Tag: Foreign Office

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.

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

Ministers from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Senior Economic Dialogue in Seoul on 12 May 2023.

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

The UK and Kenya have signed a new security compact to keep our two countries, peoples and region safe, in a major agreement.

The agreement covers the full spectrum of security cooperation between the UK and Kenya, and represents a significant milestone in the security relationship between our 2 countries.

The Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat MP, signed the new agreement with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration, Professor Kithure Kindiki, in Nairobi this week.

The security compact includes £10 million a year of funding to support counter-terrorism programmes, as well as commitments on defence, international cooperation, community security, law enforcement and criminal justice, cyber security, and bilateral, multilateral and regional coordination.

The UK has also launched a major new stabilisation programme to support local communities in Somalia’s Borderlands in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia to tackle the causes of instability. Worth £10 million over the next 3 years, the Deris Wanaag, or Good Neighbourliness, programme will drive collaboration and collective progress, to improve regional security and counter the extremism of the Islamist terror group al-Shabaab.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat MP said:

Kenya matters to Britain. Seeing Kenyan troops march alongside other Commonwealth forces at HM The King’s Coronation was a reminder of our shared history and the promise of a strong future. By working with Kenya, our key security partner in East Africa, we are helping to keep both our peoples safe and strengthen global security.

Together, we’re countering al-Shabaab and tackling the growing threat from regional Daesh affiliates, fighting serious organised crime, and tackling the flow of dirty money. Our security partnership is growing ever stronger.

I’m delighted to be able to announce this comprehensive new agreement, as well as our new Somalia Borderlands programme, which will tackle the root causes of instability to help end the scourge of al-Shabaab.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Professor Kithure Kindiki, said:

The friendship between Kenya and the United Kingdom is longstanding, entrenched and long-term.  We appreciate what the UK has done to support Kenya on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity over the years.

We will make sure that we sustain this relationship so that the peoples of our 2 countries can enjoy shared prosperity as we look into the future.

The UK has remained a key partner for Kenya in the fight against corruption, and the fight against illicit financial flows.

The Borderlands area of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia shares communities challenged by drought, resource conflicts, arms proliferation and violent extremism.  The UK will partner with these 3 nations to collectively focus on the root causes of instability and the shared opportunities offered by an open border, including through trade and revenue generation.  By driving collaboration and collective progress and building resilience, the partnership aims to mitigate the drivers of instability and violent extremism to bring peace to the region.

During his time in Nairobi, Minister Tugendhat was also able to visit the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which hosts Kenya’s Transnational Organised Crime Unit and Anti-human trafficking and Child Protection Unit.

Both units work closely with the UK’s National Crime Agency, an operational relationship which protects our 2 nations and the world against serious organised crime and terrorism, and supports Kenya in its role as regional leader in the fight against child sexual exploitation and online abuse.

Kenya is the UK’s key partner on security and peace in East Africa, from joint diplomatic efforts on Sudan to tackling al-Shabaab in Somalia and across the region. This continued close partnership will continue through the new Annual UK-Kenya High Level Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue, the first of which will be held in London in September 2023.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

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

Thank you, President.

I would like to first thank the Prosecutor, Karim Khan, for his powerful briefing today and for his 25th report on the situation in Libya. The United Kingdom gives its full support to the Prosecutor’s ongoing investigations in line with resolution 1970 of this Council, and I welcome both the briefing and the report as a demonstration of his transparency. We also welcome the participation of the Representative of Libya in this meeting.

President, we are pleased to hear of the accelerated pace of the ICC’s investigation and progress in the delivery of the new strategy outlined in the Prosecutor’s 23rd Report to this council. We note the concrete outcomes of the investigation, including the issuance of new arrest warrants by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber during the reporting period. These are important steps for delivering justice for the Libyan people.

We are grateful to the Office of the Prosecutor for the renewed effort, and those who supported it for the renewed efforts in this period. We thank the Government of National Unity in Libya for facilitating the first official visit of an ICC Prosecutor to Libya in over ten years. For the continued successful delivery of the investigation, it is critical that further support is given to the investigation by the GNU and all other relevant Libyan authorities, including through the provision of documentation.

President, we welcome the increased engagement with witnesses and survivors, and the collection of testimonial evidence. I thank the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission for sharing their expertise and enhancing the Prosecutor’s work to record the experiences of Libyan people. Following the ending of the Fact-Finding Mission, I ask UNSMIL and OHCHR to continue this co-operation to help document and safeguard evidence of serious crimes.

This is a moment of opportunity in Libya. Transitional justice is vital to long-term security and stability and it should be embedded in the political process. The ICC is an important tool to deliver justice for Libya, through transparent and fair investigation. I urge all parties to work together to safeguard human rights and ensure that justice can be delivered when crimes occur, including through cooperation with the ICC and surrender of individuals subject to arrest warrants.

In conclusion, President, the UK remains committed to working with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Libyan authorities to build on this momentum and accelerate progress towards justice. And let me underline our full support to the work of the ICC in its pursuit of justice for victims of the most egregious crimes wherever they may occur.

Thank you.

The statement made by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

36th Special Session: draft resolution delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, at the Human Rights Council.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

Informal Group on Safety of Journalists welcomes the Representative on Freedom of the Media to the OSCE Permanent Council.