Tag: Foreign Office

On 10-13 July, former First Minister of Scotland, Lord Jack McConnell, visited the Philippines for engagements with the national government, leaders in the Bangsamoro region and members of the international community.

On the national level, he met with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Senator Robinhood Padilla, Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo, Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., and Senior Undersecretary Isidro Purisima, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).

He also visited Davao City together with His Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) to the Philippines, Laure Beaufils, where they met with the Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim, Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA), other BARMM Ministers, sectoral and community representatives of the Council of Leaders and civil society organisations.

He discussed international support for the peace process with members of the International Contact Group (ICG) and UN Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez.

Speaking after the visit, Lord McConnell said:

At this crucial period, it is important to stay true to the commitments made in the journey to achieve peace in the Bangsamoro region. The cornerstones of a sustainable peace will be upholding democracy, good governance, and inclusion. We trust that our friends and partners in the national government and the Bangsamoro will be steadfast in their commitment to achieve a stable, progressive, and peaceful transition. The UK reiterates its unwavering support in overcoming challenges and delivering the economic and social dividends of peace.

Lord McConnell has been visiting the Bangsamoro region and sharing his experience of leading a devolved parliament since 2014. He served as first Minister of Scotland between 2001 and 2007.

The visit was in collaboration with British Embassy Manila and its implementing partners, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). In April 2020, the British Embassy Manila launched Integrated Security Fund (CSSF) programme to support the peace process with a total value of £15m.

The programme primarily focuses on three interconnected programme strands on the governance track of the Bangsamoro Peace Process; namely, strengthening democratic stability and institutions for the new regional parliament, strengthening women’s political participation and increasing awareness of BARMM Parliamentary systems.

Colleagues,

I thank Assistant Secretary General Mohammed Khiairi for his briefing. I welcome the participation of the DPRK at this Council for the first time since 2017. The United Kingdom condemns the DPRK’s launch of yet another inter-continental ballistic missile.

This was the twelfth ICBM launch since the start of 2022. It was the second test of a solid fuel ICBM, and the fourth ICBM test this year. It came in the wake of a failed military reconnaissance satellite launch on 31 May.

The DPRK’s actions violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and demonstrate flagrant disregard for the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. We must be firm and united in our response to these violations. Inaction by this Council cannot continue.

It is clear from listening to statements today the council members share deep concern about the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

With this in mind, I call on the DPRK to, first, abandon its illegal nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes, which are impoverishing its people and destabilising the region. Second, to return to compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  Third, to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. And finally, to take up repeated and unconditional offers of dialogue.

Allowing diplomats and NGOs back into the country is an important part of this process. Diplomacy is the only route to making progress towards a sustainable peace on the Peninsula.

Thank you, Mr President.

Let me begin by thanking Colombia for presenting this timely and important initiative to the Council. We have valued their openness and transparency throughout the negotiations.

Colombia serves as an important example that resolving enduring differences is only possible through peaceful dialogue. We commend Colombia’s ongoing collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the intent of this text to strengthen this relationship.

The Colombian people have achieved substantial progress since the signing of the 2016 Peace Agreement. Yet, as we recognised at the Security Council yesterday, several challenges remain to ensuring full implementation of the Peace Agreement and to securing lasting peace in Colombia.

The security situation has been given repeated attention by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and is detailed in the Truth Commission’s final report, a vital milestone on Colombia’s path to peace.

We take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Truth Commissioner’s hard work and to the thousands of victims who gave evidence for their courage. We urge all parties to implement the Commission’s recommendations, and to support the committee that will supervise their implementation.

That is why the UK supports the appointment of an international human rights expert and the provision of technical assistance to support Colombia and relevant actors as they look to implement the recommendations of the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition.

It is only right that international partners pursue and strengthen their assistance for Colombian-led efforts to tackle the underlying causes of violence and to securing lasting peace.

Mr President,

The UK has co-sponsored this draft resolution. We urge all members of the Council to join us in fully supporting without reserve Colombia’s request for assistance in the field of human rights.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair. In opening, the UK condemns the latest wave of Russian missile strikes against Kyiv, which put civilians in danger. They must end. We fully share the concern expressed about the OSCE monitors still in detention, and call for their release.

I would like to focus my statement today on the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Before February 2022, Ukraine was one of the world’s top agricultural exporters, feeding up to 400 million people globally. Russia’s illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion has not only dramatically threatened Ukraine’s food security, but also put millions around the world at risk of hunger. This is because Russia has attacked Ukrainian agricultural infrastructure, blocked Ukrainian ports, and pillaged Ukrainian grain. However, hope was restored when the UN and Türkiye brokered a deal that enabled grain shipments to leave Ukraine, signing the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2022.

A year on, the positive impact that the Initiative has had across the world is clear. It has been critical in stabilising global food prices and alleviating a global food security crisis. 33 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been exported under the Initiative since 1 August 2022. In particular, these exports have enabled countries that need it most to secure more affordable grain.

Crucially, the World Food Programme has once again been able to procure wheat from Ukraine at the same volumes as in 2021, purchasing 725,000 tonnes through the Initiative to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Despite these significant achievements, Russia has, once again, been destabilising the Initiative for its own ends. Inspections of ships have fallen from a peak average of ten per day last year to around two at the end of June 2023. Compared to March 2023, this fall in inspections has led to a 29% decrease in food exports by tonnage through the Initiative in April and a 66% decrease in May. Since 28 June 2023, Russia has not allowed new ships to join the Initiative. This arbitrary obstruction harms global food security by restricting supplies and causing food to be less affordable globally.

Mr Chair, the UK and our partners have been clear that Russia’s actions to worsen world hunger are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

On 17 July, the Black Sea Grain Initiative is due to be renewed. We urge Russia to cooperate with all parties to ensure the Initiative can continue to help the most vulnerable populations globally. If the Initiative is not renewed, up to 24 million tonnes of food, including from Ukraine’s upcoming harvest, will not reach global markets over the next year. The UN estimates that this would increase the numbers of undernourished people worldwide by millions.

Chair, Russia must cease its callous actions and stop playing games with global food security. The UK, along with the wider international community, will continue to support those worst affected by the global food crisis. We will continue to provide humanitarian aid and economic support for those who need it most in Ukraine. We will not stand by whilst the world’s most vulnerable people suffer because of Russia’s actions. The UK calls on Russia to agree to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative beyond 17 July, to enable it to operate as intended, and to stop using food as a weapon.

Finally, Chair, I would like to reiterate the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine as it fights for freedom and peace. We will continue working in unity with partners to achieve this. As NATO leaders said in their communique this week from Vilnius, and I quote, ‘We reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the government and people of Ukraine in the heroic defence of their nation, their land, and our shared values.’

Thank you, Chair.

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms North Korea’s brazen launch of another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) conducted on July 12, 2023, following the launch using ballistic missile technology conducted on May 31, 2023 along with the launches of two ballistic missiles on June 15, 2023.

North Korea continues to expand its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and to escalate its destabilizing activities. These launches pose a grave threat to regional and international peace and stability, and undermine the global non-proliferation regime. They are a flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), which prohibit North Korea from conducting any further launches that use ballistic missile technology. We once again call on North Korea to refrain from any other provocative actions.

We reiterate our demand that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner and fully comply with all obligations under the relevant UNSCRs. North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

We call for a quick, strong, and unified response by the UN Security Council (UNSC). The frequency of North Korea’s repeated blatant violations of UNSCRs juxtaposed with the UNSC’s corresponding inaction because of some members’ obstruction is cause for significant alarm. We call on all UN Member States to fully and effectively implement all UNSCRs, and urge the UNSC Members to follow through on their commitments. We call on North Korea to engage in meaningful diplomacy and accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea.

North Korea’s decision to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the welfare of the people in North Korea is aggravating an already dire humanitarian situation.

The G7 remains committed to working with all relevant partners toward the goal of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to upholding the rules-based international order.