Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 September 2023.

The Deputy Prime Minister will head up the UK delegation for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.

• Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will head up UK delegation in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week
• he and other Ministers will set out how the UK is increasing efforts to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a series of commitments to make the world a fairer, healthier and more prosperous place by 2030
• Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is due to arrive in New York today (Sunday), and will meet counterparts from the US, France, Egypt, Barbados and Indonesia as well as attend G7 and migration meetings

The world must recommit to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if we are to achieve them by 2030, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will tell the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next week.

As the halfway point between the launch of the SDGs in 2015 and the target for their delivery in 2030 approaches, he, the Foreign Secretary and the wider UK delegation will make clear countries urgently need to visibly and vocally recommit to the Goals to make the world healthier, fairer, and more prosperous.

The Deputy Prime Minister will lead the UK delegation and travel to New York on Tuesday – he will attend the UN Security Council session on Thursday. He will attend the UN Security Council session on multilateralism and Ukraine on Wednesday to recommit our steadfast support to Ukraine and to hold Russia to account for its illegal actions, both in Ukraine and its cynical attempts to undermine global food supplies and security, causing worldwide suffering in the world’s poorest nations.

The Deputy Prime Minister will also deliver the UK’s address to the General Assembly on Friday where he will call on nations to cooperate to ensure the benefits of revolutionary new technologies like AI are felt equally, while also preventing their misuse. He will also hold meetings on AI with leading technology companies and discuss AI regulation with other countries ahead of the UK’s AI Safety Summit.

He will also attend UN meetings on boosting global health and announce new UK support for strengthening health systems. He will also discuss climate action and growing global investment in Africa.

The Foreign Secretary, arriving in New York tomorrow (Sunday), will meet key allies and stress the need to keep up the pressure on Russia, making it clear to Putin that he cannot “outlast” the international backing for Ukraine.

He is due to hold talks tomorrow (Monday) and on Tuesday with, among others, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Tomorrow (Monday) the Foreign Secretary will co-convene an event on Artificial Intelligence (AI) chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

It will bring together governments, tech firms and NGOs to discuss how AI can accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The Deputy Prime Minister will also be discussing the challenges and opportunities of AI with global partners and UK and US tech firms operating in the USA during his visit, ahead of the UK hosting the AI Safety Summit in November.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said:

“I’m delighted to be leading the UK delegation to the UN General Assembly on behalf of the Prime Minister.

“The UK has always worked closely with the UN to create a safer, healthier and more prosperous world. I look forward to using this year to discuss the challenges and opportunities of AI, so that the benefits of this revolutionary technology are felt fairly across the world, and how Britain can be at the forefront of that effort.

“Alongside this we’ll be announcing new support to tackle climate change, boost global economic growth and prevent future pandemics.

“But the principles of the UN are being challenged by Russia’s appalling actions in Ukraine: deliberately attacking and terrorising civilians and seeking to hold the world to ransom by blocking vital food supplies.

“I will be challenging Russia at the Security Council and other nations to strengthen international support for Ukraine’s freedom.”

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

“Only a functioning multilateral system can address the complex and interconnected global challenges we are facing. But our system is under strain, particularly from intensifying geopolitical rivalry. The Sustainable Development Goals are seriously off-track, and we need to come together to recommit and accelerate their delivery by 2030.

“Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, but its invasion of Ukraine is a clear breach of the UN Charter. Our citizens rightly demand that we curb illegal migration and boost economic growth. Climate change and new technologies like AI present extreme risks, but also unprecedented opportunities.

“Putin is counting on the misguided assumption that he can outlast international support for Ukraine. We will not be deterred. It is in all our interests, to ensure that Russia is defeated and evicted from Ukraine’s sovereign territory as quickly as possible.”

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

The UK has ramped up crucial life-saving support to flood-hit Libya, allocating increased funding and deploying an essential emergency medical team.

• new UK funding to support response to devastating floods in Libya
• UK to deliver life-saving provisions including emergency shelter, solar lanterns, and water filters to disaster-affected areas
• Emergency Medical Team to be deployed to carry out rapid medical assessments on the ground

The UK has ramped up crucial life-saving support to flood-hit Libya, allocating increased funding and deploying an essential emergency medical team.

This additional support builds upon the initial package worth up to £1 million announced earlier this week (13 September), which will be used to provide vital provisions including emergency shelter items, portable solar lanterns and water filters.

The UK is also deploying an emergency medical team led by health and sanitation experts from NGO UK-MED to conduct rapid medical assessments in disaster-affected areas. The Emergency Medical Team will coordinate with local authorities, international organisations and other EMT partners on the ground to understand the immediate and growing humanitarian health needs in Libya following the devastating storms.

The UK has increased its financial support to the response to both the floods in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco, allocating a package worth up to £10 million.

Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad said:

It is harrowing to see the loss of life and scenes of devastation in Libya following the floods.

The UK is committed to supporting the Libyan people during this extremely difficult time. We will increase UK funding to the crisis response and deliver crucial life-saving provisions, including shelter, water filters and medical assessments.

Earlier this week (13 September), the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, spoke with the Chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Mnefi, to convey his condolences and the UK’s commitment to supporting Libya in the aftermath of this tragedy. Lord Ahmad also spoke to Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN, Martin Griffiths, to discuss the international response to the crises in Morocco and Libya.

The UN has announced $10 million in response to the flooding from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), to which the UK is one of the largest donors. The UK has committed £52 million towards the UNCERF’s vital work in 2023.

The UK is working with trusted partners on the ground to identify the most urgent basic needs, including on shelter, healthcare and sanitation and stands ready to provide further support.

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

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

Thank you President.  Thank you also to SRSG Haysom, ASG Msuya and Ms Juan for their briefings today.

This September marks five years since the South Sudanese parties came together to sign the Peace Agreement.

The United Kingdom welcomes the progress achieved since then, and that disputes are now largely resolved through political dialogue, not conflict.

But we remain concerned that progress is too slow and too limited.  The past five years have been characterised by missed deadlines and multiple extensions.

So, we call on South Sudan’s leaders to demonstrate the political will to deliver the free and fair elections that the South Sudanese people deserve.

President, the United Kingdom welcomes the recent establishment of an Election Security Committee and the presentation of the National Elections Act to Parliament.

But as highlighted by SRSG Haysom, in addition to adopting the necessary legislation and reconstituting the relevant electoral bodies, there are fundamental decisions and logistical preparations that require urgent attention.

We call on the South Sudanese authorities to create the necessary political and civic space to allow for free and credible elections.

President, as the horrifying violence continues across the border in Sudan, over 260,000 people have now been registered arriving into South Sudan.  This comes on top of what were already unprecedented levels of humanitarian need in South Sudan.

The United Kingdom commends the Government of South Sudan’s provision of transportation and the UN system and humanitarian partners in their response to the crisis.

We urge the South Sudanese government to create a more enabling environment for humanitarian action, and commit itself to longer-term, more durable solutions that address the increasing humanitarian need.

In closing, at this important time in South Sudan’s history we urge  South Sudan’s leadership to deliver on the outstanding tasks to make democratic elections a reality.

Thank you.

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

The United Kingdom, Australia and the United States updated the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors on AUKUS naval nuclear propulsion.

The below statement was delivered by Australia on 14 September 2023 under agenda item 12: Any Other Business.

Thank you, Chair.

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Chair,

We thank Director General Grossi for his update in his written introductory statement to this Board on Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program. As the Director General noted, bilateral technical consultations between the IAEA and Australia on Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program are ongoing, including in relation to the development of an Article 14 arrangement. We remain fully committed to ensuring our approach meets the highest non-proliferation standard.

Chair,

Colleagues will recall that, at the previous meeting of the Board, the Director General reported (in GOV/INF/2023/10) that Australia had submitted the required declarations under its CSA, AP, and Subsidiary Arrangements; the IAEA had conducted in-field verification activities, including a design information verification visit; and discussions on the technical aspects of an arrangement pursuant to Article 14 of Australia’s CSA had been initiated.

Chair,

The Director General has confirmed the IAEA will develop a robust safeguards approach for Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program which will enable the Agency to continue to meet its technical safeguards objectives established for Australia.

Since the June Board meeting, Australia’s bilateral technical consultations with the IAEA have continued. These discussions encompass technical and legal aspects of an Article 14 arrangement for Australia, including in relation to possible verification and monitoring activities and voluntary transparency measures.

As has been confirmed by the Director General, these ongoing bilateral consultations are taking place on the basis that Australia’s Article 14 arrangement will not remove nuclear material from IAEA oversight.

Throughout the lifecycle of Australia’s program, the Agency will be able to continue to verify and conclude that there has been no diversion of declared nuclear material, no misuse of facilities, and no undeclared nuclear material or activities.

Chair,

We wish to make clear that, contrary to what some delegations have suggested, we do not seek to impose a template or model Article 14 arrangement. When developing an Article 14 arrangement for Australia or another state, the Agency will need to account for state-specific factors.

The Director General has committed to transmitting the Article 14 arrangement, once developed, to the Board for appropriate action. As we have said previously, we fully support this approach.

Chair,

AUKUS partners have already addressed during this Board meeting some of the more egregious disinformation we have heard from other delegations, and I do not intend to go over that again.

In line with our abiding commitment to transparency, however, we welcome the opportunity to update the Board and, as appropriate, we will continue to address genuine questions from interested delegations regarding our non-proliferation approach through this and other fora.

Thank you, Chair.

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

UK Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Corinne Kitsell, gave a statement on behalf of Australia, the UK and the US on AUKUS.

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

Explanation of vote by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on UNITAD.

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

Members of the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse gave a statement on women’s and girls’ rights to participate in public life.

Today, on International Day of Democracy 2023, the undersigned country members of the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse call attention to the pressing need to protect and promote women’s and girls’ right to participate in public life.

This is a pivotal year for the status of democracy globally with more than 100 countries scheduled to hold elections in the coming year. The active participation of all people, including women and girls in all their diversity, is essential for healthy and prosperous democracies. Yet women and girls engaged in public life are increasingly targeted by online threats and attacks, with insufficient avenues for response and redress. A global study* found that the majority of women parliamentarians surveyed had experienced psychological violence, primarily through social media, including threats of death, sexual violence, beatings or abductions. Some women face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including on the basis of age, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Online threats to women and girls in public life have proliferated with the increased adoption of digital technologies and are likely to continue to grow with new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, which has led to the rise of malicious deepfakes, non-consensual pornography, reinforced stereotyping and bias, and other harms. Multiple forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence have been shown to prompt women’s self-censorship and disengagement from the public sphere and can occur alongside offline intimidation and violence.

This undermines women’s ability to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression. Orchestrated, digital attacks deliberately use misogyny and disinformation to discredit, intimidate and silence women politicians, journalists, and activists. In addition to harming individual targets, these attacks are an affront to democracies globally. They should therefore be prioritised as an urgent concern given the serious threat they pose to inclusive, open societies. All people – including women and girls in all their diversity – should be able to speak out and actively participate in the public sphere without fear of harassment, discrimination, or violence. We must prevent and address technology-facilitated gender-based violence to safeguard the very well-being of our democracies and economies.

We call upon states to join us in recognising the threat of technology-facilitated gender-based violence to democracies globally. We urge states and technology companies to take appropriate action to prevent and respond to this threat, support a Safety by Design approach to the development and deployment of platforms and technologies and defend women’s right to participate in public life freely, safely and without fear.

Co-signatories and sponsoring country members of the Global Partnership:

Australia: Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland; Chile; Denmark: Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jørgensen; Iceland: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir; New Zealand: Minister for Women, Hon Jan Tinetti; Republic of Korea: Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oh Youngju; Sweden: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tobias Billström; United Kingdom: Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, Commonwealth, UN and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon; United States of America.

*Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (2016). Sexism, harassment and violence against women parliamentarians. Geneva. Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Preliminary Landscape Analysis (publishing.service.gov.uk) (PDF, 2.44MB) p.32

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

The Foreign Secretary has commended the bravery of Iranian women a year on from Mahsa Amini’s death and announced coordinated sanctions on the regime.

• Bravery of Iranian women commended by UK Foreign Secretary on anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death as he underlines the UK’s commitment to standing with the Iranian people as they call for fundamental rights.
• UK, US, Canada andAustralia  announce coordinated sanctions on Iranian officials to mark anniversary.
• UK sanctions focus on senior decision makers responsible for enforcing Iran’s mandatory hijab law, including the Minister for Culture and Islamic Guidance, the Mayor of Tehran and the Iranian Police spokesperson.

The Foreign Secretary has commended the bravery of the Iranian people a year on from the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the Morality Police.

Marking the anniversary tomorrow, the UK, US, Canada and Australia have imposed coordinated sanctions on Iranian officials and entities.

The UK’s sanctions focus on senior Iranian decision makers responsible for drafting and implementing Iran’s mandatory hijab legislation.

Iran’s existing legislation prohibits women and girls from choosing what they wear, with punishments for refusing to wear a hijab including time in prison and severe fines.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

A year on from Mahsa Amini’s tragic death at the hands of Iran’s Morality Police, I commend the bravery of Iranian women as they continue to fight for fundamental freedoms.

Today’s sanctions on those responsible for Iran’s oppressive laws send a clear message that the UK and our partners will continue to stand with Iranian women and call out the repression it is inflicting on its own people.

Today’s sanctions include:

• Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili – Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
• Mohammad Hashemi – Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
• Alireza Zakani – Mayor of Tehran.
• Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi – Iranian Police Spokesman.

The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance is responsible for ensuring adherence to government dress codes within Iranian society. As examples, Esmaili declared that actresses who remove the hijab in public or social media can no longer continue their careers in acting, and that action would be taken against businesses whose female employees failed to adhere to mandatory hijab requirements.

The Police Spokesperson Al-Mahdi threatened that the regime will ‘deal firmly’ with those women who removed their hijab, including for example by impounding the cars of women caught driving without hijab.

The Morality Police’s activities reduced following the outbreak of protests after Mahsa Amini’s death and a raft of international sanctions, including by the UK, but earlier this year its forces have reappeared as part of a renewed crackdown on women in Iran. This has included specific punishments against women for failing to wear the hijab, including being prevented from using the Tehran Metro, and female actors banned from working by the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

The UK has imposed sanctions on more than 350 Iranian officials and entities, including the Prosecutor General and the IRGC in its entirety, and announced its intention to create a new sanctions regime earlier this year to target decision makers in Iran for hostile activities in the UK and around the world. The UK has previously sanctioned the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, responsible for women’s dress codes in Iran.

Since Mahsa Amini’s death, the Iranian regime has been increasingly isolated by the international community, and faced growing sanctions’ pressure in response to serious human rights violations against its own people, and supply of UAV related technology to Russia for use in Ukraine. In December 2022, Iran was removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

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

The UK, France and Germany (E3) announce they will transfer UN sanctions on Iran into domestic regimes and maintain EU/UK sanctions beyond October deadline.

• UK, France and Germany (E3) to transfer UN sanctions on Iran into domestic regimes and maintain existing EU/UK sanctions beyond October deadline included in nuclear deal.
• E3 taking ‘legitimate and proportionate’ action in response to Iranian regime breaching commitments under the nuclear deal and advancing its nuclear programme beyond all credible civilian justification.
• UK and partners remain committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The UK has today committed to bringing UN sanctions on Iran due to lift in October into UK law.

Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), a range of UN, EU and UK sanctions were due to be lifted on October 18th. These include sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran’s missile, nuclear, and other weapons programs.

In response to continued Iranian non-compliance with their JCPoA commitments and ongoing nuclear escalation, the E3 have confirmed today that the UN sanctions will be transferred into domestic sanctions regimes and the EU and UK sanctions will be maintained.

FCDO spokesperson said:

Iran continues to breach its commitments under the JCPoA and advance its nuclear programme beyond all credible civilian justification.

Alongside our French and German partners, we have taken a legitimate and proportionate step in response to Iran’s actions.

The UK and our partners remain committed to a diplomatic solution but Iran must now take clear steps towards de-escalation. We are committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Today’s actions do not violate the JCPoA and are fully consistent with the procedures defined within it. Iran has consistently breached its obligations under the JCPoA. The regime’s enriched uranium stockpiles are more than 18 times the JCPoA limit and it has built and deployed thousands of advanced centrifuges.

In March last year and again in August, the UK and our partners offered Iran viable deals that would have defused the nuclear issue. On both occasions Iran declined.

The UK and our partners remain committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, including through the snapback process if necessary.

Further information

• The E3 triggered the JCPoA’s Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM) in January 2020 in response to Iranian non-compliance to try to find a solution. The DRM process is supposed to allow 30 days to resolve outstanding issues; it has been over three and a half years and Iran remains out of compliance.
• According to Paragraph 36 of the JCPoA, these unresolved issues are grounds to cease performing part of our commitments.

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

The UK, France and Germany have issued a joint statement ahead of JCPoA Transition Day on 18 October 2023.

A spokesperson for the E3 said:

In direct response to Iran’s consistent and severe non-compliance with its JCPoA commitments since 2019, the governments of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom intend to maintain nuclear proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, after JCPoA Transition Day on 18 October 2023. We have jointly notified the JCPoA Coordinator in that regard.

This decision is fully compliant with the JCPoA. It follows our attempts to resolve Iran’s non-compliance through the JCPoA’s Dispute Resolution Mechanism which we triggered in January 2020. Iran has refused opportunities to return to the JCPoA twice and has continued to expand its programme beyond JCPoA limitations and without any credible civilian justification. Its enriched uranium stockpile stands at more than 18 times the amount permitted under the JCPoA.

Our commitment to finding a diplomatic solution remains. This decision does not amount to imposing additional sanctions nor to triggering the snapback mechanism. We stand ready to reverse our decision, should Iran fully implement its JCPoA commitments.