Tag: Foreign Office

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

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

Thank you, President, and I thank ASG Pobee, Executive Secretary Tiare and Ms Diouf for their briefings.

President, the Sahel is in crisis: escalating violence at the hands of extremist groups; democratic governance and human rights under threat; and vast humanitarian needs and food insecurity, all exacerbated by climate change and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

These challenges need to be tackled by the countries of the Sahel, supported by international partners, through a determined show of political will, commitment to human rights and regional cooperation. The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting the Sahel and its people. We contributed around $284 million to the region last year.

President, I want to set out three priorities for the coming period.

First, with three regional states in the midst of political transitions, the continued leadership of ECOWAS and the African Union is vital. We urge the Burkinabe, Chadian and Malian authorities to adhere to agreed election timetables.

Second, counter-terrorism operations must respect human rights and international humanitarian law. To do otherwise risks aggravating grievances, undermining trust with local communities, and driving recruitment to terrorist groups.

We welcome the G5 Sahel’s reaffirmed commitment to the Compliance Framework under its new structures, and ongoing work with OHCHR. We continue to urge further progress towards implementation of human rights due diligence mitigation measures, as recommended by MINUSMA.

At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the disturbing findings in last week’s OHCHR report on the massacre of hundreds of people in Moura, Mali by Malian security forces and the Russian-backed Wagner Group. As High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has said, such cases of summary executions, rape and torture amount to war crimes. We fully support MINUSMA’s role in investigating and reporting on human rights violations and abuses, and we urge the Malian authorities to strengthen their cooperation with the UN and to respect MINUSMA’s freedom of movement.

New reports of around 150 civilian fatalities, including 45 children, following an attack by armed forces in the village of Karma, Burkina Faso on 20 April are also deeply disturbing. We urge all states in the region to fully respect their obligations under international law.

Third, we agree with the Secretary-General’s message in his report that regionally-led solutions are the most effective way to create lasting peace and stability. The Accra Initiative is a promising example, and we look forward to supporting its members’ efforts. We hope the forthcoming report of the High-Level Panel on Security and Development will bring greater coherence between different initiatives in the Sahel.

Thank you.

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

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

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

The UK and Morocco held the 5th UK-Morocco Higher Education Commission on 10 May.

On 10 May 2023 Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, the UN, and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Dr Abdellatif Miraoui, Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, presided over the 5th meeting of the UK-Morocco Higher Education Commission at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in London.

The meeting followed the previous day’s 4th UK-Morocco Strategic Dialogue in Rabat, co-chaired by Lord Ahmad and Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates. The Dialogue – covering culture, education, political, economic and security issues – further demonstrated the strength and depth of the bilateral relationship.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Moroccan government, the British Council, the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, the UK Quality Assurance Agency, Universities UK International, Morocco’s National Agency for Evaluation and Quality Assurance (ANEAQ), as well as several UK and Moroccan universities. The meeting served to advance higher education collaboration between Morocco and the UK, in particular English learning and assessment, transnational education and scientific research.

The meeting saw a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the British Council in Morocco and Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education. The agreement aims to increase the uptake of English language assessment in Moroccan public universities, paving the way for future partnerships with other UK institutions in the field of student assessments.

The meeting also discussed bilateral successes including the institutional partnership between Keele University and the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, collaboration on quality of higher education offerings, and climate research partnerships between University College London and University Ibn Tofail of Kenitra.

Established in 2019, the Higher Education Commission meets annually, as well as through quarterly sub-groups, to foster stronger ties in higher education, scientific research, quality assurance, and transnational education.

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

The UK delivered a statement during Burundi’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

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

Ms Melanie Barlow has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in succession to Mr John Pearson who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Barlow will take up her appointment during August 2023.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Melanie Barlow

Spouse: Mark Goodrich

Children: 2

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2023.

The Foreign Secretary joined elected leaders and representatives of the Overseas Territories for the tenth Joint Ministerial Council.

The Foreign Secretary joined elected leaders and representatives of the Overseas Territories in London for the Joint Ministerial Council (11-12 May), to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the Territories.

Lord Goldsmith, Minister for the Overseas Territories, chaired the Plenary, with UK Ministers and representatives from Home Office, HM Treasury, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department of Health and Social Care, and Maritime & Coastguard Agency leading discussion sessions on a range of topics, including law enforcement and irregular migration, healthcare, climate change and economic resilience.

The Foreign Secretary announced the UK Government’s new Overseas Territories strategy, which was welcomed by attendees.

The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

This Joint Ministerial Council demonstrates the importance of the partnership between us – we are family and united by shared values.

I look forward to working together on the UK’s Overseas Territories strategy, solidifying our relationship on the principles of collaboration and mutual interest.

At the conclusion of the Joint Ministerial Council, UK Ministers and elected leaders of the Overseas Territories leaders agreed a joint communiqué.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2023.

The UK delivered a statement during Serbia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2023.

UK statement about Tunisia’s Universal Periodic Review Outcome Adoptions in March 2023. Due to time constraints, this was not delivered in the Council.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes Tunisia’s engagement with the Universal Periodic Review, and its support for recommendations made on amending the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code in line with international standards, and establishing an independent national human rights institution, in line with the Paris Principles, and hope these steps will be taken promptly.

We reiterate our strong recommendation for Tunisia to end the trial of civilians in military courts, now more than ever. We note with concern the large numbers of arrests that have taken place since 11 February, the scope and breadth of which – many under wide-ranging anti-terrorism laws – raise concerns that the primary purpose of the arrests is to remove, or deter, political opposition.

The UK underlines the importance of a transparent, independent and efficient judiciary. We are concerned by recent comments by public figures that presume the guilt of people currently facing charges, and which speculate that judges who acquit suspects would themselves be guilty of a crime. The separation of powers is an essential pillar of a functioning democracy that serves its people.

We reiterate our commitment to work constructively with Tunisia in a partnership based on shared values, foremost among which is the protection of human rights.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2023.

The fourth UK-France Cyber Dialogue was held in Paris on 11 May 2023, in line with the commitment made at the 36th Franco-British Summit on 10 March 2023.

On this occasion, France and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their commitment to continue cooperation in the field of cyberspace to promote security and stability in a free, open, inclusive, non-fragmented and secure cyberspace. Both countries reaffirmed their engagement to uphold the normative framework based on international law that applies to the conduct of States in cyberspace.

During this dialogue, France and the United Kingdom shared their analysis of the threat and presented the latest developments in their respective cybersecurity policies. They exchanged on their priorities for the ongoing discussions in the various multilateral fora, in particular at the UN where they continue to coordinate their efforts to set up an ambitious Programme of Action on cybersecurity, as well as in the “multi-stakeholder” framework of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace.

Following UK-France Joint Leaders’ Declaration of 10 March 2023, the two countries discussed the implementation of a joint initiative to take forward international action and our shared ambition to address the threat from commercial cyber proliferation, including commercial spyware.

The two countries also continued discussions on the prospects for strengthening bilateral coordination in response to cyber threats, including via cooperation for ensuring cybersecurity of major events and in the fight against cybercrime.

Finally, the British delegation was invited on Friday 12 May 2023 to visit the new Cyber Campus inaugurated in 2022 in the heart of La Défense. The two countries exchanged on their approaches to fostering the development of a cyber ecosystem

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2023.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon has completed a fruitful visit to Morocco for the fourth Strategic Dialogue as UK-Morocco relations go from strength to strength.