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  • PRESS RELEASE : The conflict in Sudan is having a catastrophic impact on civilians – UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : The conflict in Sudan is having a catastrophic impact on civilians – UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 November 2023.

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

    Thank you President, and thank you also to ASG Pobee for her briefing. And I welcome the participation of the representative of Sudan in this meeting.

    President, the conflict in Sudan is having a catastrophic impact on civilians. More than six million people are now displaced inside and outside of the country.

    We pay tribute to the tireless efforts of Sudanese people, UN staff and aid workers who are working to provide support for the millions plunged into starvation and insecurity by the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces [RSF] and Sudanese Armed Forces [SAF].

    In Darfur, the recent RSF offensive has been appallingly violent, with credible reports of human rights abuses and atrocities, including ethnically targeted killings, unjust detentions and widespread sexual violence.

    Continued airstrikes in urban areas by the SAF have led to a heavy loss of life and thousands trapped without access to basic services. And we note with concern the announcement today that signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement have ended their neutrality in this conflict. This can only risk leading to further bloodshed.

    President, this conflict requires urgent diplomatic action.  We are encouraged by the resumption of Jeddah talks and the subsequent establishment of a Humanitarian Forum. We urge both warring parties to act on their commitment to improve humanitarian access through concrete actions.

    The meeting in Addis Ababa of Sudanese civilian stakeholders is an important step towards establishment of a representative pro-democracy civilian front. We support this effort and underline the need to make the process even more inclusive.

    We urge the warring parties to recognise that the transfer of power to a civilian administration is the only way forward and to work constructively towards meaningful peace talks.

    The conflict cannot be ended through military means. Further coordinated action under African leadership, along with other international partners, remains vital.

    Irrespective of developments over the coming months, there is a clear need for a continued UN role in Sudan, working in concert with the AU and IGAD. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s recommendations following the strategic review of UNITAMS.

    I thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine – Foreign Secretary visits Kyiv in first overseas trip [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine – Foreign Secretary visits Kyiv in first overseas trip [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 November 2023.

    The Foreign Secretary has visited Kyiv, where he reaffirmed the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine and met President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Kuleba.

    The Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, has travelled to Kyiv for his first overseas visit to underline the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.

    In Kyiv, Foreign Secretary David Cameron met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Kuleba, telling them his support for the country was enduring, as it had been when he was Prime Minister.

    David Cameron spearheaded the start of Op Orbital in 2015 as Prime Minister, launching the major British Army training programme in Ukraine, which drilled and upskilled more than 22,000 soldiers. The programme was paused last year during Russia’s full scale invasion, and replaced by Op Interflex, which is based in the UK.

    The Foreign Secretary also heard how Ukraine continues to make progress pushing back Russian forces, including in Topoli and heard how Ukraine continues to make remarkable progress in the Black Sea to drive the Russian Navy eastwards.

    As part of the visit, the Foreign Secretary welcomed the launch of the new ‘Unity Facility’ between UK company Marsh McLennan and the Ukrainian Government, which will provide affordable shipping insurance for grain and other critical food supplies globally from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

    The facility delivers on a pledge made at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in June, where Marsh McLennan committed to provide services to the Ukrainian government pro-bono.

    Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

    As Foreign Secretary, supporting Ukraine against Putin’s aggression is vital, which is why I am pleased to make this my first visit as Secretary of State.

    Russia thinks it can wait this war out, and that the West will eventually turn its attention elsewhere. This could not be further from the truth. In my first discussions with President Zelenskyy in my new role, I made clear that the UK and our partners will support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes for them to achieve victory.

    As winter approaches, we continue to stand with the Ukrainian people as they resist Putin’s illegal invasion. In the last 3 months, they have pushed Russia back in the Black Sea and are opening vital sea trade routes for the Ukrainian economy and global food supplies.

    The Foreign Secretary also discussed Ukraine’s NATO aspirations with Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna. The UK is clear that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO and is working with Allies to smooth the path to Ukraine’s accession by removing the need for a Membership Action Plan.

    The UK is the second largest donor of military assistance to Ukraine, committing £4.6 billion to the country so far, and most recently announcing a £100 million package that will assist Ukraine’s armed forces to clear minefields, maintain its vehicles and shore up defensive fortifications to protect critical national infrastructure.

    This month UK marks the 30,000th Ukrainian soldier to be trained under Operation Interflex, the largest military training programme of its kind on British soil since the Second World War. The programme has proved game-changing for Ukraine’s forces and was first rolled out in Ukraine under David Cameron’s leadership in 2015.

    The Foreign Secretary also held talks on Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The UK is working closely with Ukraine on its reconstruction, having hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in June 2023, which saw more than $60 billion being raised towards recovery efforts, including £240 million in bilateral assistance from the UK.

    The Foreign Secretary also visited Unit City, an innovation and technology hub in Kyiv, where he met young entrepreneurs building the future of Ukraine’s economy.

    Background

    • Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and its tech sector are playing a crucial role in winning the military campaign, notably through drone technology. They are also crucial for other aspects of the war effort and for winning the peace – through their contribution to economic resilience, innovative delivery of public services, and reform
    • Unit City aims to create a modern city for the future within Kyiv, that promotes innovative entrepreneurship and research, aiming to create Ukrainian start-up companies that are successful in the global market
    • the Ukraine tech sector grew rapidly and emerged as a player in the global IT industry before the full-scale invasion. It has shown tremendous resilience thanks to its relative mobility and Ukrainian talent
  • PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine – Foreign Secretary is first UK minister to visit Odesa [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine – Foreign Secretary is first UK minister to visit Odesa [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 November 2023.

    Foreign Secretary David Cameron is the first UK minister to visit Black Sea port city of Odesa since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

    Foreign Secretary David Cameron has today seen first-hand how Ukraine is pushing back Russian forces in the Black Sea to ensure grain is able to reach the world’s vulnerable.

    On the second day of his visit to Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary has travelled to the Black Sea port city of Odesa – he is the first UK government minister to do so since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.

    Odesa is at the forefront of Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression. In the last three months, Ukraine has made remarkable progress in the Black Sea to drive the Russian Navy eastwards and open critical export corridors for Ukraine’s economy and global food supplies.

    Ukraine’s efforts since Russia collapsed the Black Sea Grain Initiative, have allowed 91 ships to export 3.3 million tonnes of agricultural and other cargo.

    Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

    As Foreign Secretary, supporting Ukraine against Putin’s aggression is vital, which is why I am pleased to make this my first visit as Secretary of State.

    Russia thinks it can wait this war out, and that the West will eventually turn its attention elsewhere. This could not be further from the truth. In my first discussions with President Zelenskyy in my new role, I made clear that the UK and our partners will support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes for them to achieve victory.

    As winter approaches, we continue to stand with the Ukrainian people as they resist Putin’s illegal invasion. In the last three months, they have pushed Russia back in the Black Sea and are opening vital sea trade routes for the Ukrainian economy and global food supplies.

    While in Odesa, the Foreign Secretary also announced support to Ukrainians directly impacted by the invasion.

    This includes providing essential winter supplies and support for people being evacuated from front line areas. The UK is providing £10 million for Ukraine’s Red Cross Society (URCS) appeal to provide medical supplies to communities directly affected by Russia’s aggression and to support URCS as a first responder.

    The UK will also provide more than £7 million to a consortium led by Nonviolent Peaceforce, which is supporting volunteer organisations delivering humanitarian assistance in dangerous front line locations. The UK is also providing an additional £1.4 million to Mercy Corps’ ongoing and live-saving work in Ukraine.

    The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which collapsed in July 2023 due to Russia’s withdrawal, was a UN initiative to ensure the exports of Ukrainian food and fertiliser from three key ports in the Black Sea, including Odesa.

    Russia’s cynical withdrawal from the programme drove up global food prices and risked the lives of the world’s most vulnerable, with Ukrainian grain exports crucial in ensuring global food security and resilient global markets, keeping prices down and supplementing poor harvests elsewhere.

    Since Russia collapsed the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), Ukraine has worked to open up a Black Sea export corridor for its own economy and for global food supplies. It has pushed back the Russian fleet, protected its coastline and the corridor, and established insurance mechanisms for civilian shipping, all of which have ensured that shipping can re-start. The UK continues to work with Ukraine and other partners to establish routes for Ukrainian exports and to prevent and deter Russian attacks.

    Meanwhile, Russian forces have attacked key infrastructure, destroying more than 280,000 tonnes of grain in one month, enough to feed 1.25 million people for a year. These attacks are a brutal and blatant attempt by Russia to choke the Ukrainian economy at a cost to global food supplies.

    Background

    • the UK strongly condemned Russia’s decision to withdraw from the BSGI in July 2023
    • the UK is currently working with Ukraine and other partners to increase the capacity of European overland routes and Danube ports
  • PRESS RELEASE : Terrorist groups and non-state actors pose a persistent and significant threat to international peace and security: UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Terrorist groups and non-state actors pose a persistent and significant threat to international peace and security: UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

    Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on the subsidiary bodies of the Security Council.

    Thank you, President, thank you for the Chairs for this briefing, and for your combined leadership of our counter-terrorist efforts. The Council has been lucky to have such effective and dynamic chairmanship, and chairwomanship, from the UAE, Malta, and Ecuador through the course of the year.

    The UK is particularly grateful to the new Chair of the 1540 Committee for his drive since Ecuador took on this role at the start of the year. We commend the Chair for securing Committee agreement for a programme of work to take forward the actions agreed in Security Council Resolution 2663 and we welcome the Chair’s intention for the Committee to develop voluntary guidelines.

    However, despite the best intentions of the Chair and the constructive approach by the majority of Committee Members, progress and provision of support to States has once again been impeded.

    It is disappointing that two members have maintained their hold on the process to replace the 1540 Committee Group of Experts since April of this year, and that a Permanent Member is now blocking the Committee’s external engagement activities.

    This situation severely undermines our ability to support states to implement a resolution that is designed to prevent chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and related material getting into the hands of non-state actors, including terrorists.

    It is hard to understand why any country – let alone a Permanent Member of this Council – would want to stymie those efforts.

    The UK appreciates the continued efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Chair to tackle the global scourge of terrorism and protect all of our citizens. The terrorist threat is evolving and remains with us.

    Terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and Daesh affiliates, continue to seek to spread hatred and fear around the world using new technologies and taking advantage of regional instability. The work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee has to evolve to stay ahead of this. For our work to be effective, the perspectives of technical experts, civil society, and the private sector are invaluable.

    We also commend the work of the 1267 Committee and its Chair. The Monitoring Team’s analysis of the evolving threat and effectiveness of sanctions remains a crucial resource for Member States. We welcome work by the Chair, Secretariat and Ombudsperson to uphold transparency and due process. These are critical to ensure that the 1267 regime retains the broad support and legitimacy that it needs.

    President, despite the distinct mandates for each of the Committees, they share a common purpose – to tackle the persistent and significant threat to international peace and security posed by terrorist groups and non-state actors.

    Only through the effective and coordinated implementation of the mandates of these three Committees can we address the threat together. We must redouble these efforts.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Putin fears the emergence of Ukraine as a modern, democratic state: UK statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Putin fears the emergence of Ukraine as a modern, democratic state: UK statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

    UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Putin’s regime has long sought to rewrite public memory and manipulate history.

    Thank you, Madam Chair. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine is a constant reminder to this Forum of the difficult and dangerous times in which we live. It is all the more tragic that a member of this Forum, Russia, has wilfully threatened security in the region through the illegal invasion of another nation state. This week, we were again confronted with the horrendous consequences of this war in which Russian strikes on Kherson have killed further civilians, including a three-month old baby.

    As Russia prepares for its third wave of assaults around Avdiivka, it does so following heavy rain in the area, where the ground has become muddy and in which conditions are difficult to operate. Russia continues to demonstrate a lack of regard for the lives of its own soldiers. In the face of a resolved Ukrainian defence, we can expect further Russian losses on top of the quarter of million casualties Russia has already sustained in this misguided military venture.

    Conversely, the Ukrainian military has registered successes in Luhansk striking Russian SA-21 long-range Surface-to-Air Missile launchers, exposing Russia’s struggle to respond to modern precision strike weapons. Ukraine has damaged a newly-built Russian naval corvette in Kerch. It has also diminished Russia’s ability to replenish its forces through the destruction of Russian landing craft, containing armoured vehicles, off the western coast of Crimea. At the same time, Ukraine continues to exert pressure on Russian forces by conducting operations on the left bank of the Dnipro. Ukrainian’s strategic gains stand in stark contrast to Russia’s woeful performance on the battlefield.

    Symbolic of Russia’s isolation on the global stage, Russia has turned to other authoritarian regimes in North Korea and Iran for the provision of weapons, violating UN Security Council resolutions including resolutions Russia itself voted for.

    We condemn Russia’s repeated violations of international law, including the UN Charter. Russia’s illegal invasion of another sovereign state is also in direct contravention of the Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest Memorandums on Security Assurances.

    Madam Chair, Putin’s regime has long sought to rewrite public memory and manipulate history. And has been seeking to persecute and silence all those, including Russian individuals and organisations, that for over 30 years have sought to expose Soviet era atrocities. Most recently, Putin has issued a revisionist history published as a collection of documents entitled, “On the historical unity of the Russians and Ukrainians”. It is a backward-looking narrative because Putin fears the emergence of Ukraine as a modern, democratic state. The United Kingdom and its allies will work to counter such efforts at disinformation. Our resolute conviction and intensity in our support to Ukraine will not falter. We will continue to enhance Ukraine’s long-term security and strengthen its defence while Ukraine fights to regain territory. In the face of Russia’s self-inflicted strategic calamity, we will stand with Ukraine until it prevails. Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Cameroon [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Cameroon [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

    The UK delivered a statement during Cameroon’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council.

    Thank you, Mr President,

    The United Kingdom welcomes the government’s publication of an annual human rights report as an important way to raise awareness and increase transparency.

    We encourage the government to further strengthen this reporting, including by providing more detail on efforts taken to hold perpetrators to account.

    We recommend that Cameroon:

    1. Develop effective measures to prevent and address acts of violence, including attacks and threats against civilians, medical personnel or patients, particularly in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2286.
    2. Introduce stronger legal protections for persons in marginalised and vulnerable situations, including by reinforcing legislation to ensure accountability for acts of violence against persons belonging to ethnic minority groups.
    3. Amend the 2014 Law on the Suppression of Acts of Terrorism to align it with international human rights standards and guidelines issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Development Minister arrives in Egypt in push for more critical lifesaving aid for Gaza [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Development Minister arrives in Egypt in push for more critical lifesaving aid for Gaza [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

    UK Development Minister Andrew Mitchell is in Cairo for talks with Egyptian counterparts and trusted partners, to get further aid into Gaza as quickly as possible.

    • UK Development Minister Andrew Mitchell is in Cairo today (15 November) to hold talks with Egyptian counterparts and trusted partners
    • he will push to get further lifesaving aid into Gaza as quickly as possible, through as many routes as possible
    • the UK recently allocated £30 million in additional humanitarian aid to organisations doing lifesaving work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell is in Cairo today for discussions on how to get significantly more aid into Gaza.

    The Minister will discuss how to enact humanitarian pauses in the fighting as soon as possible so that aid, including fuel, can be delivered for hospitals and other needs and hostages can be released.

    Minister Mitchell will also meet with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS), the agency responsible for shipment of humanitarian goods across the Rafah border, as well as the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in Egypt, Elena Panova, and OCHA.

    UK Development Minister, Andrew Mitchell, said:

    I thank Egypt for their sustained diplomatic efforts to get more lifesaving aid into Gaza as quickly as possible.

    The UK has more than doubled our aid commitment to the Palestinian people this year and we call on all parties to allow the humanitarian pauses necessary to ensure this aid reaches those in need in Gaza.

    The UK recently allocated £30 million in additional aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories – more than doubling the existing aid commitment for this year (£27 million).

    This will allow trusted partners, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and others, to provide Palestinians with essential humanitarian relief items and services such as food, water and shelter.

    Three UK flights have already landed in Egypt carrying over 51 tonnes of aid since the crisis began, including lifesaving items such as wound care packs, water filters and solar powered lights.

    The government has so far ensured over 150 British nationals and their dependants have safely left Gaza and the FCDO is using all channels available to it ensure any remaining registered British nationals are able to cross the Rafah border as soon as is possible. Royal Navy vessels are in the Middle East to deter further escalation.

    The government continues to call on all parties to allow the humanitarian pauses necessary to allow more aid of this kind to enter Gaza. The Prime Minister has been clear that Israel’s forces must act within international law and stop extremist violence in the West Bank.

    This visit to Egypt follows the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Japan last week. Partners including the UK agreed in the meeting on the need for humanitarian pauses to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and the release of hostages.

    During the Prime Minister’s recent visit to the region, he again reiterated his support a two-state solution to provide justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

  • PRESS RELEASE : It is right the Security Council calls for a humanitarian pause in Gaza long enough to deliver aid – UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : It is right the Security Council calls for a humanitarian pause in Gaza long enough to deliver aid – UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

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

    Thank you, President. President, it is impossible to comprehend the pain and the loss that Palestinian civilians are enduring. Too many civilians, including most tragically children, are losing their lives.

    So it is right that the Security Council calls for a humanitarian pause for a period of days, long enough to get lifesaving aid to those who need it. And to establish a safer environment for humanitarians. This will save lives.

    We need a collective effort to get aid in as fast as possible by as many routes as possible. The UK Prime Minister has been very clear about the need for lifesaving aid to reach civilians in Gaza, including food, water, medical supplies and fuel as a priority.

    For our part, the UK has doubled our aid to help civilians in Gaza. Three British RAF flights have delivered lifesaving humanitarian aid and enabling equipment to support the Egyptian Red Crescent Society in delivering international aid through the Rafah checkpoint. We are urging, and I urge here today, that the priority must be improved land access, including at Kerem Shalom, so aid can get in at scale.

    All parties must give civilians the protection that is their right under international law, including international humanitarian law. That includes respecting the sanctity and protection of hospitals.

    It is also right that this resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli hostages. It is unconscionable that Hamas continues to hold men, women and children, causing terrible fear and suffering for their families.

    President, this resolution is absolutely necessary, though the UK regrets that the first resolution passed by the Council on this matter could not clearly condemn Hamas’ terrorist attacks of 7 October.

    The barbarity of those attacks should be clear to us all. That is why we have abstained today. But let me be absolutely clear, it was vital and overdue for the Council to speak on this crisis and we strongly support the resolution’s purpose: to get aid in, and hostages out.

    I therefore commend Malta’s outstanding work in bringing this resolution that could pass. We will continue to work with Council members to resolve this crisis and to create a new political horizon so that we can deliver on the promise of peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and make the two-state solution a reality.

    I thank you President.

  • PRESS RELEASE : United Kingdom – Armenia Strategic Dialogue: Joint Statement [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : United Kingdom – Armenia Strategic Dialogue: Joint Statement [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 November 2023.

    The inaugural Strategic Dialogue between the United Kingdom and Armenia was held in London on 13 November 2023.

    On the occasion of the official visit to London of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, HE Mr Ararat Mirzoyan, the inaugural Strategic Dialogue between the United Kingdom and Armenia was held on 13 November 2023.

    This first Strategic Dialogue was an opportunity to mark the strong cooperation and friendship between our two democracies. With the increase globally in threats to democratic values, human rights, rule of law and the freedoms we strive to protect for our citizens, working together on issues of mutual concern is more important than ever, not only to build trade and stability, but also to protect our shared core values. We reaffirmed the aspiration to build our partnership over the coming years.

    During the dialogue, the Minister for Europe of the United Kingdom, Leo Docherty MP, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, discussed a range of global and regional issues of mutual concern, and ways in which the UK and Armenia can work together going forward. These included:

    • Governance and rule of law, where through its programming in Armenia the UK is supporting the digitalisation and streamlining of public services, the improvement of gender equality in the police force, and will soon begin working to support Armenia’s border management capacities to tackle security and migration issues.
    • UK-Armenia defence cooperation, which continues to expand with increased numbers of personnel from the Armenian military and Ministry of Defence, and police (MOIA) personnel receiving English Language training instruction, as well as places on UK senior and junior command and leadership courses, and multi-national peace-keeping and mine-awareness packages. Both parties looked forward to the sixth round of UK-Armenia Staff Talks later this month.
    • Trade and economic ties, notably the recently held UK-Armenia Business Forum in London, where the Minister of State for Regulatory Reform, the Earl of Minto, and Armenian Minister for the Economy, Vahan Kerobyan, welcomed an audience of Armenian and British businesses to discuss the wide range of trade and investment opportunities between our countries.

    The Ministers agreed on the absolute necessity of the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus based on the mutual recognition of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders on the basis of the Alma Ata 1991 Declaration, and the opening of regional connectivity links based on full respect of each country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction.

    The Minister for Europe emphasised the UK’s commitment to supporting those affected by the long-running conflict, including through £1 million of funding to the International Committee of the Red Cross announced in September.

    Finally, both parties looked forward to continuing to enhance the relationship between the UK and Armenia beyond this inaugural Strategic Dialogue, including through the upcoming visit by the Minister for Europe to Armenia, and through the agreement of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which we collectively hope to conclude in the coming months.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UN police play a critical role in mediation and protection – UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN police play a critical role in mediation and protection – UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 November 2023.

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

    Thank you President, and thank you to all of our briefers today. UN Police are uniquely placed to contribute to meeting the aims of the New Agenda for Peace, preventing the recurrence of conflict and sustaining peace. UN police play a critical role in mediation and protection, and can build trust and understanding with communities.

    UN police support host nation capacity-building for the longer term. They should carry out the full range of activities that they are mandated to fulfil, in line with the 2016 UNPOL external review,  to help establish the  Rule of Law, protect human rights and sustainable peace. Given the time that has passed since the last report of the Secretary-General on UNPOL, the UK would encourage the Secretariat to consider preparing a new report for the Council on UNPOL activities and governance.

    The UK welcomes the closer integration of police into UN peacekeeping, in line with the emphasis on strategic and operational integration as part of the A4P+ priorities. Missions are stronger and safer when police are treated as an integral part, able to contribute their community intelligence and apply their unique set of skills.

    Commander Fossen highlighted how important the Women, Peace and Security agenda is for successful policing. Ensuring that police forces reflect the communities they serve is not only the right thing to do, it leads to better mission performance and can have positive impacts for the role of women in host state security institutions. The UK continues to support initiatives to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping, including the Senior Women Talent Pipeline and the Elsie Initiative Fund, to which we have given more than $8.5 million since its inception.

    Finally, President, I want to reiterate my thanks to UNPOL for the brave and important work they carry out in such challenging environments. The UK looks forward to continuing to work with UNPOL on achieving its reform priorities.

    Thank you.