Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

Draft resolution L.16 on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, as delivered by Simon Manley, UK Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva.

Thank you Mr President,

I have the honour to present draft resolution L.16 on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, on behalf of France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, the Netherlands, Qatar, Turkiye, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Mr President,

The recent earthquakes have had a devastating impact on the Syrian people and will continue to do so for years to come. We welcome efforts by the UN to ensure humanitarian aid reaches all those affected, and we reiterate our condolences to the victims and survivors. We are appalled, though not entirely surprised, that the regime attempted to use the disaster for political gain.

These events did not occur in a vacuum – it is a natural disaster within a man-made tragedy which has unfolded over the last 12 years. The latest Commission of Inquiry report explains clearly how Assad continues to inflict unimaginable pain and acts of violence on his own people.

In our resolution we highlight these persistent violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Syria.

Homes, schools, markets, farms – nowhere is safe from the targeted assault on civilians and their livelihoods.

The so-called “amnesty laws” have yet to result in any further clarity on the tens of thousands of individuals forcibly disappeared, and those detained under appalling conditions.

Rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence is known to be widespread, yet underreported, due to a woeful absence of paths for redress and support for survivors.

Mr President,

The resolution put forward today condemns the continued violence inflicted on the Syrian people, demands that humanitarian aid is unimpeded and reaches its intended recipients.

It supports the timely implementation of a humanitarian mechanism to clarify the fates of the missing and demands support and justice for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

And it seeks to renew the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry, whose excellent work remains vital for ensuring accountability.

Let me thank all those who have engaged constructively in the informal consultations on this resolution.

Mr President, at a time when the Syrian people face devastation anew, it is vital that this Council adopts this resolution to continue our efforts to ensure accountability. If a vote is called on this resolution, I urge our fellow members of this Council to vote in favour of it.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

The Foreign Secretary is in Brussels today for a two-day meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers coinciding with Finland’s historic accession to the Alliance.

• UK welcomes Finland’s accession to NATO as the 31st member and calls for Turkey and Hungary to swiftly ratify Sweden’s bid.
• Foreign Secretary is attending an historic meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, in which Finland will attend as a fully-fledged member – 74 years after the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty.
• UK has pledged £10 million to NATO’s fund for non-lethal aid, supplying items such as medical equipment, rations and counter-drone equipment to Ukraine, and £2 million for countries affected by malign Russian activity.

The Foreign Secretary is in Brussels today (Tuesday 4 April) to attend a two-day meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, marking 74 years to the day since the North Atlantic Treaty was signed to promote peace in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Following Finland’s formal accession to NATO today, the meeting will see the raising of Finland’s flag at NATO Headquarters, and Finnish Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto, take his seat at the table between Estonia and France.

13 months ago, Finnish membership was not on the horizon. Russia thought its aggression in Ukraine would divide members of NATO. Instead the Alliance is safer and more secure with another Ally in its ranks, promoting the principles of freedom and the rule of law.

The UK was one of the first NATO Allies to ratify Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to the Alliance and played a significant role in securing agreement from all NATO allies for Finland’s accession. We continue to urge Türkiye and Hungary to provide a clear path for Sweden’s accession to the Alliance as swiftly as possible. Alongside the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the Foreign Secretary will meet his Turkish and Hungarian counterparts, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Péter Szijjártó, and impress this urgency.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

This is an historic day for Finland and for NATO. Their accession has made our Alliance stronger and every one of us safer.

All NATO members now need to take the steps necessary to admit Sweden too, so we can stand together as one Alliance to defend freedom in Europe and across the world.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Today will go into the history books for NATO as a defensive Alliance. 31 countries strong, we welcome Finland to the table.

Russia thought its aggression would divide us. Instead, we are bound tighter together, resolute in our defence of the principles of freedom and the rule of law.

Let us be clear that our door remains open. We will welcome further Allies with open arms and we continue to push for Sweden’s swift accession.

Finland and Sweden share the Alliance’s unwavering commitment to international security – a commitment the UK also shares, last year signing mutual security declarations with both countries. Finland and Sweden have years of experience in training and operating with Allies and have made significant contributions to NATO-led operations and missions and the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force. The UK values their role in the region and applauds their support for Ukraine.

Ukraine continues to be at the top of the Allies’ agenda, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also invited to attend the meeting. A just and lasting peace for Ukraine, on Ukraine’s terms, is in the interest of all NATO Allies.

Allies will discuss ongoing efforts to accelerate support to Ukraine to ensure it wins against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion.

We will do this in three ways: by being more proactive with our military support; by ensuring Ukraine is never left so vulnerable to attack again; and by helping to build a strong Ukraine to secure a prosperous peace.

The UK is announcing £10 million for NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, which provides urgent non-lethal aid such as medical equipment, rations, fuel and counter-drone equipment as it continues to fight against continued Russian aggression. Additionally, £2 million will go to NATO’s Tailored Support Packages to help Georgia, Moldova and Bosnia & Herzegovina defend themselves against malign Russian activity.

The UK has committed over £6.5 billion in military, humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine since the start of the invasion. Last week Ukrainian tank crews completed training on Challenger 2 tanks in the UK, following the Prime Minister’s announcement in January that the UK would donate 14 of these tanks and accompanying munition to Ukraine.

NATO’s four Asia Pacific Partners, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Republic of Korea, will also attend a session at the meeting to discuss tackling the challenges posed by China.

The Foreign Secretary will hold talks with Pekka Haavisto to personally congratulate Finland on its accession to the Alliance, as well as with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

UK General Comment on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, as delivered by Simon Manley, UK Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr President,

Let me start by thanking our European colleagues for presenting this draft resolution and for leading such constructive negotiations.

This initiative comes at a crucial moment for the people of Myanmar. The text before us today rightly details the dramatic deterioration in the human rights situation since the Myanmar military coup. The junta has consistently shown it holds no respect for international rule of law, human rights or democracy. Across the country, we see arbitrary arrests, targeting of civilians, including the Rohingya and other minorities and civilian infrastructure, torture, mass gender and sexual-based violence, and other restrictions and assaults on rights and freedoms.

Indeed just last week, the junta decided to dissolve forty political parties, including the National League for Democracy, underscoring their assault on the rights of the Myanmar people.

We are appalled by the ongoing and egregious actions of the junta. The people of Myanmar have shown immense courage in the face of this, and we continue to stand with them.

Mr President,

Accountability is the only way to end the military’s culture of impunity. Thus we are strongly supportive of new elements in this text to strengthen accountability efforts including by urging all UN bodies to collaborate fully with the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.

And as this Council recently heard from the Special Rapporteur, and as his report details, weapons used to kill civilians should no longer be transferred to Myanmar. No Member State should sell arms to Myanmar, a trade which is enabling the crimes he has set out. The UK has a longstanding arms embargo on Myanmar and let me once again encourage other Member States to do the same.

We reiterate our support for the people of Myanmar and their aspirations for a peaceful, democratic and inclusive future. The UK has co-sponsored this resolution and we urge our fellow members of this Council to support it.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

UN HRC52: General Comment – L.19 The situation of human rights in the DPRK, as delivered by UK Ambassador to the WTO & the UN in Geneva, Simon Manley.

Thank you Mr President.

Let me begin by thanking the main sponsors of this initiative for their constructive efforts on a critical resolution detailing the dire human rights situation in the DPRK.

The UK continues to support the vital mandate of the Special Rapporteur in continuing to shine a spotlight on the systematic and widespread human rights violations by the DPRK.

As the latest OHCHR report has painfully detailed, and in the words of the High Commissioner himself: forced repatriations, State-sponsored abductions and enforced disappearances demand action. Widespread and systematic sexual and gender-based violence must end. Which is why we support this text as presented to the Council today.

The DPRK must cease diverting resources to its illegal weapons programme, and instead prioritise its peoples’ basic economic needs which are so desperately required. We urge the DPRK to engage constructively with the international community to address its human rights record, and to work to bring about permanent change and improvements for the people of North Korea.

We remind the DPRK that restrictive COVID-19 measures should not be used as a tool to further constrain the freedom of its citizens, or to restrict the ability of the international community to engage with authorities in Pyongyang.

Mr President,

The UK has co-sponsored this text and we call upon all other delegations to do so.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan travels to Western Australia to sign critical minerals pledge and inaugurate new Consulate-General in Perth.

• UK Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP travels to Western Australia to sign joint UK-Australia pledge to secure future supplies of critical minerals and inaugurate new Consulate-General in Perth
• Indo-Pacific Minister to meet Resources Minister Madeleine King in Perth on Tuesday (4 April) to sign letter of intent and discuss how to secure supplies of minerals that will power a net zero future
• Part of UK strategy to diversify global supply chains of critical minerals, amidst growing geopolitical competition for resources

The UK’s Indo-Pacific Minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, begins a visit to Western Australia today (2 April), focussed on working with Australia to futureproof supplies of minerals that will be central to delivering the world’s net zero pledges.

The Minister will meet Federal Government Minister for Resources, Madeleine King, on Tuesday (4 April) to sign a joint pledge to boost the global supply of critical minerals such as the lithium used in electric vehicle batteries.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

Critical minerals will be a driving force in the world’s journey to net zero, and the UK and Australia are digging deep to futureproof supplies of the materials that power our phones, our cars, and uncountable other aspects of modern life.

Australia’s unmatched production capacity, combined with the UK’s mineral trading and finance expertise, will boost global supplies, help protect supply chains from future shocks, and support thousands of skilled, high-paying jobs.

The International Energy Agency expects that as the need for electronics and battery technology comes to permeate every aspect of the modern economy, the global demand for critical minerals will grow four-fold by 2040. Australia is the world’s top producer of lithium, with the Greenbushes Mine, 210 kilometres (131 miles) due south of Perth, producing 40% of Australia’s lithium alone in 2021.

Meanwhile, the London Metals Exchange remains the world’s centre of minerals trading and finance, and the UK is a leading expert in processing as well as a top international deal-broker.

The two countries will also work together to promote the highest environmental, social and governance standards in critical minerals markets.

The Minister will visit Rio Tinto’s operations centre in Perth, see the world’s largest bulk export port at Port Hedland, and meet with the Chairman of Alkemy, Paul Atherley, whose firm will supply lithium to a planned refining facility in Teesside, in the North-East of England.

She will also officially inaugurate the new British Consulate General in Perth, which, combined with Tuesday’s pledge, underlines the UK’s commitment to build diplomatic and economic ties across the whole continent of Australia.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

UN HRC52: UK Core Group statement to introduce Item 2 Resolution on South Sudan. Delivered by UK’s Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley.

Thank you Mr President.

I am honoured to present on behalf of the core group of Albania, Norway, the United States and the UK, draft resolution L.27 on South Sudan, which, if passed, would extend in full the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan for a further year.

Mr President,

The human rights situation in South remains dire and should be of paramount concern to this Council. All major UN actors working on human rights in South Sudan have continued to report that human rights violations and abuses continue to be committed frequently across South Sudan, with impunity, by all actors, across the country. In addition, the transitional justice institutions supposed to guarantee accountability for past violations and abuses have still not been established.

In light of this, our Core Group is clear that the Commission’s mandate to monitor, report, investigate and gather evidence of human rights violations and abuses remains as necessary today as when it was established. This work directly supports efforts to make progress toward lasting peace in South Sudan, based on respect for the rule of law, accountability for past atrocities, and the full enjoyment by all South Sudanese of their human rights going forward.

Mr President,

We regret that, once again, we have been unable to reach consensus on full mandate extension with South Sudan. We note their position here in Geneva, while also deeply appreciating their continued and full cooperation with the Commission in Juba.

We also note the African Group has, as before, tabled draft resolution L.36, focusing on technical assistance and capacity building in South Sudan. We will of course support this text – technical assistance and capacity building, alongside continued and strong human rights scrutiny are key, mutually reinforcing pillars of the overall, comprehensive human rights response we believe South Sudan needs.

We therefore urge the Council to adopt this draft resolution extending the mandate of the Commission, and to vote in favour if necessary. If the resolution is adopted, we hope to continue discussions with South Sudan on whether and how we can find a way back to consensus next year.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

General Comment:Universal Declaration of Human Rights & Vienna Declaration & Programme of Action. Delivered by UK Ambassador to WTO & UN in Geneva Simon Manley.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 April 2023.

UN Human Rights Council 52nd session: General debate on agenda Item 10 as delivered by UK Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 April 2023.

UN Human Rights Council 52nd session: Interactive dialogue with the fact-finding mission on Libya.

Thank you Mr Vice-President.

First let me thank the FFM for your vital work highlighting the serious human rights violations and abuses that have taken place in Libya since 2016. We regret your Mission were unable to visit the entire country and did not have access to places of detention.

Mr Chairman, your findings are deeply concerning. In particular, we were alarmed that crimes against humanity may have taken place. The Libyan authorities must put an end to these violations and hold perpetrators to account.

As you said this morning, this is crucial for reconciliation and transitional justice. The participation of an active civil society is fundamental for Libya’s path towards lasting peace. We urge Libya to clarify a transparent, proportionate and consistent registration process to allow civil society to operate freely and securely.

We welcome Libya’s initiative to table a resolution at the Council this session, including its request for capacity building and for expertise to strengthen its transitional justice system. We see this as a positive indication that Libya will take forward the recommendations of the FFM and encourage them to begin implementation immediately, with support from the OHCHR.

Mr Chairman,

How can the OHCHR support Libya to rapidly pursue justice for acts of conflict-related sexual violence, and promote the participation of women in peacebuilding efforts?

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 April 2023.

Statement by Matilda O’Kelly at the UN General Assembly meeting on the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform (IGN)

Thank you for the new agenda items you have included in this meeting of the IGN. Continuing to evolve the IGN to reflect emerging key topics is important for us to make progress.

We are clear that there must be permanent African representation on the Council. It cannot be the case that such a large proportion of the world’s population, and a whole regional group, not share their expertise and shoulder the responsibility of permanent membership of the Council.

We also want to see permanent membership for Brazil, Japan and India, which would mean permanent representation from the Latin America and Asia Pacific regional groups, as well as permanent membership for Germany.

On categories of membership, the UK supports expansion in both the existing categories, permanent and non-permanent.

Turning to the “status of documentation,” I would like to outline a few key points:

The urgency and momentum we have heard for Security Council Reform so far this year cannot be ignored. So the UK is open to all avenues to progressing the discussion on Security Council reform. We must move forward at an accelerated pace, as so many colleagues have said in this year’s IGN meetings so far.

We believe text based negotiations would help us to make that progress. A single consolidated and updated text that includes attribution would help us to make the meaningful progress for which so many of us have called.

We are open to different options of what such a single, consolidated and updated text should look like. And we would be pleased to partake in further discussions in this session of the IGN on the basis of a single consolidated text with attributions, circulated to us in advance.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the news that the IGN website will go live later this week.

In closing, co-chairs, we must harness the momentum behind Security Council reform, and translate that into a text from which we can work to make the change we all so want to see.

Thank you.