Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Bosnia & Herzegovina.

The United Kingdom thanks High Representative Christian Schmidt for his dedicated service supporting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for his contribution to implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement. 

The Peace Implementation Council will now take forward the selection and appointment of a successor. 

We reiterate our support for a fully empowered High Representative as the cornerstone of civilian implementation of Dayton. 

We remain deeply concerned by the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

As the report sets out, some political actors continue to subvert democratic processes. 

They are obstructing legislative activity and abusing constitutional safeguards, stalling progress on Euro-Atlantic integration and the 5+2 agenda, including state property. 

Recent elections in Republika Srpska were marked by significant electoral fraud. 

With democracy and rule of law under attack, international support remains vital. 

We reiterate the importance of constitutional reform that reflects the needs of all citizens and implements European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. 

In this election year, we underline the importance of strengthening democratic resilience. 

We support the rollout of election technology as a practical step to reduce fraud and rebuild public confidence in elections. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future cannot be held hostage by divisive politics. 

Various players are stoking ethnic and religious tensions as a way of advancing their pernicious agendas and stirring up more tension between all of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s communities. 

Divisive rhetoric, including calls for secession or a third entity, is anti-Dayton and risks peace and stability. 

We call on all parties to reject all narratives which deepen divisions and misrepresent the country’s challenges. 

President, Dayton obliges all parties to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Full respect for Dayton remains essential. 

The report and ongoing political challenges underline why the High Representative, including the use of executive powers where necessary, remains vital. 

The Security Council endorsed Dayton under Chapter VII, including the High Representative, who is appointed by the Peace Implementation Council. 

While the United Kingdom supports progress on the 5+2 agenda, those conditions have not yet been met. 

Until they are, the role of the High Representative remains essential to safeguarding Dayton and ensuring peace and stability. 

We call once again on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s politicians to respect Dayton and the constitutional order, focus on practical reforms in the interests of all citizens, and for the international community to support these efforts.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

UK Statement at Solomon Islands’ Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Madam Vice President,

The United Kingdom commends Solomon Islands’ progress in implementing recommendations from its last review, including efforts to combat violence against women and girls through the Family Protection Act and the National Policy to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls (2021 – 2027).

We also welcome steps Solomon Islands has taken to raise awareness of CEDAW at provincial and community levels, and the increased integration of gender perspectives in the context of  disaster risk management planning.

We recommend that Solomon Islands builds on this positive progress by:

1. Amending the Marriage Act 1945 to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18 years.
2. Adopting the revised Forestry Bill 2004 and Mineral Resources Bill 2025 to safeguard the land rights of local communities against mining and logging.
3. Establishing a National Human Rights Institution in line with the Paris Principles, including by seeking technical assistance.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

UK Statement at Seychelle’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you Madam Vice President,

The United Kingdom welcomes the free and fair elections held in Seychelles in October 2025. But we have concerns around prolonged pre‑trial detention and expanded security powers despite otherwise strong democratic institutions.

The UK welcomes the activities of the Seychelles National Human Rights Commission since the last UPR, including its annual reports in 2024 and 2025. We continue to urge the government to ensure that the Commission is adequately financed and resourced.

We also commend the government for its continued constructive engagement with UN treaty bodies, including the review by the Committee on Migrant Workers in 2024.

We recommend that Seychelles:

1. Conducts an independent investigation on the 5 December 2024 prison riots, with demonstrable steps taken to hold perpetrators to account.
2. Publishes a clear legal and policy framework governing the protection of refugees and migrants, including procedures for identification, access to basic services, and safeguards against arbitrary detention, and reports publicly on steps taken to bring national practice into line with international human rights standards.
3.  Establishes a transparent and time‑bound mechanism for monitoring, responding to and implementing recommendations made by the National Human Rights Commission, including public reporting on progress and outcomes.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

Sarah Spencer, UK Tech Envoy, underlined the opportunities and risks of frontier technologies, stressing responsible governance, partnerships and dialogue through the OSCE. She reaffirmed the UK’s support for Ukraine, condemned Russia’s illegal invasion, and highlighted the OSCE’s role in ensuring technological progress strengthens security, stability and a more humane future.

Thank you Chair and thank you to all the panellists for their insightful remarks.   

I would like to thank Federal Councillor Cassis and the Swiss Chairpersonship for convening us today, and for framing today’s discussions around responsibility and cooperation. In the context of rapidly evolving technologies, strengthening dialogue, reducing misunderstandings and developing common approaches are indispensable to building trust and securing the foundations for security.  

We must however acknowledge the fact that Russia continues its illegal invasion of Ukrainian sovereign territory and Russian troops continue to occupy Ukrainian land. The United Kingdom is committed to a sustainable peace in Ukraine and will continue to stand resolutely with Ukraine and its people. 

Chair, frontier technologies afford multiple opportunities to deliver inclusive development outcomes and improve our impact in addressing humanitarian crises. These technologies are also transforming the security environment at unprecedented pace, increasing risks to national security, conflict escalation, and strategic stability. The development and deployment of artificial intelligence illustrates this tension between opportunity and risk particularly clearly. While AI has the potential to support early warning and early action in humanitarian crises, it can also amplify misinformation and widen instability if misused or deployed without adequate safeguards.  

Capitalising on the opportunities of frontier tech therefore requires innovative partnerships and practical mechanisms, aligned with our shared principles, to safely and responsibly govern frontier technologies and build inclusive, responsible and sustainable digital ecosystems. For the United Kingdom, partnerships between states, institutions, industry and civil society matter more than products in realising the opportunities of technology and innovation. In two weeks, our Foreign Secretary will co-host a major conference in London on the future of international development partnerships – bringing together governments, civil society, and tech leaders, amongst others, to help shape the system for a new era. This includes identifying ways to leverage advanced technologies to accelerate progress on shared global challenges.  

No one sovereign State can rise to this challenge alone. As the world’s largest regional security organisation, the OSCE has a unique role to play fostering dialogue on frontier technologies, supporting anticipatory approaches, and promoting the responsible use of innovation in the service of peace and security. The United Kingdom stands ready to support these efforts, and to work with all participating States to help ensure that technological progress contributes to a safer, more secure and more humane future for all. 

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2026.

Foreign Secretary announces sanctions against organisations and individuals enabling hostile Iranian activity

• New UK sanctions target organisations and individuals who threaten international and UK security. 
• Action demonstrates UK commitment to countering Iranian threats to UK national security, regional stability, and the global economy. 
• Sanctions will deter attacks against dissidents overseas and disrupt illicit revenue generation for the Iranian regime.

Organisations and individuals enabling hostile Iranian activity are amongst those being targeted under new sanctions announced by the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, today (11 May). The measures come in response to Iranian action against global security and its use of criminal gangs to carry out threats overseas. 

The measures target illicit finance flows which enable the Iranian regime to pursue destabilising action across the Middle East, including their blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – contravening international law and disrupting the global economy – and military strikes against regional and Gulf allies. 

Today’s sanctions also target criminal proxies who act on behalf of the Iranian state to threaten the US and Europe by preventing criminal gangs from travelling to the UK or accessing assets which finance their illegal activity. 

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 

This package of sanctions directly targets organisations and individuals who threaten security on UK streets and stability in the Middle East. Criminal proxies backed by parts of the Iranian regime who threaten security in the UK and Europe will not be tolerated, nor will illicit finance networks. We are coordinating these actions across Europe. 

We continue to press for a negotiated settlement and a long-term diplomatic solution in the Middle East, which urgently restores freedom of navigation to the Strait of Hormuz.

The package of sanctions is aligned with action taken by the EU and builds on recent action by the UK government to hold the Iranian regime accountable for hostile activity, including threats to national security. 

More broadly, the Prime Minister has made clear that we need stronger powers to tackle threats posed by states like Iran, which is why we will fast-track Home Office state-threats legislation. On 28 April, the Minister for the Middle East summoned the Iranian Ambassador for the third time this year. The government has censured the Iranian embassy’s unacceptable and inflammatory comments on social media and made clear that any attempts to cause violence or inflame tensions in our communities will not be tolerated. 

The UK also sanctioned 10 individuals and one organisation in February for their brutal response to Iranian protestors in January and in previous protests. 

The UK already has imposed more than 550 sanctions on Iranian individuals and organisations, including the entirety of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps i and over 90 sanctions in response to Human Rights violations. 

These sanctions form part of a UK day of action against destabilising activity by Iran and Russia. Earlier today, the UK announced sanctions against Russia’s hostile and heinous attempts to undermine democracy and destroy Ukraine’s future. 

Background:

The following entities are today sanctioned by the UK government and are subject to an asset freeze and director disqualification: 

• Berelian Exchange 
• GCM Exchange 
• The Zindashti Network 

The following individuals are today sanctioned by the UK government and are subject to a travel ban, asset freeze and director disqualification: 

• Mansour Zarringhalam 
• Nasser Zarringhalam 
• Ekrem Abdulkerym Oztunc 
• Nihat Abdul Kadir Asan 
• Reza Hamidiravari 
• Namiq Salifov  

The following individuals are also today sanctioned by the UK government and are subject to an asset freeze and director disqualification: 

• Fazlolah Zarringhalam 
• Pouria Zarringhalam 
• Farhad Zarringhalam 

Information in this Press Release was accurate at the time of publication. Please see the UK Sanctions List for the current list of those subject to sanctions https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list 

Definitions:   

1. Asset freeze: an asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world. 
2. Director disqualification: Where director disqualification sanctions apply, it is an offence for a person designated for the purpose of those sanctions to act as a director of a UK company, or a foreign company that is sufficiently-connected to the UK, or to take part in the management, formation or promotion of a company. 
3. Travel ban: a travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, as the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2026.

The UK is exposing and taking action against Russia’s hostile and heinous activity at every level, from its systematic campaign to forcibly deport and militarise Ukrainian children to recent attempts to interfere in upcoming Armenian elections.

• The UK has sanctioned 85 individuals and entities involved in the forced deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, alongside those driving Russia’s information warfare campaigns 
• In some of the toughest action to date, the UK is exposing and combatting hostile Russian activity across multiple fronts, including recent attempts to interfere in Armenian elections 
• An additional £1.2 million in UK funding will help identify and return Ukrainian children to their homes and communities

The UK is today [Monday 11 May] exposing and taking action against Russia’s hostile and heinous activity at every level, from its systematic campaign to forcibly deport and militarise Ukrainian children to recent attempts to interfere in upcoming Armenian elections.  

Today’s action represents some of the toughest measures the UK has taken to target hostile Russian activity to date, directly hitting 85 individuals and entities. As Russia relentlessly seeks to undermine democratic process and global support for Ukraine, this latest tranche of sanctions cracks down on malicious information warfare campaigns. 

New measures target 49 individuals working for the Social Design Agency (SDA), including writers, translators and video makers responsible for deceptive Kremlin propaganda. The SDA has been tasked and funded by the Kremlin to deliver a series of interference operations designed to undermine democracy and weaken support for Ukraine.   

In continuing to expose Russia’s hostile and malign activities, the UK is today calling out that the Social Design Agency has planned campaigns which were almost certainly tasked by the Russian Presidential Administration, including seeking to establish pro-Russia organisations in Armenia and influence a change in power towards pro-Russia figures.   

Elsewhere, the UK can also reveal that sanctioned entity ANO Dialog is tasked by the Russian Presidential Administration and has worked alongside Russian intelligence services to carry out malign influence campaigns on behalf of the Government of Russia. ANO Dialog has also coordinated with Russian intelligence on interference plans aimed at Armenian domestic politics. 

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:  

The UK will not stand idly by as Putin seeks to sow lies and pro-Kremlin narratives abroad.   

Today’s sanctions are a strong step in exposing and disrupting the depths Russia is willing to go, to interfere and undermine democracy, and destroy Ukraine’s future through the abhorrent deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.   

The UK’s support for Ukraine remains ironclad and we will continue to work alongside our allies to support every effort to identify and trace the children that have been cruelly taken from their communities and bring them home.

Among those sanctioned today for their role in the heinous policy of Russification of Ukrainian children is the Centre for Military Sports Training and Patriotic Education of Youth, known as the ‘Warrior Centre’.  Here, Ukrainian children are subjected to military training and pro‑Kremlin ideology.  

Also sanctioned is Yulia Sergeevna Velichko, Minister for Youth Policy in the so‑called ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’, for her role in implementing state‑led initiatives for the deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children, including the issuing of Russian passports to children from temporarily occupied territories and organising programmes that expose them to Russian ideology.  

The announcement comes as Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty travels to Brussels to attend the High-Level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. While in Brussels, the Minister will announce a further £1.2 million of UK funding for the Verification Centre and Tracing Mechanism, helping to identify and locate Ukrainian children who have been cruelly taken from their homes.   

The UK will continue to crack down on those who carry out malign activity on behalf of the Kremlin and organisations seeking to spread lies and undermine democracy in defence of our values. To date, the UK has sanctioned over 3,300 targets to clamp down on those fuelling Russia’s war efforts, from disrupting military supply chains to tackling the weaponisation of irregular migration.

Notes to editors:  

• This latest sanction package includes 29 targets linked to Russia’s systematic campaign to forcibly deport and militarise Ukrainian children, and a further 56 designations targeting those responsible for the Kremlin’s information warfare.  
• Russia’s heinous policy of forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children is a clear attempt to sever cultural and national ties to their home country. To date, over 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported to Russia and within the temporarily occupied territories. Sanctions are a critical tool in the UK’s arsenal to expose these injustices, uncover the perpetrators and defend the identity and values Ukraine is fighting to protect.  
• The Centre for Military Sports Training and Patriotic Education of Youth operates a network of facilities across Russia and Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.   
• Among those forcibly deported, an estimated 6,000 children have been taken to re‑education camps, where they are subjected to propaganda designed to erase Ukrainian identity and instil pro‑Russian, highly militarised beliefs.  
• The UK is providing a further £1.2million to the tracing and verification of illegally deported Ukrainian children. This includes   
• £600,000 for the Verification Centre which is locating these children and provided strong evidence to the UN Commission of Inquiry to support their conclusions that Russia’s actions constitute crimes against humanity.  
• £600,000 for the Ukrainian led Tracing programme which is tracing and locating thousands of Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2026.

Ms Tarandip Kaur Sandhu MBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See in succession to Mr Christopher John Trott CVO.

Ms Tarandip Kaur Sandhu MBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See in succession to Mr Christopher John Trott CVO who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Sandhu will take up her appointment during August 2026.

Curriculum Vitae

Full name: Tarandip (Tammy) Kaur Sandhu

Year	Role
2025 to present	Pre-posting Training (including Italian language training)
2023 to 2025	San Francisco, His Majesty’s Consul General
2021 to 2023	San Francisco, Deputy Consul General
2020	FCDO, Chair, Race and Ethnicity Network
2017 to 2020	FCO, Human Resources Directorate
2014 to 2017	Chennai, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Department for International Trade
2012 to 2014	Brussels, Deputy Spokesperson, UK Permanent Representation to the EU
2009 to 2012	Rabat, Second Secretary (Political/Economic)
2009	Pre-posting Training (including French language training)
2007 to 2008	FCO, Counter Terrorism Department
2005 to 2007	FCO, Parliamentary Relations Department
2005	Joined FCO

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2026.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office summoned the Chinese Ambassador on Friday 8 May following convictions under the National Security Act.

An FCDO spokesperson said: 

On instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This summons follows the conclusion of a case which resulted in convictions under the National Security Act to assist the Hong Kong authorities. 

It was made clear that the UK will not tolerate any attempts by foreign states to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK, and that such activity constitutes a serious breach of the UK’s sovereignty. We will continue to use the full range of tools available to protect our security and hold China to account for actions which undermine our safety and democratic values.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 May 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Arria meeting on the West Bank.

Colleagues, at the outset, I want to underline UK concern at rising conflict in the region and beyond. 

I also want to stress that peaceful co-existence between communities is essential. 

The United Kingdom was shocked by the despicable antisemitic terror attack in London last week. 

There is no place in our societies for racially motivated hatred and violence, and we will continue to work to end such attacks and to promote tolerance amongst all communities. 

Returning to the Arria, I will make three points.

First, the United Kingdom is clear that a two state solution remains the only way to achieve lasting peace and security for the Israeli and Palestinian people.

However, as we have heard today, the viability of that future is being deliberately and rapidly eroded.

The current Israeli Government has nearly doubled the number of illegal settlements, including the E1 plan, which would cut the West Bank in two as we’ve just seen.

Security Council Resolution 2334 is clear. 

These settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and must cease.

And while settlements expand, so does the displacement of Palestinians from that same land.

This includes Basel’s hometown of Masafer Yatta. 

It also includes the homes of many more. 

2,500 Palestinians have been displaced this year due to demolitions, evictions, and settler attacks.

In Silwan in East Jerusalem, families have been forced out and watched as settlers take over the homes they have had for generations.

And as we’ve heard today, Israeli restrictions on movement and the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues are worsening the humanitarian situation, weakening the Palestinian Authority, and driving instability.

Second, these policies are accompanied by extreme violence. 

OCHA report that 2025 saw the highest number of settler attacks on record. 

Last year, Israeli security forces and settlers killed 240 Palestinians, with Palestinian militants killing 17 Israelis. 

The United Kingdom strongly condemns all attacks on civilians.

As the occupying power, the Israeli Government has clear responsibilities for the protection of civilians, which are not being met.

Acts of settler violence are not a series of isolated incidents. 

They represent an accelerated campaign to prevent a future Palestinian State driven by an extremist ideology, which even includes acts of settler terrorism.

Finally, these actions are underpinned by a culture of impunity. 

While attacks by Palestinians are rightly investigated and prosecuted, the same cannot be said for crimes by settlers. 

Accountability remains weak, with few criminal investigations and many cases closed without justice.

The United Kingdom is also concerned by recent comments by a senior IDF figure, noting that lethal force is used against Palestinian stone-throwers, but not against settlers committing the same crime. 

If accurate, this suggests a discriminatory application of force that raises serious concerns under international law.  

Colleagues, these actions constitute a coordinated effort to permanently change the demographic makeup of the West Bank and prevent the two state solution.

They undermine President Trump’s 20-Point Plan and risk further violence in the region. 

Depriving the Israeli and Palestinian people of the peace they deserve.

We desperately want to see a different future: one that delivers peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians. 

That different future is possible.

And it is our duty to strive to achieve it.