Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 July 2025.

Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) Paul Huggins participated in the launch of Guatemala’s National Plastics Action Partnership (NPAP).

During the event, he offered closing remarks highlighting the United Kingdom’s commitment to the Global Plastics Action Partnership (GPAP), of which Guatemala has been a member since January 2025, and underscored the importance of international collaborations in addressing global environmental challenges.

DHM Huggins praised Guatemala’s leadership in creating inclusive, evidence-based policies and welcomed its recent membership in the UK-founded High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC). He also reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to concluding negotiations for a legally binding global treaty on plastics by August of this year.

The event was attended by the Minister of Environment, Patricia Orantes; the Vice Minister for Climate Change, Edwin Castellanos, and representatives of partner organizations and implementers of the NPAP in Guatemala.

The UK, through the Blue Planet Fund and in collaboration with other partners has contributed £24 million to the GPAP program since 2018, supporting initiatives that promote the circular economy and improve the conditions of informal waste workers.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2025.

Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary in Australia alongside UK’s Carrier Strike Group – demonstrating government’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

• Signing of new UK-Australia AUKUS treaty protects our seas, supports over 21,000 UK jobs and underpins up to £20 billion exports potential.
• Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary in Australia alongside UK’s Carrier Strike Group – demonstrating government’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• New treaty unlocks greater economic cooperation and delivers on the Government’s Plan for Change.

A new 50 year AUKUS treaty will underpin the UK and Australian submarine programmes, support tens of thousands of jobs in the UK and Australia, enhance both nations’ industrial capacity, and deliver the submarines that keep the UK and our allies safe.

The deal demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deliver both security and prosperity, safeguarding jobs across the UK and boosting our defence industry, with new submarine exports amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds a year.

Expected to be worth up to £20 billion to the UK in exports over the next 25 years, this decades-long programme will create over 7,000 new jobs in UK shipyards and across the supply chain, building on the billions of pounds already invested in Barrow, Derby and beyond.

There will be over 21,000 people working on the conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered AUKUS submarine programme (known as SSN-AUKUS) in the UK at its peak, contributing to opportunities and economic growth in local communities across the UK.

Defence Secretary, John Healey, said:

AUKUS is one of Britain’s most important defence partnerships, strengthening global security while driving growth at home.

This historic Treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century. Through the Treaty, we are supporting high-skilled, well-paid jobs for tens of thousands of people in both the UK and Australia, delivering on our Plan for Change today and for the generations to come. There are people not yet born who will benefit from the jobs secured through this defence deal.

Our deep defence relationship with Australia – from our work together to support Ukraine, share vital intelligence, and develop innovative technology – makes us secure at home and strong abroad.

Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:

The UK-Australia relationship is like no other, and in our increasingly volatile and dangerous world, our anchoring friendship has real impact in the protection of global peace and prosperity.

Our new bilateral AUKUS treaty is an embodiment of that – safeguarding a free and open Indo Pacific whilst catalysing growth for both our countries.

This is how our government delivers the Plan for Change – protecting our national security and stability whilst generating jobs for Brits.

This is the latest milestone reached under the AUKUS partnership – our most strategically significant new defence partnership in a generation.

The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will travel to Australia as the Carrier Strike Group and more than 3,000 British military personnel take part in the largest military exercise Australia has ever hosted. Their visit follows the exercise’s success where the AUKUS nations worked with Japan on advancing how we use robotics and autonomous systems in our defence systems.

Both ministers will meet their counterparts at the annual “Australia-UK Ministerial”, known as AUKMIN, to drive forward collaboration across the board – generating further trade and investment to our £23 billion per year annual trade relationship with Australia.

Travelling onto Melbourne, the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will meet with businesses at the forefront of AUKUS – delivering the defence industrial strength needed to protect British, Australian and American interests.

The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will visit Darwin to see our commitment to the Indo-Pacific first hand as the Carrier Strike Group docks in the Northern Territory.

This deployment – one of the UK’s largest this century – sends a clear message that the UK alongside our partners stands ready to protect the Indo-Pacific’s vital trade routes and will deter those who undermine global security.

On HMS Prince of Wales, the flagship of the group, the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary will meet the service personnel who have participated in Exercise Talisman Sabre, one of the largest military exercises in the world this year. Bringing together over 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, this exercise strengthens and tests how key partners can work together to safeguard global trade routes and maintain regional stability.

The Carrier Strike Group deployment this year reinforces the Government’s Plan for Change by strengthening the international partnerships that underpin economic growth and national security, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad. It takes place against the backdrop of the Government’s landmark commitment to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027.

This historic investment underpins the Government’s mission-led approach to securing Britain’s future, providing the economic stability necessary for growth whilst ensuring the UK maintains cutting-edge capabilities such as to meet emerging global threats.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland updates the Permanent Council on the UK’s newly introduced Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Fifty years ago, the Helsinki Final Act recognised the movement of migrants as a key issue for both States and individuals. Twenty years ago in Ljubljana, our Ministers acknowledged in Ministerial Council Decision 2/05 that migration was becoming increasingly diverse and complex, requiring both national and transnational responses. They identified ways the OSCE could contribute and tasked the Secretary General and OSCE structures to address migration across all three dimensions.

That same year, Ministers adopted the Border Security and Management Concept. While reaffirming that border security is a matter of national sovereignty, we committed to enhancing mutually beneficial inter-State cooperation to address terrorism, organised crime, illegal migration, and the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and people. These threats remain persistent. We must respond nationally and through cooperation. Protecting our borders is protecting our national security.

In the UK, our Border Security Command is building a more coherent and controlled system to tackle threats, including Organised Immigration Crime (OIC). Our newly established OIC Domestic Taskforce will strengthen how these crimes are investigated and prosecuted by police, law enforcement, and the justice system.

We are also focused on the enablers of OIC. The online environment must not be a safe haven for criminal networks. The UK is committed to working with online platforms to prevent their use in facilitating irregular migration.

To support this, we are strengthening our legislative framework. Our Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduces new counter-terror-inspired powers to target those who supply, or handle items used in immigration crime. It also enhances data-sharing powers to support law enforcement and immigration operations, both domestically and with international partners.

On 22 July, we introduced the world’s first standalone Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime. This innovative tool enables us to impose sanctions related to people smuggling, human trafficking, and organised immigration crime.

As Chair of the Security Committee, I look forward to September’s events marking the 20th anniversary of the Border Security and Management Concept. It will be a timely opportunity to reflect on how our practices must evolve to meet emerging challenges while upholding fundamental rights and OSCE principles, and I invite interested participating States to join us in considering how we can build on the OSCE’s mandates in this area.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland welcomes Moldova’s continued efforts to safeguard electoral integrity and counter foreign malign interference.

The United Kingdom reaffirms its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, and for its European trajectory. As Moldova prepares for its parliamentary elections on 28 September, we commend the Moldovan people’s commitment to democratic reform and resilience. Moldova continues to play a constructive role in promoting stability and security across the European continent.

Today, we are honoured to welcome President Maia Sandu to the United Kingdom for meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and His Majesty King Charles III. Her visit underscores the deepening partnership between our countries and our shared commitment to democratic values, security, and prosperity.

We remain deeply concerned by the Russian Federation’s ongoing hybrid aggression against Moldova, including information manipulation, cyberattacks, and malign political interference. These actions aim to destabilise Moldova’s democratic institutions and obstruct its sovereign choices – behaviour that is incompatible with OSCE principles.

We welcome Moldova’s efforts to safeguard electoral integrity and counter foreign malign interference, and we encourage continued cooperation with OSCE institutions.

The UK continues to support Moldova’s institutional reforms, including strengthening the judiciary and anti-corruption efforts, to help build a resilient, democratic society anchored in European values. Moldova’s future must be decided by its citizens, free from coercion or intimidation.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland welcomes the OSCE Programme Office’s engagement with the Government of Tajikistan during the reporting period, and its continued focus on promoting gender equality, fostering cross-border cooperation and supporting penal reforms.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I warmly welcome Ms. Turcan to the Permanent Council and thank you for stepping into the leadership role during this transitional period. Strong leadership and reliable resourcing are essential for OSCE field missions to function effectively. We again urge participating States to resolve the budget impasse and ensure all OSCE institutions – including the Border Management Staff College – are adequately funded.

I would like to highlight several areas of the Programme Office’s work that are of particular importance to the UK.

First, the Mission’s efforts to promote gender equality and support survivors of domestic violence through Women’s Resource Centres and police capacity building. These centres provide vital shelter and services, helping women escape cycles of abuse and rebuild their lives. The UK remains deeply committed to addressing gender-based violence.

Second, the Programme Office’s role in fostering cross-border cooperation and regional security. We commend Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic for their leadership in peacefully resolving border disputes. These diplomatic achievements underscore the value of dialogue. The UK remains committed to working with Tajikistan, its neighbours, and the OSCE to address regional challenges, including those stemming from Afghanistan.

Third, we commend the Mission’s work in the human dimension, particularly on penal reform and embedding human rights in government training. We also welcome efforts to strengthen media standards. We note with regret that ODIHR’s observation mission were unable to implement their mandate for the elections in March and encourage all relevant parties to facilitate the required access in the future.

I would also like to commend the Government of Tajikistan for their continued leadership on climate and water security, not least demonstrated by their co-hosting of the International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation earlier this year resulting in the adoption of the Dushanbe Declaration. As climate change makes water access more competitive and harder to manage, cooperation and solutions become more vital.

Finally, we support Tajikistan’s ambitions for sustainable economic growth. Achieving this requires a stable, transparent investment climate grounded in the rule of law. This will attract quality foreign investment and create clean, inclusive growth for Tajik citizens.

Madam Chair, in closing, I thank Ms. Turcan again for her report and wish her continued success.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2025.

Ambassador Holland commits to continuing to highlight and condemn Russia’s attacks against Ukraine for as long as Russia insists on carrying them out. Doing so is necessary because of the obvious humanitarian imperative but it is also a question of living up to our promises to one another when we signed the Helsinki Final Act.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Mr Chair, there have been 120 Permanent Councils and 46 Special and Reinforced Permanent Councils since Russia launched its illegal full scale war of aggression on Ukraine in February 2022.  The UK has spoken on each of these occasions, highlighting Russia’s violation of the Helsinki principles and the Final Act.

Next week we gather in Helsinki to mark 50 years of the signature of the Final Act. This should have been a moment to reflect on its positive and historic legacy; alongside the UN and Paris Charters, it has set the standards by which we should treat each other and our citizenry. Instead we are travelling to Finland with drones still pummelling Ukrainian civilian targets indiscriminately and an unapologetic Russia refusing to take the outstretched hand of peace offered to them by the victim of their aggression, Ukraine.

The UK deeply regrets that there is still no sign of a let up in these attacks on civilians. One of the latest of these was an attack on the entrance to a metro station providing shelter to Ukrainian civilians escaping Russian bombardment. The Russian State evidently want as many Ukrainian people to be terrorised as possible. The UK will continue to highlight and condemn them for as long as Russia insists on carrying them out. As well as an obvious humanitarian imperative, doing so is also a question of living up to our promises to one another when we signed the Helsinki Final Act.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council open debate on maintaining international peace and security.

I welcome the opportunity today to discuss the OIC’s important cooperation with the UN on the resolution of conflicts and securing lasting peace and prosperity.

I will make three points, President.

First, the United Kingdom welcomes the efforts of the OIC to strengthen its role in conflict prevention, confidence-building, peacekeeping and mediation.

In particular, we thank OIC members for their invaluable commitment of troops to UN Peacekeeping Operations.

Effective cooperation and sharing of information between the UN and the OIC is important for developing coherent strategies for conflict prevention to support national prevention efforts.

Second, the United Kingdom values the role of the OIC and its Member States as a key partner in our shared fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

This requires a multi-dimensional approach with the support of all relevant UN agencies, regional organisations, governments and civil society partners.

We encourage the UN and the OIC to maintain close coordination to ensure the protection of human rights while countering terrorism.

Third, the United Kingdom welcomes its broadening and deepening relationship with the OIC and its members, including this week hosting the OIC’s International Academy of Jurisprudence to strengthen collaboration on key issues and interfaith dialogue.

We value this collaboration not least because inclusive governance and respect for human rights are fundamental underpinnings of peace and prosperity. And the United Kingdom firmly believes the right to freedom of religion or belief has a crucial role to play in this regard.

Religious intolerance and persecution fuel instability, impeding both conflict prevention and resolution, as we sadly see in a number of the conflicts on this Council’s agenda.

That is why the United Kingdom was proud to co-pen Security Council resolution 2686 with the United Arab Emirates in 2023. This was the first time a Security Council resolution had directly addressed the persecution of religious minorities in conflict settings. We remain committed to the full implementation of resolution 2686.

In conclusion, President, when freedom of religion or belief is respected for all, and interreligious dialogue is promoted, we can build trust and understanding between communities, helping to secure sustainable peace.

Thank you, President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2025.

UK and 40 other countries invoke the Moscow Mechanism to address ill treatment of prisoners of war by the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Chair.   I will deliver an abridged version of this statement this afternoon. The full statement will be circulated in writing and I request that it be attached to the Journal of the Day.

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,  Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,  Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,  San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Today, our delegations will send the following letter to ODIHR Director Maria Telalian, invoking the Moscow Mechanism, with the support of Ukraine, as we continue to have concerns regarding violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law following Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, including with regard to ill treatment of Ukrainian Prisoners of War (POW).

Director Telalian,

With Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in its fourth year and as Russia’s illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine has entered its eleventh year, we continue to witness large scale human suffering and alarming reports of violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and of international human rights law (IHRL), many of which may amount to the most serious international crimes.

Against the backdrop of the full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, launched by the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022, a number of credible sources, including the Moscow Mechanism expert missions, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, as well as civil society organizations, have reported that the Russian Federation has consistently violated the rights of prisoners of war (POWs) throughout their detention and at multiple detention facilities within the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. There have been credible reports that the extensive and routine torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs throughout their detention constitutes a continued systematic pattern of state policy and practice by the Russian Federation. Torture follows common patterns across different locations, indicating it is a coordinated, deliberate, and systematic practice.

In 2022, 2023 and 2024, 45 OSCE Delegations, following bilateral consultations with Ukraine under the Vienna (Human Dimension) Mechanism, invoked Paragraph 8 of the Moscow (Human Dimension) Mechanism. The reports of the independent missions of experts, received by OSCE participating States, confirmed our shared concerns about the impact of the Russian Federation’s invasion and acts of war, its violations and abuses of IHRL, and violations of IHL in Ukraine.

We remain particularly alarmed by the findings of the expert missions that some of the violations may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as the identification of patterns of reported violations of IHL and IHRL regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.

The prohibition against torture in international law is absolute.  Parties to an armed conflict are obliged to ensure the rights of POWs as set out in the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. Prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity. No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted or exposed to unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kin Torture and inhuman treatment of POWs are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, and likewise war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

ODIHR’s Ukraine Monitoring Initiative has continued to identify patterns of reported IHL and IHRL violations related to the treatment of Ukrainian POWs including in their Sixth Interim Report of 13 December 2024 and their Seventh Interim Report of 15 July 2025. Interviews with survivors and witnesses attested to a continued practice of systematic torture and other IHL and IHRL violations perpetrated against Ukrainian POWs  prompting serious concerns about the Russian Federation’s failure to comply with the fundamental principles that govern the treatment of POWs.

In equal measure, the OHCHR and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) have reported on the systematic and widespread use of torture of Ukrainian POWs by Russian authorities. In its March 2023 report, the HRMMU documented violations of IHRL and IHL in 32 of 48 detention facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, related to torture and other ill-treatment,  dire conditions of internment  including inadequate quarters, food, hygiene, and medical care, along with restricted communication, forced labor, and a lack of access of independent monitors. .  Many were held incommunicado deprived of the possibility to communicate with family or the outside world. Russian authorities subjected Ukrainian POWs to unlawful prosecutions for mere participation in hostilities; using torture to extract confessions; and denying fair trials.

According to witness testimonies, there were numerous incidents whereby POWs died in captivity due to execution, torture, ill-treatment and/or inadequate medical attention as well as inhumane conditions during their captivity.

The OHCHR’s October 2024 Report on the Treatment of Prisoners of War further documented detailed and consistent accounts of torture or ill treatment in Russian Federation custody.

Survivors have described the wide-ranging methods of torture or ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs including: severe physical beatings; electrocution (including the targeting of genitalia); excessively intense physical exercise; stress positions; dog attacks; mock executions (including simulated hangings); threats of physical violence and death; sexual violence, including rape; threats of rape and castration; threats of coerced sexual acts; and other forms of humiliation.

Since the end of August 2024, OHCHR also has recorded a significant increase in credible allegations of executions of Ukrainian servicepersons captured by Russian armed forces, involving at least 97 individuals.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine (UN COI) stated on 23 September 2024 that it has evidence of widespread and systematic torture by Russian authorities against Ukrainian civilians and POWs in the temporarily occupied territories and in Russia. They concluded that torture follows common patterns across different locations, indicating it is a coordinated practice.  In their March 2025 report, the UN COI again called on the Russian Federation to immediately end the widespread and systematic use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment committed against civilian detainees and prisoners of war

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine is investigating the reported execution of 273 Ukrainian POWs, including 208 who were reportedly executed on the battlefield and 59 in the ‘‘Olenivka’’ colony. However, the real number of those executed is likely much higher.

We are deeply concerned about the severity and frequency of these violations and abuses. We are particularly appalled by reported executions of Ukrainian POWs and Ukrainian soldiers rendered hors de combat upon their surrender and by the desecration/mutilation of bodies.  We are also deeply concerned with the practice of filming and distributing images of these abhorrent incidents.

Following grave concerns over the ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs, highlighted, inter alia, by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the OSCE, we call on all parties to the armed conflict ensure that POWs are treated in full compliance with IHL.

We recall that OSCE participating States have committed themselves to respect IHL, including the Third Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 1949, bearing in mind that the willful killing, torture, inhuman treatment, causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health of persons protected under the Geneva Conventions, including prisoners of war, constitutes a war crime. No prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest. Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.

We also recall that the prohibition of torture is a peremptory norm of international law without territorial limitation, which applies at all times and in all places.   Measures of reprisal against POWs are prohibited.

We call on the Russia Federation to end the torture and ill-treatment of all detainees and ensure adequate conditions of detention including the provision of basic needs such as food, water, clothing, and medical care. We further call for providing timely and accurate information on detainees’ whereabouts and legal status, and for granting international humanitarian organizations, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, unfettered access to such persons.

Gravely concerned by the continuing impacts of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, and gravely concerned by credible allegations of the torture, ill-treatment and executions of Ukrainian POWs, and soldiers hors de combat, the delegations of Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,  Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,  Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,  San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, following bilateral consultations with Ukraine under the Vienna Mechanism, invoke the Moscow (Human Dimension) Mechanism under Paragraph 8 of that document.

We request that ODIHR inquire of Ukraine whether it would invite a mission of experts to build upon previous findings, and:

To establish the facts and circumstances surrounding possible contraventions of relevant OSCE commitments; violations and abuses of human rights; and violations of IHL, including possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, related to the treatment of Ukrainian POWs by the Russian Federation ;

To collect, consolidate, and analyse this information including to determine if there is a pattern of widespread and systematic torture, ill-treatment and execution of Ukrainian POWs and soldiers hors de combat and/or at detention facilities by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories and in Russia and

To offer recommendations on relevant accountability mechanisms.

We also invite ODIHR to provide any relevant information or documentation derived from any new expert mission to other appropriate accountability mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine or the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, as well as national, regional, or international courts or tribunals that have, or may in future have, jurisdiction.

Thank you for your attention.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 July 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council open debate on the Middle East Peace Process.

My Foreign Secretary has been unequivocal: the war in Gaza must end now. Hamas and Israel must both commit to a ceasefire now.

A ceasefire is within reach and we urge all sides to make it a reality, to secure the release of the hostages, who have been cruelly held by Hamas since 7 October, and to end the appalling suffering of Palestinian civilians.

I will make three points.

First, the Israeli aid system is inhumane, ineffective, dangerous and fuelling instability. Reports and images this week of children dying from starvation are beyond horrific.

The IDF is shooting at desperate Palestinian civilians on an almost daily basis. Hamas is exploiting this disorder.

We call on Israel to end these attacks, hold those responsible to account and to work with the UN to implement effective aid distribution in line with humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law.

And let me reaffirm the UK’s firm and unequivocal support for the UN and OCHA in their brave efforts to get aid into Gaza.

We also condemn recent strikes on the WHO in Deir al Balah. Humanitarians and civilians must be protected.

Second, we condemn Defence Minister Katz’s proposals of forced displacement to Rafah. Illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank continues at pace as well as settler violence, and even terrorism, against Palestinians. This is an accelerating campaign to prevent a Palestinian state.

We condemn these attacks and call for Israel to hold its citizens to account.

We also oppose the reintroduction of the E1 settlement plan, which is a flagrant breach of international law.

Third, we are clear that Hamas must play no future role in the governance of Gaza or be able to threaten Israel’s security again. However, the organisation which represents a credible alternative to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, is being undermined by Israeli actions.

Israel is withholding $2.6 billion in clearance revenues, crippling the Palestinian economy and pushing essential health and education services to the brink. This is not conducive to Israel’s security.

President, the United Kingdom is resolute in our commitment to a two-state solution and my Foreign Secretary has been clear that we are prepared to take further action to prevent the forcible erosion of the only viable path to lasting peace.

Next week’s conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is a vital opportunity to demonstrate the strength of international resolve to secure a better future for Israelis, Palestinians and the region.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 July 2025.

Ambassador Neil Holland reiterates UK support for Ukraine, calls for Russia to agree an immediate ceasefire, and underlines the enduring value of the Forum for Security Cooperation for risk-reduction messaging.

Thank you to Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Mr Roger, for his remarks. Madam Chair, dear Kaja, thank you also for your calm and professional stewardship of this Forum this Trimester.

As I have said before, our Ministers mandated the Forum to continue our politico-military dialogue even in times of crisis.  That is why we used our weekly statements to reiterate our support for Ukraine. It is why we continued to call on Russia to agree an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and to return to abiding by the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.  And it is why we supported Estonia’s three Security Dialogue topics to keep the focus on Russia’s war of aggression.

Madam Chair, our Ministers also mandated our Forum with risk-reduction.  It is in this spirit that we have continued to use this Forum in good faith, including as a NATO Ally, to send and receive messaging. This includes voluntary briefs on above- and below-threshold military exercises, and asking questions to clarify our own understanding. We have done this, as a responsible State, to maintain dialogue in an appropriate and diplomatic manner. Because this is about our shared interests of reducing misunderstanding and preventing unintended escalation.

Let me conclude by thanking Spain as it leaves the FSC Troika, and to welcome France.  The incoming Chair, Finland, can count on the UK’s full and continued support next Trimester – including in its prerogative as FSC Chair.