Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 February 2024.

UK’s Minister of State for the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, on his official visit to Geneva to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council High-Level Panel.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, Commonwealth, UN and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, will visit Geneva today (Wednesday) to address the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

He will condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as well as calling out states who violate human rights. He will also reaffirm the Foreign Secretary’s calls for the fighting to stop now, creating the conditions for a sustainable and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as well as an irreversible pathway for a two-state solution that guarantees justice, peace, and security for the citizens of two states – Israel and Palestine.

Lord Ahmad will also deliver the UK’s national statement during the Conference on Disarmament’s High-Level Week, to an audience of 65 Member and over 20 Observer States. He will emphasise the importance of upholding multilateral institutions as multilateral institutions navigate growing strategic instability and politicisation.

The visit will provide the opportunity for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon to meet the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and discuss the UK’s human rights priorities.

Ahead of the visit, Lord Ahmad said:

“As we face some of the greatest global challenges of our time, the need for a strong multilateral system is more important than ever, and this visit will provide an important opportunity to come together with our international partners to protect and strengthen human rights across the world.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

The Human Rights Council will be in session from 26 February to 5 April.  The session will open with a Ministerial High-Level Segment and will be attended by the Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, Commonwealth, UN and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 February 2024.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron gave a statement on Hong Kong’s Article 23 national security proposals.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong confirmed that for 50 years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) would maintain a high degree of autonomy and that the rights and freedoms, as provided for by the laws previously in force in Hong Kong, would continue. Hong Kong’s Basic Law sets out those rights and freedoms.

As a co-signatory to the Joint Declaration, the UK has a responsibility to ensure that those rights and freedoms are maintained.

The UK government recognises the right of all jurisdictions to implement legislation to address national security concerns.  We also acknowledge that Hong Kong has a constitutional obligation to introduce such legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law.

Hong Kong is also required to ensure that national security legislation aligns with international standards and upholds rights and freedoms, as set out in the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Legislative proposals announced on 30 January by the Hong Kong government do not uphold these obligations. They will have a negative impact on the people of Hong Kong in the exercise of their rights and freedoms.

My officials have raised our concerns privately with the Hong Kong authorities and through the public consultation process. Those concerns include, but are not limited to:

• the toughening of penalties for speech crimes and the use of the broadly defined term ‘state secrets’ will inhibit freedom of speech, of expression and of the press
• the risk that the work of international organisations in Hong Kong could be labelled as ‘foreign interference’
• vague references to ‘external forces’ and the new offence of ‘external interference’ threaten the legitimate and lawful diplomatic and consular activity as protected in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
• the absence of any reference to independent oversight, or the mechanisms that would support it
• lack of clarity on the procedures that will govern detention without charge, and the absence of a judicial oversight mechanism
• the absence of any provision for independent and robust mechanisms to safeguard against arbitrary action by the executive on national security grounds

The UK has noted the references to UK national security legislation throughout the consultation document. UK national security legislation is informed by public consultation and was subject to full scrutiny by both Houses of Parliament, including the democratically elected House of Commons. This ensures that our national security legislation is fully representative of the views of the UK public and has democratic legitimacy.

I strongly urge the Hong Kong SAR government to re-consider their proposals and engage in genuine and meaningful consultation with the people of Hong Kong.

We will monitor development of this legislation closely.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 February 2024.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on food security risks in Gaza.

Thank you, President, and I thank OCHA for the White Note and I thank too our briefers from OCHA, the FAO and the World Food Programme.

Colleagues, we are witnesses to a desperate situation in Gaza which is worsening day by day. In Rafah and the South, people are crammed into tents if they’re lucky, but without sufficient food, water or hygiene. In North Gaza, as we’ve heard from the World Food Programme, humanitarian organisations cannot get aid to people who desperately need it. Hunger is at catastrophic levels. As ever, the most devastating impact falls on the most vulnerable: women and children.

To address this, three things need to happen:

First, we call on all parties to stop fighting immediately. This is crucial to get aid in and hostages out, and then progress towards a sustainable and permanent ceasefire. This is the only way to alleviate catastrophic hunger and suffering in Gaza.

Second, we urge Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, and to facilitate distribution throughout the strip. Thousands of trucks are stuck in Egypt and Jordan, containing food, shelter and other essentials. We need more crossings opened for longer, including Kerem-Shalom. We need unencumbered access for aid coming from Jordan; we need the full opening of Ashdod Port. Key to this too is increasing the speed and capacity of aid screening operations, including at Kerem-Shalom and Nitzana to allow this life-saving aid to reach those who need it as soon as possible.

We are particularly concerned that the World Food Programme has had to suspend aid deliveries into Northern Gaza, due to the breakdown of law and order. Airdrops cannot substitute for land-based delivery; humanitarians need safe and unhindered access to the North through the Erez Crossings now.

We urge Israel to resume water and electricity supplies, which is critical for food production and safe drinking water. Commercial activity also needs to restart.

Third, the UN and humanitarian partners need greater protection and access to the tools needed to accomplish their mission. This includes armoured vehicles, communications equipment, personal protective equipment and visas. They need functioning deconfliction mechanisms and safety guarantees for locations and convoys.

President, colleagues, conflict in Gaza is driving hunger. Hunger is driving a breakdown in law and order, making it impossible for aid agencies to deliver aid safely.

This White Note makes clear that we need to act now. The UK calls for an immediate pause in fighting, then progress towards a sustainable ceasefire. This is the only way to avert famine and alleviate suffering.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 February 2024.

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

Thank you, President and I thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Under-Secretary Griffiths for their briefings today.

Like others, we recall the devastating effects of the earthquakes one year ago and offer our condolences to those affected.

For 13 years, this conflict has ground on. To make meaningful progress on Syria we need to see three changes.

First, we want Syria to stop its destabilising activity. Syria’s readmission to the League of Arab States last year was an opportunity for the regime to play a more constructive role in the region. But we have not seen that change.

In particular the regime continues to generate vast profits producing and selling captagon. With the support of Iranian-affiliated groups, its trade is becoming ever more organised, violent and destabilising. That dangerous activity – which puts our partners in the region at risk – has to stop.

Second, we need to act to address the humanitarian crisis in Syria. 72% of the population is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. In the north-east, more than a million people have been cut off from electricity. We continue to call for sustained, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access for people in need across Syria, including in the north-west. And we call on all parties to stop escalating activities.

For our part, the UK is investing in early recovery interventions so that ordinary Syrians have a means to build a better future. In 2023 we dedicated $19 million to early recovery and livelihoods projects – for example, rather than handing out food parcels, we are fixing irrigation and drainage systems so Syrian farmers can produce more food themselves.

Third, we call on all authorities in Syria to protect fundamental human rights. We are concerned at reports of the de facto authorities in Idlib’s proposed ‘public morality law’. If implemented, this law could significantly affect women’s rights and freedom of expression.  We are monitoring the situation closely and urge partners to use their influence to uphold human rights.

President, in conclusion, we underline our continued support for the efforts of UN Special Envoy Pedersen and welcome his extensive efforts to organise a meeting of the Constitutional Committee, and it is welcome news that he is today issuing invitations for a meeting in Geneva in April. We call on the Assad regime to engage in this process.

Syrians deserve sustainable peace and stability and a solution to this long running conflict. Resolution 2254 is the only route out of this conflict.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 February 2024.

48 WTO members agreed a statement at the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), Minister for Trade Greg Hands represented the UK.

Joint Statement of Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, European Union, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, The Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Ukraine and United States
We, the trade ministers/heads of delegation of the undersigned WTO Members, have met in Abu-Dhabi today on the occasion of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, to reiterate our full support for and solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We express our deep sadness at the devastating human losses and profound suffering caused by Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, which continues for the third year in gross violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. In so doing, we reiterate our full support for the UN General Assembly Resolution of 2 March 2022 (A/RES/ES-11/1) and all other resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly at its eleventh emergency special session.

We reaffirm our commitment to Ukraine’s fight for its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and call for the Russian Federation to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues to have devastating global and regional impacts, including on Ukraine’s economy and ability to trade. The destruction of significant parts of Ukraine’s transportation, port infrastructure, and grain storage facilities as well as mining of agricultural land is impeding Ukraine’s ability to produce, export, and import normally. We are gravely concerned about the consequences of this destruction for Ukraine and for global trade, in particular with regard to the supply to international markets of a number of key commodities produced by Ukraine, including agricultural and food products, fertilisers, and critical minerals. We are also deeply concerned by numerous reports of grain being plundered by Russia from Ukraine. These actions violate the principles and values of the WTO.

Ukraine is one of the world’s top exporters of key agricultural products such as wheat, maize, barley, and sunflower oil. We recognise Ukraine’s determination, despite Russia’s war of aggression, to ensure food security and supply to some of the most vulnerable parts of the world, particularly developing countries. In this regard, the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative continues to be an important tool to help to respond to hunger. Russia weaponized food, and hit the world’s most vulnerable with its sea blockade. We praise Ukraine’s achievement of reopening grain exports by its Black Sea corridor to the global markets and welcome the establishment in 2022 of the EU Solidarity Lanes, which have allowed the exports of around 67 million tonnes of grain since May 2022 from Ukraine to global markets. This benefits all countries, notably the countries most in need. In this context, it is necessary to ensure free, full, and safe navigation in the Black and Azov Seas and ensure that sea routes and ports are not threatened or blocked by threat of or use of force.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has also caused profound environmental damage to Ukraine and resulted in unprecedented pollution and disruption of the regional ecosystems.

We underscore the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine, in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, based on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. We welcome Ukraine’s efforts aimed at achieving peace, including through the principles laid out in President Zelenskyy’s 10 Point Peace Formula. We reiterate that the Russian Federation must bear the legal consequences of all of its internationally wrongful acts, including making reparation for injury and loss, including for any humanitarian, economic, and environmental damage caused by such acts.

We will continue work to support Ukraine and to facilitate its exports and supply chains for the benefit of global food security. We encourage all WTO Members to do likewise in a manner commensurate with their capacity, including by facilitating the use of infrastructure, as well as facilitating and simplifying customs procedures. Within the capacity of each WTO Member, we will continue to provide assistance to Ukraine to alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian people. We will also look for practical ways to help and assist Ukraine in its reconstruction efforts, activities, and projects to overcome the negative consequences of Russia’s war of aggression.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 February 2024.

Harnessing multilateral efforts to embed, amplify & realise the rights of persons with disabilities, with a focus on full & effective participation & inclusion in society. Statement delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French.

Thank you Mr President.

The United Kingdom is committed to providing greater voice, choice, and visibility for people with disabilities to help them achieve their full rights and freedoms. Through our international Disability Inclusion & Rights Strategy, we take a twin-track approach, with targeted support through disability-specific interventions alongside mainstreaming disability inclusion across our work.

It is imperative for multilateral institutions, alongside States, to increase their efforts in mainstreaming disability at all levels. We note in particular the transformative impact that inclusive financing and investment can have on leaving no one behind.

Beyond the vital work that Member States are taking in areas such as inclusive education and healthcare, we must also remember that services are only accessible if the built environment around them is accessible.

We must prioritise engaging with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations at every stage to ensure their voices and experience are heard as we tackle our shared global challenges.

Esteemed panellists,

How can States and multilateral institutions better incorporate disability inclusion by design as part of growth, investment, and development agendas?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 February 2024.

• UK sanctions package, coordinated with the US, targets those that support or enable the work of the Houthis across the Middle East and around the Red Sea
• UK and US sanctions both include key units within the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and the Deputy Commander
• Foreign Secretary warns the UK and our partners ‘will not hesitate to act’ to protect regional stability and maritime security in the Red Sea

Today the UK and US have announced a number of sanctions against those that support, enable or deliver work of the Houthis, the Iran-backed proxy group in Yemen responsible for widespread attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The UK will today sanction 2 individuals and 3 organisations for their role in providing financial or military support to the Houthis, in order to expose and disrupt their efforts to undermine regional stability across the Middle East. The UK will also sanction a Houthi security minister for threatening the peace, security and stability of Yemen by supporting attacks against shipping in the Red Sea.

Today’s announcement follows the commitment laid out by the Prime Minister on the 23 January to cut off the Houthis financial resources. It is the second tranche of recent sanctions targeted at the Houthis or those that enable their activity and follows additional pre-existing sanctions against 11 Houthi individuals and 2 entities.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

The attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis are unacceptable, illegal and a threat to innocent lives and freedom of navigation.

As I have made clear to the Iranian Foreign Minister, the regime bears responsibility for these attacks due to the extensive military support it has provided to the Houthis.

All those who seek to undermine regional stability should know that the UK, alongside our allies, will not hesitate to act.

Over recent weeks, the Houthis have continued to carry out a number of dangerous attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Iran has supported the Houthis to carry out these attacks, by providing intelligence, missiles and drones.

The individuals and entities that are subject to UK travel bans and/or asset freezes today including:

• Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh: Deputy Commander of the IRGC Quds Force, also designated by the US today
• Sa’id al-Jamal: Iran-based financier who heads a network of front companies and vessels that generate revenue for the Houthis. Previously designated by the US
• IRGC Quds Force Unit 190: in charge of transferring and smuggling weapons to organisations, groups and states that are allied with Iran
• IRGC Quds Force Unit 6000: in charge of operations on the Arabian Peninsula and has personnel on the ground in Yemen supporting Houthi military activity
• IRGC Quds Force Unit 340: in charge of research and development and providing training and technical support to groups backed by Iran
• Ali Hussein Badr Al Din Al-Houthi: Undersecretary of the Interior and Commander of the security / police forces

The IRGC Quds Force is the branch of the IRGC responsible for foreign operations and has provided extensive support to the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran aligned militia groups based in Iraq, in recent years.

To date, the UK has more than 400 sanctions designations in place on Iranian individuals and entities, including those that seek to use malign influence regionally and internationally.

A majority of today’s designations sit under the UK’s new Iran sanctions regime, which came into effect in December 2023 and provides new powers to hold Iran and those who undertake its hostile activity to account.

In addition to this, one designation also sits under the Yemen sanctions regime. Introduced as autonomous regulations in the UK in 2020, it enables the UK to hold individuals or entities to account where they threaten peace, security or stability in Yemen.

Last month, the UK and US sanctioned key Houthi figures to disrupt their ability to carry out attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, acts which undermine the peace, stability and security of Yemen. This was the first set of UK sanctions against the Houthis since the attacks in the Red Sea began in November.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 27 February 2024.

Portsmouth will host a major national commemorative event to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, in June 2024.

Thousands of members of the public will be invited to join D-Day veterans, Armed Forces personnel, the leader of Portsmouth City Council and VIP guests at the historic event on 5 June.

The personal stories and reflections of surviving D-Day veterans will be at the heart of the event, which will also feature military musicians, a Royal Air Force flypast and moving tributes from special guests. They will commemorate all those who died during the Normandy campaign, and pay tribute to the surviving veterans of D-Day.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

We must never forget the sacrifices made on D-Day and the selfless courage of the veterans of Normandy. It’s hard to imagine a more noble act than risking your life to defeat tyranny and oppression. I’m proud that the Armed Forces will lead the nation in tributes to the heroes of Normandy in Portsmouth in June.

The 80th anniversary of D-Day will remind us that we can never take peace for granted. With war raging in Europe once again, we must recommit to protect and defend Britain’s peace and freedom with our allies around the world. The alliances we forged on 6 June 1944 are still vital to the UK’s security today.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer said:

We will forever owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans and the allied forces who fought so courageously at Normandy.

On the 80th anniversary, we will remember all those who put their life on the line for our freedom during D-Day, and continue to pay tribute to their brave service to this day.

D-Day veterans, serving Armed Forces personnel and the leader of Portsmouth City Council met at the Normandy Memorial Wall in Portsmouth today (Tuesday 27 February) to mark 100 days to go until the 80th anniversary.

To begin the countdown to D-Day 80, the names of 13 veterans from 12 allied countries are being added to the Normandy Memorial Wall, in recognition of the UK’s enduring international relationships which were forged during the Second World War.

These international alliances and partnerships are still vital to our security today. The names added to the Normandy Memorial Wall include:

• Stan Ford, Royal Navy, United Kingdom
• John Roberts, Royal Navy, United Kingdom
• Richard Pirrie, Royal Australian Navy, Australia
• Francois August Venesoen, Royal Air Force, Belgium
• William Howard Cameron, Royal Canadian Navy, Canada
• Miroslav Moravec, Royal Air Force, Czech Republic
• Kaj Birksted, Royal Air Force, Denmark
• Léon Gautier, Free French Movement, France
• Georgios Panagiotopoulos, Hellenic Navy, Greece
• Max Wolff, Royal Netherlands Army, The Netherlands
• Neil W. Harton, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, New Zealand
• Stanisław Maczek, Polish Land Forces, Poland
• Jimmie W. Monteith Jr, United States Army, United States of America

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 February 2024.

The UK government has outlined a package of energy and infrastructure support to boost trade and drive investment between the UK and the Western Balkans.

• the UK government will boost British exports and investment to the Western Balkans with up to £15.75 billion available to the region in export finance
• comes alongside £10 million to accelerate the region’s green transition
• combined support will boost prosperity and jobs both in the region and the UK

At the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Western Balkans investment summit in London today (Monday 26 February), the UK will outline a package of energy and infrastructure support to boost trade and drive investment between the UK and the Western Balkans, creating jobs and supporting livelihoods across the countries.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat will use the summit at Lancaster House in London – attended by 4 Western Balkan Prime Ministers from Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and UK business leaders – to highlight potential business opportunities in the region. Trade between the UK and the Western Balkans region was worth £4.5 billion in 2023 and is growing.

As the region looks to decarbonise, the UK will commit additional funding of £4.2 million to accelerate the transition away from coal and develop wind power to support many of the countries in the region to end dependence on Russian energy supplies, building on the £1.1 million provided last year for energy security through partners including the World Bank.

The UK government will continue its commitment to driving investment into the Western Balkans with up to £15.75 billion available to boost British exports through UK Export Finance, which provides guarantees for UK companies to trade overseas with confidence. This funding is already delivering tangible benefits for the region like the £363 million for the Morava Corridor Motorway in Serbia, which will connect the industrial city of Kruševac to important regional commercial centres of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the port city of Bar, Montenegro.

Against backdrop of a growing number of tensions across the region, UK programme funding will also be increased by £10 million from next financial year to support the region’s prosperity and security – from bolstering resilience against malign activity, interference and cyberattacks, to economic development and working alongside partners to tackle corruption and serious organised crime.

During the summit, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

Today’s summit and announcements of extra funding demonstrates the UK’s enduring commitment to the Western Balkans and the associated opportunities to boost prosperity and jobs in the UK and the region itself.

By strengthening investment today, the UK is boosting the livelihoods of people across the Western Balkans, providing a longer-term solution in addressing drivers of illegal migration alongside the progress the UK government is making to disrupt the work of people smugglers.

In the margins of the summit, the Security Minister will hold talks with the Prime Ministers of Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo and with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić of Montenegro he will reaffirm UK support for Montenegro’s aspirations for a more inclusive democracy with a strengthened rule of law.

He will also meet Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Balluku to highlight the growing UK-Albania partnership which has helped to decrease small boats crossings by Albanian nationals by 90% on last year.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 February 2024.

UK Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty, condemns the undemocratic conduct of the 2024 parliamentary elections in Belarus, amid increasing repression.

The parliamentary elections in Belarus on 20 to 25 February represented a continued undermining of democratic freedoms and a further crackdown on civil society.

Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty said:

The UK condemns the repressive and opaque conditions in which yesterday’s elections in Belarus took place. The lead-up to the elections saw blatant intimidation and yet another wave of reprisals and arrests. Shockingly, this included harassment targeted at families of political prisoners, who have already experienced the trauma of their loved ones being detained for exercising fundamental freedoms.

The regime stifled genuine opposition parties and refused to invite independent OSCE election observers. These actions are at odds with Belarus’ international commitments and demonstrate a clear desire to avoid transparency in the election process.

The UK urges Belarus to follow its OSCE commitments and international human rights obligations in all respects, including restoring an open civil society, to create an environment in which fresh elections which meet international standards can be held.