Tag: Foreign Office

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

Gang ring leaders, key intermediaries and suppliers of people-smuggling equipment have today [July 23] been hit with the first ever sanctions targeting irregular migration by the UK.

• UK sanctions 25 targets at the heart of people-smuggling networks that drive irregular migration to the UK.
• Sanctions come on day 1 of the UK’s world-first dedicated sanctions regime targeting irregular migration and organised immigration crime.
• Action marks latest step in government’s campaign to secure Britain’s borders and reduce irregular migration, delivering on the Plan for Change.

Gang ring leaders, key intermediaries and suppliers of people-smuggling equipment have today [July 23] been hit with the first ever sanctions targeting irregular migration by the UK.

Today’s sanctions target individuals and entities involved in people-smuggling and driving irregular migration to the UK, from a small boat supplier in Asia, to informal Hawala money movers in the Middle East, to gang leaders based in the Balkans and North Africa.

They cover a range of different activities from supplying small boats explicitly for smuggling, to sourcing fake passports, middlemen facilitating illicit payments through Hawala, people-smuggling via lorries and small boats, and the gangland leaders themselves.

Sanctions can disrupt the flow of money and materials – including freezing property, bank accounts and other assets – which allow organised criminal gangs to operate this vile trade.

The plans are a key example of the FCDO using innovative foreign policy approaches to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change. The regime will be the world’s first dedicated to targeting people-smuggling and organised immigration crime, with the exploitation of vulnerable people by criminals and their associated networks being one of the key drivers of irregular migration to the UK.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

This is a landmark moment in the government’s work to tackle organised immigration crime, reduce irregular migration to the UK and deliver on the Plan for Change.

From Europe to Asia we are taking the fight to the people-smugglers who enable irregular migration, targeting them wherever they are in the world and making them pay for their actions.

My message to the gangs who callously risk vulnerable lives for profit is this: we know who you are, and we will work with our partners around the world to hold you to account.

Among those sanctioned today is Bledar Lala, an Albanian who is in control of the ‘Belgium operations’ of an organised criminal group which smuggles migrants from Belgium across the English Channel to the United Kingdom.

Sanctions have also been brought against a company in China which has advertised their small boats on an online marketplace explicitly for the purpose of people-smuggling. The boats advertised are of the type used by criminal gangs in which migrants are packed, before being sent across the Channel at huge risk.

The UK is also sanctioning Alen Basil, a former police translator who went on to lead a large smuggling network in Serbia, terrorising refugees, with the aid of corrupt policemen. Basil was subsequently found to be living in a house in Serbia worth more than one million euros, bought with money extorted from countless desperate migrants.

Also sanctioned is Mohammed Tetwani, the self-styled “King of Horgos”, who brutally oversaw a migrant camp in Horgos, Serbia and led the Tetwani people-smuggling gang. Tetwani and his followers are known for their violent treatment of refugees who decline their services or cannot pay for them.

Today’s package also includes individuals like Muhammed Khadir Pirot, a hawala banker involved in informal money transfer networks, which people-smugglers use as a way of taking payment from migrants.

All of those sanctioned today are publicly named and barred from engaging with the UK financial system, helping to further undermine their operations.

NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said:

The NCA is determined to use every tool at our disposal to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved in people-smuggling, preventing harm to those they exploit for profit and protecting the UK’s border security.

These new sanctions powers will complement that NCA activity. We have worked with the FCDO and partners to progress the designation of these sanctioned persons.

They will give the UK a new way of pursuing, undermining and frustrating the operational capability of a wide range of organised immigration crime networks, including those who facilitate or enable offending.

Today’s designations are the first made under the UK’s new Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime. The regime is a world first and empowers the FCDO to impose sanctions not only on individuals and entities involved in people-smuggling to the UK, but also any financiers and companies found to be enabling their activities.

The FCDO has worked closely with the National Crime Agency and other partners to develop its cases and ensure they complement law enforcement activity.

Today’s announcement is part of the FCDO’s three-pronged ‘disrupt, deter, return’ strategy to tackle irregular migration globally. In addition to disrupting organised immigration crime networks through sanctions, the FCDO works with source and transit countries to deter would-be migrants from making a dangerous journey in the first place and works with the Home Office to negotiate the return of people who have no right to be here to their countries of origin, including criminals and failed asylum seekers. Since the election, over 35,000 people have been returned, up 13% on the same period in the year before.

Background

The individuals and entities sanctioned today can be seen below:

Iraqi-linked people-smuggling

• Goran Assad Jalal, formed part of an organised crime group which stowed migrants in refrigerated lorries which crossed the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom on at least ten occasions between January and March 2019.
• Hemin Ali Salih, helped smuggle migrants into the UK in the backs of lorries.
• Dedawan Dazey, a people-smuggler who runs safe houses for migrants in Northern France before they are smuggled to the United Kingdom.
• Roman Ranyaye, an Iraqi people-smuggler responsible for the smuggling of migrants from Asia to Europe.
• Azad Khoshnaw, for supplying inflatable boats, onboard motors and other maritime equipment for use in people-smuggling of migrants from France to the UK.
• Nuzad Khoshnaw, for equipping gangs in Northern France with outboard motors, inflatable boats, and other maritime equipment for use in people-smuggling to the UK.
• Nihad Mohsin Xoshnaw, for providing inflatable boats, outboard motors and other maritime equipment used by migrants to cross the English Channel from France.

Hawala Network

• Muhammed Khadir Pirot, a hawala banker who controls payments from people being smuggled from the Kurdistan region of Iraq to Europe via Turkey.
• Mariwan Jamal, controls money movements through a Hawala banker, which handles payments to people smugglers from migrants in Iraq.
• Rafiq Shaqlaway, involved in hawala banking as an advisor to migrants looking to pay smugglers operating routes into Europe via Turkey.

North African gangs operating in the Balkans

• Kazawi Gang, a people-smuggling network which controls people-smuggling routes from North Africa into the EU known to deal out harsh punishments to migrants who are unable to pay.
• Tetwani Gang, known as one of the Balkan’s most violent people-smuggling gangs, members are reported to hold migrants for ransom and sexually abuse women unable to pay their fees.

Gangland bosses

• Bledar Lala, leads a smuggling ring moving people from Belgium across the English Channel to the UK.
• Alen Basil, a former police translator who through violence and intimidation became boss of a large people-smuggling network.
• Mohammed Tetwani, the head of the ‘Tetwani’ gang and self-styled “King” of Horgos in Serbia.
• Yassine Al Maghribi Al-Kasaoui, the boss of the “Kazawi” gang.

Balkan gangs supplying fake passports

• Kavač Gang, a Balkan organised crime organisation known to use fake passports to smuggle its gang members between the Balkans and Turkey.
• Škaljari Gang, an organised crime organisation in Montenegro that smuggles criminals between the Balkans and Turkey.
• Dalibor Ćurlik, procures fake passports and forged documents for use in the Kavač gang’s people-smuggling.
• Almir Jahović, member of the Kavač gang, which is involved in supplying fake passports for smuggling gang members across borders
• Marko Petrović, a member of the Kavač gang which sources false identification and passports for use in people-smuggling.
• Nikola Vein helps the Škaljari Gang secure fake passports and travel documents for use in people smuggling.
• Ratko Živković, a Škaljari Gang associate, which gathers fake passports for the purpose of smuggling gang members across borders.
• Dejan Pavlović, a member or close associate of the Škaljari Gang, which supports the manufacture of false identities and passports.

The following company based in China has been designated over the manufacture of inflatable boats being advertised for people smuggling.

• Weihai Yamar Outdoors Product Co

Background to the Global Irregular Migration sanctions regime

• Using the powers conferred by the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act (the Sanctions Act) the Government has laid secondary legislation before Parliament that introduces a new Global Irregular Migration sanctions regime. The Regulations will be debated by both Houses of Parliament when they return from the summer recess in line with the made affirmative procedure.

• 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. 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. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person.

Travel ban

• A travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.

Director disqualifications

• Where director disqualification sanctions apply, it will be an offence for a person designated for the purpose of those sanctions to act as a director of a company or to take part in the management, formation or promotion of a UK company.

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

A joint statement by the Permanent Missions to the UN of the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Guyana, Ireland, Mexico, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

It is unacceptable that man-made and avoidable conflict-induced hunger continues to afflict civilians in Gaza. The prolonged suffering will have irreversible consequences that will last generations.

From the May IPC Special Snapshot, we know that the Gaza Strip is facing a critical risk of famine. The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with 500,000 people facing starvation and more than 70,000 children set to require treatment for acute malnutrition.

The latest figures are even more disturbing, and we are witnessing increased deaths due to malnutrition. This follows sustained denial of essential humanitarian assistance to civilians by Israel.

To address this crisis, we call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. In particular, we call on Israel as the occupying power to adhere to its obligations under international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2417. Israel must:

• Lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid and facilitate immediate, safe, rapid, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access by the UN and humanitarian organisations that ensures relief supplies at scale to civilians in need throughout Gaza.
• Facilitate the effective delivery of life-saving nutrition, health, water, sanitation and other essential services by the UN and humanitarian organisations, as well as the fuel needed to sustain them.
• Protect objects necessary for food production and distribution and facilitate the restoration of essential commercial supplies and market systems at scale.
• Urgently ensure the protection of civilians, including aid workers, UN and associated personnel, and medical personnel, and allow their unrestricted access.

We urge all parties to do everything to support efforts to reach agreement on a new ceasefire and hostage release deal. While humanitarian assistance is essential, the answer to conflict-induced hunger is peace.

We need to ensure accountability for actors who deliberately cause or prolong conflict-induced hunger in violation of international law. Using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare may constitute a war crime.

All Member States should use their influence to address conflict-driven hunger in Gaza and promote compliance by all parties to the conflict with international law.

We call for rapid and full implementation of humanitarian commitments made by Israel including the steps agreed between Israel and the EU to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. This is imperative. We will follow delivery measures by Israel closely.

We must all support the work of the UN-coordinated humanitarian system in Gaza led by OCHA. It is best equipped to ensure aid is delivered to civilians, apply established strong aid diversion prevention systems and adhere with humanitarian principles.

UNRWA remains crucial to the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services, despite increasing restrictions and attacks.

The new Israel-approved aid delivery model is dangerous and is not operating in accordance with humanitarian principles. We condemn the killing of well over 800 Palestinians, including children, seeking water and food.

The 20 July incident where people came under Israeli fire beside a WFP convoy was terrible. Humanitarian action must be based on humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

We condemn the heinous attack by Hamas on October 7 2023. Hamas must release all hostages unconditionally now.

Immediate action is needed to address this debilitating suffering.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2025.

A Strategic Partnership between the UK and Egyptian governments.

The UK and Egypt share deep, historic ties. We partner across multiple fields, from climate change to global security, trade and investment to tourism, underpinned by rich people-to-people and cultural connections. However, both countries aspire to strengthen this co-operation in pursuit of shared prosperity and greater regional and global security.

The Governments of Egypt and the UK have therefore committed to elevating the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. This commitment marks a significant milestone and will enable both governments to strengthen and systematise existing collaboration in line with shared interests and priorities such as trade and investment, irregular migration, regional security and responding to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The UK and Egypt will launch the Strategic Partnership during a visit to Cairo by the Prime Minister in the autumn of 2025. To unlock new mutual growth opportunities and strengthen economic ties, the Prime Minister and President Sisi will jointly chair an Investment Conference convening key British and Egyptian businesses.

The UK Government looks forward to building the Strategic Partnership with Egypt to enhance the prosperity and security of our citizens.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2025.

Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council debate on peace and security.

Mr President, the United Kingdom thanks Pakistan for convening this timely debate at a time when multilateralism faces unprecedented strain.

As the Secretary-General has said, the world is witnessing more conflict than at any time since the founding of the United Nations.

From Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine to the protracted crisis in Gaza, the international community is being tested.

Our response must strive for peace and be guided by the principles of the UN Charter.
Multilateralism remains the best tool we have to meet the shared challenges of the 21st century.

And this Council, as the UN organ with the primary responsibility for international peace and security, should play a central role.

That includes through a collective commitment to the rule of law, including international humanitarian law, and to the peaceful settlement of disputes.

These are not abstract ideals.

They are principles by which we could collectively prevent and resolve conflict.

That is why the United Kingdom has kept these principles at the heart of its foreign policy.
But as we mark the UN’s 80th anniversary, we must seize this moment to revitalise the peace and security architecture, champion human rights, and strengthen the UN development system and humanitarian architecture to ensure all three pillars are collectively fit for purpose.

We should make full use of the UN’s mediation and conflict prevention capabilities.
In Sudan, we continue to urge the warring parties to engage meaningfully with existing diplomatic initiatives, including the United Nations’ mediation efforts to achieve a lasting national ceasefire and political solution.

Here and elsewhere, we need the UN to help address the root causes of conflict.
Peace operations should be more adaptable, politically attuned and better coordinated with other UN and regional actors, leveraging new technologies and local expertise.
We must focus not only on brokering peace but on sustaining it.

The UN’s efforts to verify the implementation of the Peace Agreement in Colombia is a good example of this work in the field.

And here in New York, we can make better use of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture to support national efforts to sustain peace.

Underscoring this, we must recall that crucially, sustainable peace can only be achieved through inclusive peace processes, with the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women.

Mr President, the UN Charter is our shared foundation.

In this moment of global uncertainty, we must recommit to multilateralism, not as a slogan, but as a strategy.

The United Kingdom stands ready to work with all Member States to this end, including to uphold peace, security, and the rule of law.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2025.

New figures published today show how the international aid budget will deliver value for money for the British taxpayer and maximum impact for the most vulnerable overseas.

• new figures released today (Tuesday 22 July) set out how the government will spend the aid budget in 2025 to 2026, prioritising areas where Britain can make the biggest difference
• the new approach means the UK will prioritise spending through the most impactful multilateral organisations like the World Bank and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, while working to drive reform of these institutions
• Development Minister Baroness Chapman today confirms UK support for the World Bank’s International Development Association, with the fund expected to benefit 1.9 billion people in next 3 years

New aid funding figures published today (Tuesday 22 July 2025) show how the international aid budget will deliver value for money for the British taxpayer – and maximum impact for the most vulnerable overseas. The cut in the aid budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income from 2027 means every penny must count if the UK is to make progress on its biggest development priorities: to tackle humanitarian, health and climate crises.

Today’s aid figures, published in the FCDO’s annual report and the first to be released since the cut was announced in February, give an indication of the new approach the Development Minister Baroness Chapman will take. They follow a comprehensive line-by-line strategic review of aid conducted by the minister, which focused on prioritisation, efficiency, protecting planned humanitarian support and live contracts while ensuring responsible exit from programming where necessary.

The pivot will see global organisations with a proven track record of impact, like the World Bank and Gavi, prioritised to deliver better results for the UK taxpayer and the world’s poorest people.

The UK will also continue to play a key humanitarian role supporting those in crisis, including in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and will hold a reserve fund to respond to future crises at pace.

However, underperforming multilateral organisations will face funding cuts in future, and as the UK moves to spend less on aid, bilateral support to some countries is also dropping.

While bilateral support for some countries will drop, the UK will instead increasingly share expertise, like that of our world leading scientists and financial sector. It will focus on tackling the climate crisis, health threats and humanitarian emergencies, creating stability and growth to help deliver the Plan for Change at home. The National Security Strategy published earlier this year said British interests are best served through effective multilateral cooperation.

As part of its growing support for impactful multilateral organisations, the UK today confirmed it will honour a pledge to the International Development Association (IDA) – the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries – having agreed a new way to make payments that reduces costs to UK taxpayers and provides the same value to the Bank. IDA is expected to benefit 1.9 billion people in the next 3 years.

Minister for Development Baroness Chapman said:

We are modernising our approach to international development. Every pound must work harder for UK taxpayers and the people we help around the world and these figures show how we are starting to do just that through having a clear focus and priorities.

The UK is moving towards a new relationship with developing countries, becoming partners and investors, rather than acting as a traditional aid donor. We want to work with countries and share our expertise – from world leading science to the City of London – to help them become no longer dependent on aid, and organisations like the World Bank and Gavi are central to how we can work with others to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time: humanitarian disasters, pandemics and the climate crisis.

The UK’s support for the multilateral system will come with a renewed push for its reform to maximise efficiency and impact for people on the ground.  It follows UK funding announced for another multilateral organisation Gavi, the vaccine alliance, last month, which will help save up to 8 million lives.

The World Bank support was originally announced last November, but all UK aid funding was subsequently reviewed following the 0.3% announcement in February this year. Every £1 the UK invests in the World Bank’s IDA fund, enables £4 of finance for developing countries. The IDA fund is expected to benefit 1.9 billion people in next 3 years.

The World Bank President Ajay Banga today welcomed the UK’s funding commitment. He said:

We are grateful to the United Kingdom for honouring its pledge to IDA. In a time of tight budgets and growing global risks, this is not just generosity – it’s strategy. Every taxpayer pound is multiplied many times over through the Bank’s ability to mobilise capital and partner with the private sector.

These resources help create jobs in developing countries – jobs that build self-reliant economies, reduce the drivers of instability, crime, and migration, and grow the middle class. In turn, they create future consumers of UK products and investment opportunities that strengthen the UK economy over the long term.

The UK’s new approach aligns with recent calls from Global South leaders for a move away from traditional aid to a focus on investment and partnerships, including from the African Development Bank, and the former Kenyan President.

Alongside the figures released today, the government has also published an equality impact assessment, which found plans to reduce the aid budget will “protect against disproportionate impacts on equalities” overall.

The government will publish indicative multi-year allocations for 2026 to 2029 in the autumn, providing an even clearer picture of the UK’s future direction in international development.

Background

1. The full ODA spending allocations were published in the FCDO’s annual report and accounts on 22 July 2025.
2. The equality impact assessment was published alongside the annual report and accounts.
3. The UK announced last November it would pledge £1.98 billion to the World Bank’s IDA21 – from July 2025 to June 2028. All UK aid funding was subsequently reviewed following the decision to reduce the aid budget in February. We have now agreed to accelerate our payments to the Bank, reducing their need to borrow from markets. This means that while the UK will provide the Bank with around 10% less cash in total, the Bank will regard our contribution as equivalent to our original pledge. A number of other donors accelerate their payments to provide early support to the Bank and to increase the value of their funding in the same way.
4. The Foreign Secretary announced new humanitarian support for Gaza on Monday 21 July 2025.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2025.

Anyone complicit in facilitating people smuggling to the UK will be at risk of having their assets frozen and being banned from travelling to Britain, under new powers announced by the Foreign Secretary today.

• anyone complicit in facilitating people smuggling to the UK could be sanctioned from tomorrow
• targets will have assets frozen, be shut off from the UK financial system and banned from travelling to the UK, under new regime targeting supply of money and material enabling irregular migration
• new sanctions are the latest tool in UK’s arsenal to secure Britain’s borders, reduce irregular migration and deliver on the Plan for Change

Anyone complicit in facilitating people smuggling to the UK will be at risk of having their assets frozen and being banned from travelling to Britain, under new powers announced by the Foreign Secretary today.

Tomorrow, the FCDO will impose the first wave of sanctions on gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration to the UK, as well as their enablers, such as financiers and companies involved in the sale of small boat equipment.

The plans are a key example of the FCDO using innovative foreign policy approaches to deliver on the Plan for Change for the British people. The regime will be the world’s first dedicated to targeting people smuggling and organised immigration crime, with the exploitation of vulnerable people by criminals and their associated networks being one of the key drivers of irregular migration to the UK.

Migrants who pay people-smugglers are also at a high risk of working in modern slavery conditions in the informal economy, being returned to their home country, or losing their lives at sea.

Sanctions can disrupt the flow of money and materials – including freezing property, bank accounts and other assets – which allow organised criminal gangs to facilitate irregular migration to the UK. Sanctions are designed to reach individuals located anywhere in the world, who will be publicly named so that it is illegal for the UK financial system to engage with them.

As part of the government’s Plan for Change and mission-led approach, the FCDO has been breaking down siloes by working closely with investigators at the National Crime Agency, Border Security Command, and other key partners to identify the most impactful targets, with the first sanctions planned for tomorrow.

The first targets will cover a range of wrongdoing, from the supply of small boats being used on cross-Channel journeys, to the trade in fake passports, as well as middlemen facilitating payments through Hawala networks, to the gang leaders themselves.

The regime will complement new powers for law enforcement being introduced in the Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, ensuring we have the widest toolkit available to smash the gangs. Sanctions can be used to target organised immigration crime gangs and their enablers, wherever they are, including where traditional law enforcement and criminal justice approaches cannot reach.

People smuggling and human trafficking are a challenge to global security, and the Government is working to strengthen our relationships with key partners, including the EU, to better secure the UK’s borders.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy, said:

For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK. We will not accept this status quo.

It is our moral duty and a key part of our Plan for Change to do all we can to smash these gangs and secure Britain’s borders.

That’s why the UK has created the world’s first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers. From tomorrow, those involved will face having their assets frozen, being shut off from the UK financial system and banned from travelling to the UK.

Today’s announcement reflects how the whole of government is working together on the single mission of securing Britain’s borders. The new regime complements work by the National Crime Agency and Border Security Command (BSC) to tackle organised immigration crime and tackle the causes of irregular migration to the UK in source and transit countries.

The BSC has seen a budget boost of £280 million per year by 2028 to fund new specialist investigators, new technology and cutting-edge surveillance equipment to disrupt and destroy criminal gangs.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

The new sanctions regime marks a decisive step in our fight against the criminal gangs who profit from human misery. It will allow us to target the assets and operations of people-smugglers wherever they operate, cutting off their funding and dismantling their networks piece by piece.

Through the Border Security Command and key partners like the National Crime Agency, we are strengthening our ties with other nations to tackle this global problem.

Together, we are sending a clear message that there is no hiding place for those who exploit vulnerable people and put lives at risk for profit.

Today’s announcement is part of the FCDO’s 3-pronged ‘disrupt, deter, return’ strategy to tackle irregular migration globally. In addition to disrupting organised immigration crime networks through sanctions, the FCDO works with source and transit countries to deter would-be migrants from making a dangerous journey in the first place, and works with the Home Office to negotiate the return of people who have no right to be here to their countries of origin, including criminals and failed asylum seekers.

Since the election, over 35,000 people have been returned, up 13% on the same period in the year before.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 July 2025.

Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, the United Kingdom is committed to working with you to achieve our shared goals for sustainable development.

With targets way off track, and five years to go, through the Pact for the Future, we have all committed to picking up the pace.

So, we must implement the shared vision we set out at the Financing for Development in Seville.

Harnessing the power of the private sector.

Raising revenue from domestic taxation and tackling illicit finance.

Making sure ODA plays a catalytic role.

With a roadmap to address unsustainable debt.

And the United Kingdom is championing innovative financing instruments, leveraging the City of London expertise.

This is part of how we renew confidence in multilateralism itself, but we also need a system that is more efficient, coherent and resilient.

That’s why, the UK is backing the Secretary General’s UN at 80 initiative, calling for the ambitious reform needed to build a development system fit for the future.

We are transforming the UK’s approach.

Prioritising climate and nature, health, humanitarian assistance, and making sure everyone feels the benefits, including women and girls.

Improving the systems every country needs to invest in public services that make a difference in people’s lives.

And protecting the health of people and economies from backing ambition on Non-Communicable Diseases, to pledging further support for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, and co-hosting the Global Fund replenishment alongside South Africa.

The last few months alone have seen success spanning Seville to the UN Ocean Conference.

So, be it the General Assembly, or COP30 in Brazil, let us make the most of opportunities to build on that, so we get back on track towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, in the months and years ahead.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 July 2025.

Joint statement following the sixth meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Specialised Committee on issues related to the implementation of the Protocol relating to the Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Cyprus.

The sixth meeting of the Specialised Committee on issues related to the implementation of the Protocol relating to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus was held on 3 July 2025, co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK Government.

The Committee was established by the Withdrawal Agreement to facilitate the implementation and application of the Protocol. The co-chairs reviewed the operational phase of the implementation of the Protocol since its last meeting in December 2023. This review showed that implementation is operating well in most areas.

Both sides reaffirmed their continued commitment to the smooth implementation of the Protocol and agreed to finalise further technical discussions with the objective of reaching a common understanding on the correct implementation of the Protocol in the area of taxation (Article 3 of the Protocol) and fisheries (Article 6 of the Protocol) as a matter of priority. The Specialised Committee will revert to this issue immediately afterwards.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 July 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Colombia.

The UK remains committed to the implementation of the 2016 Agreement as the main vehicle for lasting peace in Colombia.

I’d like to start by welcoming the Colombian Government’s announcement of the Comprehensive Protection Programme in June as a measure to address increasing levels of violence across the country, including the assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe on 7 June.

And I join others in hoping for his continued recovery.

Nine signatories were killed during the reporting period, bringing the total to 469 since the Agreement was signed.

These attacks, often deliberately targeting those who are committed to peace and societal change, underline the urgent need to implement the Comprehensive Protection Programme and for stronger protection measures.

President, as SRSG Massieu reminded us, transitional justice remains a critical component of the 2016 Agreement, as we also heard during our visit last year.

Colombians need to see restorative justice in action. So, we encourage the Jurisdiction to maintain the pace of sentencing and the government to ensure complementary actions advance in parallel.

We welcome the presence of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in this chamber and its President, Alejandro Ramelli.

We understand that the Special Jurisdiction for Peace will shortly issue sentences under two Macro Cases.

This would represent a significant advance in the work of the Jurisdiction.

And this, as SRSG Massieu reminded us, is essential to maintain the trust of the victims, the signatories and the Colombian people.

Finally, President, as this government enters its final year in office, and with elections in view, we urge the government to prioritise implementation of the Agreement and to fund it adequately.

The Secretary General’s latest report shows that implementation of the 2016 Agreement remains uneven, with key challenges unaddressed across several chapters, despite progress in others.

We welcome the meeting in May of the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion, and Verification of the Implementation, ‘the CSIVI’, where parties agreed an action plan for the remainder of the year.

We commend efforts to strengthen institutional coordination and support civil society.

Convening institutional structures of the Agreement is key to sustaining peace efforts, particularly as Colombia transitions into its electoral period.

President, the UK is and will remain a key partner on the path to sustainable peace in Colombia.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 July 2025.

During the visit, a United Kingdom-Paraguay Friendship Charter was signed between both nations.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña visited the United Kingdom this week, marking a historic milestone in UK–Paraguay relations. The Paraguayan Head of State was received in audience by His Majesty King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

The visit comes as the two countries celebrate over 170 years of diplomatic ties and reflects a shared commitment to deepening cooperation in key areas such as trade, sustainable investment, education, and climate action.

Throughout the visit, President Peña engaged with high-level political, business and academic leaders. His agenda included a keynote address at Canning House, and a business roundtable with leading UK companies in the energy and technology sectors.

The Royal Audience with King Charles III, described by President Peña as a “historic moment,” underscored the mutual respect and shared values that continue to bind both nations. British Ambassador to Paraguay, Danielle Dunne, who accompanied the visit, stated: “It was an honour to witness this historic occasion. The UK and Paraguay are natural partners, and this visit demonstrates our shared commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth for our nations.”

During the visit, a United Kingdom-Paraguay Friendship Charter was signed between Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano and British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Lammy, committing both nations to enhanced cooperation across trade, security, democracy, climate action, and education.

This landmark visit marks a new chapter in UK–Paraguay relations. Trade between the two countries has grown significantly, with total goods and services exchange reaching £70 million in the last recorded period – a 42.9% increase from the previous year. President Peña’s visit reflects Paraguay’s growing strategic relevance as a reliable partner in Latin America, and the UK’s intention to strengthen diplomatic and commercial ties with nations committed to progress and shared prosperity.