Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

David Cameron will visit French and Italian capitals today to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and maintain support for Ukraine over the winter period.

• David Cameron will travel to Paris and Rome for talks with French President Macron, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and foreign minister counterparts
• he will call for increased coordination between allies to address the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza as well as maintaining support for Ukraine
• discussions will also focus on working together to tackle illegal migration

At a time of volatile international crises, Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit the French and Italian capitals today (19 December) to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as well as maintaining support for Ukraine over the winter period.

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will reiterate his call for a sustainable ceasefire, leading to a sustainable peace, and for increased coordination across European allies to ensure life-saving aid can get into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. The Foreign Secretary will also urge continued support for Ukraine to defend itself through military, humanitarian and economic means.

Tackling illegal migration is also high on the agenda, with the UK working alongside France and Italy to stop the criminal gangs. This follows the UK signing landmark deals with the 2 countries that have seen small boat channel crossings drop by a third.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

As we face some of the greatest challenges to international security in a lifetime, our response must be one of strength and resilience with our European allies.

From the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, to Putin’s brutality in Ukraine, it is more important than ever to strengthen our alliances and make sure our voice is heard.

In Paris, the Foreign Secretary will meet French President Emmanuel Macron, and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss maintaining support for Ukraine and finding a long-term political solution that supports Israel’s security and the rights of Palestinians to live in peace. They will also discuss how the UK and France can continue to coordinate their humanitarian responses in Gaza.

The visit will also look ahead to a milestone year for UK-France relations in 2024, which will mark 120 years since the signing of the Entente Cordiale and 80 years since the D-Day landings, 2 watershed moments for the 2 countries.

Following the Prime Minister’s visit over the weekend, the Foreign Secretary will then travel to Rome for talks with the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and to address Italian ambassadors gathered at the Italian foreign ministry for their annual Heads of Mission conference.

The Foreign Secretary will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s meeting with PM Meloni this weekend. Top of the agenda for the Rome programme will be boosting the 2 countries’ close cooperation on illegal migration.

They will welcome a new agreement between the 2 countries to contribute £4 million to the International Organization for Migration’s assisted voluntary returns project in Tunisia. The joint funding will go towards providing humanitarian assistance and support for vulnerable and stranded migrants to return home safely.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, spoke on a number of issues at the WTO General Council (17-19 December 2023).

Item 16: The contribution of the Multilateral Trading System to Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture and Food Systems – Statement by the Cairns Group (GC/261)

Thank you to the Cairns Group for their statement. As the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said, agricultural markets are facing a triple challenge providing adequate, affordable, safe, nutritious food for a growing global population.

Providing livelihoods all along the food value chain, and at the same time, increasing the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

We all need to be thinking about how we align our work across different WTO fora, and wider international fora, and have a serious conversation about sustainability and resilient food systems.

We also really welcome the statement out of COP28: the declaration on sustainable agriculture, food system, and climate action.

This calls for exactly the strengthening of the rules-based multilateral trading system, with this organisation, with its fantastic leadership, at its very core.

A multifaceted problem requires a multifaceted solution. And that includes elements highlighted in this Cairns Group declaration, including progressing agricultural reform, to promote fair, rules-based, market-orientated, agricultural trade.

Key to that effort is repurposing the way in which public support is directed towards agriculture to improve the activity, the resilience and sustainability of agricultural practices and systems.

So it is absolutely right that we have a serious conversation about sustainability, about resilience of our food systems, here in this organisation, as part of a wider conversation we need to have, urgently, about how we use this organisation, and the trading system, to support the transition to net zero and save our planet.

Item 18: Information on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) – Request from Chile and Korea

Thank you Chair.

We rightly talk a lot about the importance of this organisation in development. It is great to hear the reaction to the fabulous work being led by the brilliant co-facilitators.

This is a significant new agreement that we genuinely hope is going to turbo-charge sustainable development, so as to equip developing and Least Developed Countries (LDC) Members to address the global poli-crisis.

As we all know, this IFD is the largest with 116 participants (over two thirds of the Membership of this organisation.)

The agreement shows for us that this organisation can deliver for global trade, and for development, and we can address these current economic challenges.

Facilitating investment flows, is, as we all know, a key driver of economic growth, productivity and development.

We think it is going to provide significant economic benefits for Members, in particular for developing countries, by removing barriers to investment and reducing transaction costs.

It is predicted to increase global welfare by almost 2 per cent, boost cross-border investment – absolutely key to closing the US$4 trillion funding gap in the SDGs so we look forward to the successful incorporation in the WTO in due course and to celebrating this achievement at MC13, where Members from over two thirds of the organisation will join together to mark our shared ambition of driving sustainable global development.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, delivered a statement on Ministerial Conferences at the WTO General Council (17-19 December 2023).

Item 3: Follow-up to outcomes of Ministerial Conferences

Thank you first for your thanks for our contribution to the Fish fund, and ratification of the agreement.

On reform, let me welcome the efforts of the Secretariat and all the efforts that we, the Members have put into institutional reform.

As you know, the UK (and 55 Members) presented a paper to this Committee on this very important issue. We talk about showing progress. Since MC12, we can be proud of the work we have done as an organisation, and it shows how much we can achieve if we just get on with it.

Look at the work of the Council for Trade in Goods (CTG); just one example, 120 reforms across that Committee. At the heart of that, ensuring that we build trust, and that we ensure even the very smallest delegation here can engage in our work in a way that is constructive.

On the pandemic response and TRIPs we have done some really important work on the pandemic response, following on the statement from MC12, which obviously needs to continue.

On TRIPS it is clear that the reality, despite all the discussions we have had, there is no consensus amongst Members on whether or not the extension on therapeutics and diagnostics is genuinely required. It is also true that the MC12 decision, which we spent so much time elaborating, has not been used.

So we need to think carefully about extending the value of something that does not appear to help all that much as we had hoped on the ground. So, without understanding the consequences of extending that decision we risk compromising the very international IP system that we have worked so effectively to develop, and has been, in our view, so useful to us in that pandemic response.

In our view, we need to build on the TRIPS Agreement. To build on the way it works, not undermine it, and we need to broaden the conversation on the longer-term initiative to increase access to medicines as we are hoping to achieve, with our paper on voluntary licensing and technology transfers. We recognise that voluntary licences are not a silver bullet, as is clear in the Annexes to our papers, but there are clear examples of their successful use. We are really pleased with the response to the paper, and we want to thank each and every Member who has engaged with us on it. And we want to encourage all of us to share our experiences and we look forward to further engagement in this area in the New Year.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, delivered the United Kingdom’s statement on 14 December 2023 at the Global Refugee Forum.

High Commissioner. Excellencies. Ladies and gentlemen.

We are living in a time of unprecedented international challenges, with global displacement at extraordinary levels and rising.

In recent years, we have seen countries rally around to support the growing number of refugees around the world. Conflict, pandemics, and climate change have had an enduring impact on us.

But as the challenges increase, so must our efforts.

I want to acknowledge the continued generosity and leadership of host nations and communities. You all play a vital role in providing sanctuary to forcibly displaced people.

Without your leadership, they would be forced to go on dangerous journeys, risking their lives and exploitation from the most vicious people traffickers.

We emphatically believe the Global Compact on Refugees is the best strategy to support refugees and their host communities.

It plays a fundamental part in ensuring the international protection regime is fit for the 21st century. And that it protects the most vulnerable in our communities, including women and girls, the LGBT+ community and those with disabilities.

Since 2015, the UK has provided international protection to over half a million people.

Globally, we are among the top five donors to refugee responses. But we know that is not enough. We need to do more, much more.

The UK has fulfilled each of the pledges that we made back here in 2019. Today, we are going further and making 15 pledges to tackle a whole range of issues such as:

• Improving access to education;
• Tackling gender-based violence;
• Supporting the Rohingya and their host communities;
• Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to predict and prevent conflicts and crises;
• Building resilience of refugee and host communities to climate impacts;
• and providing sustained support to refugees who settle in the UK.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

The UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Chief Economist, Professor Adnan Khan, visited Timor-Leste on 14 and 15 December 2023 to enhance bilateral collaboration on economic development.

The visit comes just two months after FCDO Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, visited Timor-Leste and became the first UK minister to visit since the country gained independence in 2002.

During his visit, Professor Khan met with the Central Bank Governor Helder Lopes to discuss how the UK can support the development of Timor-Leste’s financial services sector through the ASEAN Economic Integration Programme (AEIP), which launched earlier this year. He also met with Minister for Trade and Industry Filipus Nino Pereira and launched a flagship UK-funded project supporting Timor-Leste’s accession into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

The project will help Timor-Leste develop a nationwide certificate of origin scheme, which will benefit local exporters as the country looks to deepen integration into regional and global value chains. The launch reaffirms the UK’s sustained support for Timor-Leste’s smooth accession into ASEAN. Professor Khan also delivered a lecture at the National University of East Timor to share the UK’s revamped approach on International Development, as reflected in the recently launched white paper titled “International Development in a Contested World: ending extreme poverty and tackling climate change”.

FCDO Chief of Economist Professor Adnan Khan, said:

I was delighted to be in Dili for the first time to launch this important project. Timor-Leste has made huge strides in its WTO accession, and now the UK looks forward to supporting Timor-Leste as it seeks ASEAN accession.

UK Ambassador to Timor-Leste Dominic Jermey said:

The UK is committed to deepening our partnership with Timor-Leste, and I’m delighted that the FCDO’s chief economic Professor Adnan Khan visited Dili recently to discuss ways we can enhance our cooperation. The launch of the ASEAN Economic Community Accession project demonstrates our commitment to supporting Timor-Leste’s smooth accession into ASEAN. We look forward to seeing the benefits this project will bring to the Timorese economy.

UK Ambassador to ASEAN Sarah Tiffin said:

As a committed ASEAN Dialogue partner, the UK is committed to assisting Timor-Leste through the process of its accession to ASEAN. The visit by FCDO Chief Economist Professor Adnan Khan to Timor-Leste and the initiation of a UK-funded project dedicated to facilitating Timor-Leste’s accession to the ASEAN Economic Community project are concrete demonstrations of this strong commitment.

Minister for Trade and Industry, H.E. Filipus Nino Pereira, said:

I would like to thank the UK government for its support. This project will help us meet the ASEAN and WTO accession requirements. This initiative also reflects our ongoing commitment to diversifying our economy and deepening our regional economic integration.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

The UK and international partners join together to establish The Tallinn Mechanism to bolster Ukraine’s cyber security.

As part of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the world has witnessed an unrelenting cyber assault against Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure, from banking to energy supplies and innocent Ukrainian people.

As a result, The foreign ministries of Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States have formalised the Tallinn Mechanism on 20 December 2023. It aims to coordinate and facilitate civilian cyber capacity building to help Ukraine uphold its fundamental right to self-defence in cyber space, and address longer-term cyber resilience needs.

The UK’s primary delivery agent of cyber capacity building in Ukraine is our CSSF UK-Ukraine Cyber Programme, expanded by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in June 2023. The programme has delivered over £10 million to bolster Ukraine’s cyber defences since the invasion.

Through this programme, the UK has stood side by side with Ukrainian cyber defenders. For example, the UK funded its partner Mandiant to combat a reported Russian cyber-attack it attributed to Sandworm, a unit within Russian Military Intelligence (GRU), against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure causing a power outage.

Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, and lead Minister for the Conflict Stability and Security Fund Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

The UK and Ukraine are fighting side by side in the cyberwar against Russia whose appalling attacks know no bounds. Russia is attacking Ukraine’s cyber infrastructure in order to harm innocent people, choke the economy and sow confusion.

That is why the UK is supporting Ukraine with state of the art technology, tools and expertise to thwart these cruel attacks, including those on critical infrastructure. Our support remains steadfast.

The Mechanism aims to interface routinely with other donor initiatives, coordinate and de-conflict, including regular engagement with the EU and NATO.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

The Foreign Secretary and Minister for the Middle East are travelling to Jordan and Egypt this week to push for a sustainable ceasefire and further humanitarian pauses in Gaza.

• the Foreign Secretary will travel to Jordan and Egypt on his second visit to the region, alongside the Minister for the Middle East Lord Ahmad
• David Cameron to discuss the urgent need for a sustainable ceasefire involving the release of hostages and an end to rocket fire into Israel
• he will visit Al Arish, near the Egypt-Gaza border to see first-hand the lifesaving UK aid which is being sent to Gaza

The Foreign Secretary will travel to the Middle East this week to push for a sustainable ceasefire and for further humanitarian pauses in Gaza.

In talks with leaders in Jordan and Egypt, key neighbouring countries, he will progress efforts to secure the release of all hostages, step up aid to Gaza and end Hamas rocket attacks and threats against Israel.

He will reiterate the UK’s position that leaving Hamas in power in Gaza will be a roadblock to reaching a long-term political solution to the crisis which delivers security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

This week I am making my second visit to the region to press the case for getting aid in to Gaza and the remaining hostages to be released.

On aid, I will be seeking to build on Israel’s decision to open the Kerem Shalom crossing to ensure significantly more aid and fuel can reach Gaza, through as many routes as possible.

No one wants to see this conflict go on for a moment longer than necessary. But for a ceasefire to work, it needs to be sustainable.

If Israel is still facing Hamas in Gaza with rockets and terror tactics, not only will a ceasefire not be sustainable, a two state solution in the longer term will also not be possible.

In Jordan, the Foreign Secretary will meet Foreign Minister Safadi and visit the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation, which has become the focal point of Jordanian humanitarian support for Gaza.

In Egypt, the Foreign Secretary will see first-hand the impact of UK aid on a visit to Al Arish, near the Egypt-Gaza border. He will hear from the Egyptian Red Crescent about the impact the UK’s lifesaving aid deliveries such as wound care packs are having in Gaza. He will see how the Egyptian Red Crescent are using UK Aid forklift trucks and lighting towers to support delivery of the international aid effort. He is also expected to meet President Sisi and Foreign Minister Shoukry.

The Foreign Secretary will welcome Israel’s decision to open the aid crossing at Kerem Shalom, following intense lobbying by the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary, as a vital step towards significantly increasing the amount of aid and fuel which reaches Gaza.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 December 2023.

Statement by Deputy Political Coordinator Tom Phipps at the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

Thank you, President, let me join others in thanking SRSG Otunbayeva, and our other briefers for their important remarks today.

President, the United Kingdom remains gravely concerned at the continued curtailment of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls. This, along with ongoing reports of arbitrary arrests and detentions, is in clear violation of the international commitments that all states must adhere to.

We echo UNAMA’s recommendation that the international community should maintain its multilateral advocacy on women’s rights and gender equality. The UK is, of course, a firm supporter of these values and we will continue to raise them at every opportunity.
Since UNAMA’s last briefing to the Council, Herat was struck by successive devastating earthquakes. In response, the UK has provided around $4 million dollars in emergency support to those affected, including a further $13 million to support Afghans across the country during the winter months.

We have also committed $23.5 million dollars to the International Organisation for Migration to support vulnerable undocumented Afghans returning to the country.

President, it’s been over two years now since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. As the independent assessment in Afghanistan concluded, our shared goal should be an Afghanistan that is at peace with its people, its neighbours, and the international community. It’s our view that the independent assessment outlines the architecture and mechanisms that are needed to achieve this.

For our part, the United Kingdom is fully committed to finding a constructive way forward. In the absence of a coherent international strategy to date, it is the responsibility of this Council to seize the momentum provided by this report.

We look forward to continuing to work constructively with international partners and the full range of Afghan stakeholders in our shared endeavour towards improving the lives of all Afghans.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 December 2023.

Statement by Mungo Woodifield, UK Spokesperson to the UN, at the UN Security Council Arria Meeting on artificial intelligence.

I join others in thanking the UAE and Albania for convening this meeting, and the briefers for their expert insights. Indeed, the impact of artificial intelligence on mis and disinformation was a common concern when the Security Council held its first meeting on the opportunities and risks of AI to international peace and security, during our Presidency in July. So, we welcome further discussion on this topic today, along with the ongoing work of the Department of Global Communications to establish a Code of Conduct for Information Integrity on Digital Platforms to guide and support national responses to mis and disinformation.

Disinformation is a familiar topic to the Security Council, from its impact, as the Under-Secretary-General said, on UN peacekeeping operations, to its role in exacerbating conflict. However, as others have noted, advances in AI technologies make it easier, quicker and cheaper for malign actors to spread false information in hundreds of languages. And this creates potentially harmful consequences for public trust in information and institutions and poses grave risks to stability.

With the rapid pace of technological development and billions expected to vote next year in elections around the world, understanding the risks that advances in AI-generated disinformation poses to inclusive and peaceful societies is critical.

We should ensure the right behaviours and response levers exist across government, industry, and the general public to address these risks. The UK continues to promote the design, development, and use of technology in a way that adheres to the following four principles:

Open – supporting personal freedoms and democracy. Responsible – consistent with the rule of law and human rights, and supporting sustainable growth. As well as ensuring data is used responsibly in a way that is lawful, protected, ethical and accountable. Secure – with security, safety and predictability built in by design. And finally, resilient- being reliable and trusted by the public.

AI risks are not limited to national boundaries of course, they are global and affect us all. Managing these risks requires concerted international action involving all actors, states, international institutions, the private sector, academia, and civil society.

At the first global summit on AI Safety in the UK in November, States recognised an urgent need to address concerns around AI’s ability to manipulate or generate deceptive content.

We must continue to work together in an inclusive manner to ensure that human-centric, trustworthy, and responsible AI is developed that is safe and supports the good of all.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 December 2023.

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

Thank you President, and thank you ASG Khiari for your briefing. Colleagues, we are unfortunately gathered here once again to discuss the DPRK’s latest violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

The United Kingdom unequivocally condemns the DPRK’s launch of yet another inter-continental ballistic missile on 18 December and the launch of a short-range ballistic missile a day prior.

This is the DPRK’s thirty-first ballistic missile launch this year. It is the fifth launch of an ICBM in 2023 – the most in any given year – and the third launch using solid fuel, demonstrating the DPRK’s desire to test its advanced capabilities.

It is the latest in a series of the DPRK’s blatant acts of defiance of this Council’s decisions – a clear and worrying pattern of escalation since the start of this year.

The DPRK’s actions violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The international community must be firm and united in our response to these violations.

And yet the DPRK continues to be shielded by two Council members, further emboldening its unlawful behaviour. This cannot become the status quo.

All UN Member States must respect and implement all relevant Security Council resolutions, including with regards to the transfer of technology to and from the DPRK.

We also call on the DPRK to, first, abandon its illegal nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes, which are impoverishing its own people and destabilising the wider region.

Second, to refrain from further provocations and return to compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Third, to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

And finally President, to take up repeated and unconditional offers of dialogue. Diplomacy is the only viable option to making progress towards a sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Thank you.