico-Military Aspects of Security). We thank the many participating States which have already submitted returns and encourage others to use the questionnaire to help share best practice.

Mr Chair, the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women in all aspects and at all levels of security is essential to achieving better outcomes for peace and security.  This is not only the right thing to do – it also leads to more conflict-sensitive and strategic outcomes. And where militaries break international law, by targeting non-combatants including women and girls, we will hold the perpetrators to account. Thank you.

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

UK Statement for Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom thanks the Special Rapporteur for her work to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all.

Freedom of religion or belief remains a priority for our bilateral and multilateral work and was among our national pledges to mark last year’s anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Following the 2022 UK-hosted international Ministerial conference on freedom of religion or belief, we pledged to build coalitions. We continue to turn these words into action. In June 2023, we led with the UAE Security Council resolution 2686 which directly addresses, for the first time, the persecution of religious minorities in conflict settings. We also work to strengthen freedom of religion or belief through the International Contact Group and the International Religious Freedom and Belief Alliance, which we chaired for 2 years.

More must be done. The scale and severity of violations and abuses of freedom of religion or belief globally remains deeply concerning, including for the Baha’i community in Yemen and Iran, the Ahmadis in Pakistan and the Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua. We must work collaboratively to unite around an approach that respects all human rights.

Special Rapporteur,

How can the international community increase collaborative efforts to protect freedom of religion or belief?

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

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

Thank you, President,  and like others I would like to thank SRSG Otunbayeva and Fatima Gailani for their briefings.

And thank you too to  UNAMA’s staff for all the work they do to support the Afghan people.

UNAMA’s latest report outlines the challenges that Afghanistan continues to face – restrictions on the rights of women and girls are becoming stricter and over half the country’s population will require humanitarian assistance this year.

So it is vital that we collectively continue to support the Afghan people.

First, by the international community staying united, or in Ms Gailani’s word, cohesive, in its engagement with the Taliban.

The future path for an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours is laid out in the Special Coordinator’s Independent Assessment and in resolution 2721.

So we should now seek to move forward with its recommendations, including the formation of a small contact group and the appointment of a Special Envoy.

In order to make further progress the Taliban must meet their international obligations.

Afghanistan cannot be self-reliant when it excludes fifty percent of its people from society.

And without inclusive governance, it will not find durable and lasting peace.

Second, by continuing our urgent action to address the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

The UN’s humanitarian needs and response plan for Afghanistan remains underfunded.

We call on all states to step up their support and the UK’s own bilateral aid programme this year currently stands at $144 million.

We need to support aid agencies as they try to ensure that all marginalised groups have equal, safe, and dignified access to assistance and services.

President, the United Kingdom remains committed to finding a constructive way forward, working with all international partners and a range of Afghan stakeholders in this endeavour.

We continue to stand with the Afghan people.

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

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN General Assembly meeting on UNRWA.

Thank you, President. The UK reaffirms UNRWA’s role in providing essential services to Palestinian refugees as mandated by the UN General Assembly since 1949, both in Gaza and across the region.

In particular, we note that UNRWA is the main provider of essential health and education services, and humanitarian relief to two million people in desperate need in Gaza.

Over one million people, displaced people, are sheltering in UNRWA buildings including schools, and UNRWA is providing food support to over a million people.

UNRWA staff are operating under the most challenging circumstances at considerable risk to themselves.

And we recognise the tragic loss of life of 158 UNRWA staff to date in this conflict.

We pay tribute to them and offer condolences to their families.

The UK also recognises the essential role that UNRWA plays in basic service provision and humanitarian relief in the region; as well as their support to some four million Palestinians in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon – thereby supporting stability across the region.

Following the allegations by Israel that 12 staff members were involved in the attacks on Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned, the UK has paused any future funding of UNRWA in line with other donors.

I commend the quick and decisive action taken by the UN, including the launch of two independent investigations.

We look forward to seeing the interim reports and want UNRWA to set out a clear plan of action and commitments that address findings to ensure real change.

I reiterate that the UK remains committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it.  We are working with our partners to try and bring this situation to a rapid conclusion – not least because UNRWA has a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza, and the wider region.

I thank you.

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

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan.

Thank you President, and thank you Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for your briefing.

I also welcome the participation of the representative of South Sudan at our meeting.

Let me begin by praising SRSG Haysom and UNMISS for their tireless efforts in protecting and assisting the people of South Sudan in challenging and often dangerous circumstances.

President, the picture in South Sudan remains bleak.  The country has witnessed terrible violence since independence.  The South Sudanese authorities need to take every measure to prevent it from descending into violence again.

We call on the Government of South Sudan to mitigate this risk by demonstrating true political will, and urgently taking the necessary steps to deliver credible, peaceful, and inclusive elections.

To date, very limited progress has been made. We welcome the fact that members of both the National Constitutional Review and National Elections Commission have now been sworn in.

We call on the Government of South Sudan to disperse the allocated resources to enable this crucial work to get underway.

And we further urge the South Sudanese authorities to take immediate action on the critical political decisions as set out by UNMISS. T

hese steps include voter registration, agreeing the type of election to be called, a permanent constitution, and implementation of the necessary parts of the Peace Agreement, including deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces.

Candidates and parties need to be able to campaign freely without threat. So we call on the South Sudanese Government to protect civic and political space as cornerstones of a functioning democracy.

President, elections would represent a historic moment for the South Sudanese people who have yet to enjoy the benefits of peace.

Sub-national armed conflict, the effects of climate change, and displacement from Sudan have resulted in an appalling humanitarian crisis.

The United Kingdom recognises the South Sudanese Government’s efforts to support arrivals from Sudan and notes the stress this is placing on communities and resources.

We call on the South Sudanese Government to provide a conducive environment for delivery of aid, to remove bureaucratic impediments and prevent attacks on aid workers.

In closing, a huge task lies ahead. The people of South Sudan deserve peace, democracy, and a government that is accountable to them.

Thank you.

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

UK top official launches Gaashaan project to support survivors of gender based-violence in Somalia.

• UK’s top diplomat joins Somali Minister for Women, Human Rights and Development, Amina Hassan Ali, to launch Gaashaan project in Mogadishu.
• The launch event, hosted by journalist Ifrah Noor, includes Somali delivery partners, Save the Children, CARE and the International Rescue Committee.
• UK funding to the Gaashaan project will support survivors of gender-based violence, tackle child protection concerns, as well as empower local women rights organisations to end gender-based violence in humanitarian crises.

Ahead of International Women’s Day, the UK’s top diplomat, Sir Philip Barton, joined British Ambassador to Somalia Mike Nithavrianakis and Somali Minister for Women, Human Rights and Development, Amina Hassan Ali, to launch the UK’s flagship Gaashaan project, which will support survivors of gender-based violence across Somalia.

The launch event, held on 4 March, featured a roundtable discussion on women’s political empowerment and women’s rights in Somalia, chaired by Chief Editor of Bilan Media, Ifrah Noor. The event also recognised the efforts of women’s rights organisations in addressing risks faced by women and children in Somalia.

Ifrah Noor, Chief Editor of Bilan Media, said:

Women’s participation in political spaces can only be fully achieved if proper accommodations are made. We have to finance, equip and train women to be influential leaders and to turn our words into action.

Partners delivering the project, including Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, CARE, Save Somali Women and Children, Somali Women and Development Centre Somali Women’s Studies Centre, and Gargaar Relief and Development Organisation spoke to invitees about the impact of the project, which is already improving lives across the country.

British Ambassador to Somalia, Mike Nithavrianakis, said:

As we prepare to mark International Women’s Day, it was fantastic to welcome Minister Amina Hassan Ali and partners to launch our flagship women and girls programme – Gaashaan.

The Gaashaan programme will have a tangible impact on the lives of Somali women and girls, addressing impacts of climate shocks and conflict by offering support to survivors of gender-based violence.

Somali Minister, Amina Hassan Ali, said:

We are very pleased with the UK’s support in protecting Somali women and children. On behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia, the Ministry of Women, Human Rights and Development is delighted to commemorate International Women’s Day with the launch of Gaashaan project.

In December, the UK announced £15 million to establish Gaashaan and help support survivors of gender-based violence over the next four years.

The Gaashaan project (which in Somali means “shield”), will reach over 117,000 people, offering improved access to specialised protection services. It will also work to empower grassroots communities and women’s rights organisations, to prevent gender-based violence and other forms of violence impacting women. The project will also help tackle child protection concerns. All of these challenges are compounded by conflict and climate change in Somalia.

Notes to Editors

• You can follow UK activity in Somalia on Twitter/X and Facebook or at www.gov.uk/world/somalia/news
• Further information on the UK-Somalia development partnership can be found here.