Tag: Foreign Office

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

The UK statement for the Universal Periodic Review adoption of Sri Lanka at the 53rd Human Rights Council. Due to time constraints, this was not delivered.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2023.

UK statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism at the 53rd UN Human Rights Council.

We thank the Special Rapporteur for her inaugural report.

The UK is proud of its diversity and has made significant progress towards shaping an inclusive, tolerant nation. We recognise the importance of continued action to address negative ethnic and racial disparities.

Our ambitious Inclusive Britain action plan supports this work through measures that will boost trust and promote fairness, advance equality of opportunity, and foster a greater sense of belonging.

As we take this important work forward, it is right that we reflect on our national journey. From a past era of empire and colonialism to one of immense pride in a diverse, modern society which is reflected in all sectors and professions across the UK. Recognising that the appalling atrocity of slavery marks our history, we continue to express our deep regret that it could ever have happened and importantly play a role to prevent and curb such atrocities around the world.

We believe the best way to deal with the cruelty of the past is to make sure that present and future generations can learn from it. We are committed to eradicating the scourge of racism and creating a fairer society today for all.

Special Rapporteur,

What recommendations do you have to ensure the international community tackles online racial abuse?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2023.

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

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 July 2023.

The UK’s statement for 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review adoption of Switzerland.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 July 2023.

UK Minister for Development and Africa calls for financial reforms to tackle impact of climate change across Africa, as he visits Cape Verde.

• UK Minister for Development and Africa is visiting Cape Verde to attend the 2023 Caucus of African Governors of the World Bank and IMF
• Andrew Mitchell will call for urgent reforms to deliver a bigger, better and fairer international financial system in a speech to the Caucus
• he is also due to meet with the Prime Minister of Cape Verde to discuss the growing bilateral partnership between our countries

Today (Saturday 8 July), the UK Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, is visiting Cape Verde to attend the 2023 African Caucus Meeting as the guest of honour. The Caucus convenes the African Governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund alongside senior management from those institutions. It is the Minister’s first visit to Cape Verde in his current role, with the UK the only non-African country represented at the ministerial level.

In his closing speech to the Caucus, the Minister will call for the World Bank Group to stretch its existing resources further and mobilise significantly more private capital in order to tackle extreme poverty and help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change. In addition, he will call for a stronger offer for the poorest countries, and for a more shock-responsive World Bank Group that supports countries faster and more effectively in crises.

The Minister will also welcome the World Bank’s recent commitments to roll out climate resilient debt clauses, which allow countries to pause debt repayments if they are hit by a climate shock, and which the UK has been a leader on.

Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said:

The climate crisis is hitting millions of people first and hardest across Africa. As a result, we need urgently to deliver ambitious reforms to ensure that the international financial system helps the most vulnerable countries meet the enormous challenges they face.

I’m grateful for the kind invitation from African governors of the World Bank to speak at their annual gathering and emphasise how Britain will support them in our common endeavours.

The Minister is also due to meet Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva to discuss the UK’s growing partnership with Cape Verde, which now attracts 300,000 British tourists every year. It is the second most popular tourist destination in Africa for people from the UK. The conversation is also expected to cover maritime security cooperation, the new UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme, and growing collaboration on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) issues.

They will also discuss how the UK can support advocacy coordination among SIDS in Africa. The UK is a major supporter of efforts to drive international financial reform to support climate action for these states. Earlier this year, the UK committed £1 million to galvanise action ahead of next year’s once in a decade SIDS Conference, including helping them better prepare for climate crises.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2023.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson statement on the 4 July International Atomic Energy Agency Task Force Report.

The UK welcomes the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) report which demonstrates that Japan’s plans to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site are safe and consistent with internationally accepted nuclear safety standards.

This report was produced by a specialist Task Force which included experts from the IAEA Secretariat alongside internationally recognised independent experts from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.

We welcome the continuing close cooperation between the Japanese Government and the International Atomic Energy Agency in this matter.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2023.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Burundi.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2023.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown calls for Russia to end human rights violations and investigate the attack on Elena Milashina and Alexander Nemov on 4 July in Chechnya.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wish to add the UK’s voice to those who are again putting on record in this Council the litany of serious human rights violations in Russia. The issue of Russia’s repression of human rights is vitally important. It is important to the Russian people who face restrictions on their fundamental freedoms and it is important for peace and security in the OSCE region. Indeed this Organisation was founded on the recognition that the maintenance of comprehensive peace and security depends on respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.

In September 2022, this Council discussed the Moscow Mechanism report on “Russia’s Legal and Administrative Practice in Light of its OSCE Human Dimension Commitments”. The Moscow Mechanism report illustrated the horrifying scale of restrictive policies implemented by Russia over the last decade. These policies include repressive legislation which criminalises the dissemination of the truth, including the truth about Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Thousands of people have been prosecuted because of these laws.

These policies also include direct attacks on media freedom. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Russian and foreign journalists have faced further censorship and persecution by the Russian authorities. All independent media outlets have been muzzled. Anti-media laws have left journalists facing harsh prison sentences. And to bring matters right up to date, just this week on 4 July, we have seen the attack on renowned independent Russian journalist Elena Milashina and respected lawyer Alexander Nemov in Chechyna. The UK strongly condemns this attack and calls on the Russian authorities to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation.

President Putin pursues these policies because he fears that a free society would hold him accountable for the abuses his regime has committed at home, and restrain his ability to commit abuses abroad. The tragedy is that both Russian and Ukrainian people, particularly vulnerable groups including women and children, are enduring the worst effects of this repression.

I thank the OSCE’s autonomous institutions – particularly ODIHR and the Representative on the Freedom of the Media – for their vigilance in exposing the human rights violations being committed in Russia.

We stand united in condemnation of Russia’s brutal repression of human rights at home and abroad. We call on the Russian authorities to reverse this repression and to release all political prisoners including Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny.

I will end with a commitment to brave and tireless human rights defenders across Russia. Human dimension commitments are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all OSCE participating States– as reaffirmed by all participating States at the 2010 Astana Summit. In this Council and elsewhere, we will not stop raising the injustices you face.

Thank you Madam Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 July 2023.

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

Thank you to SRSG Salvador, Ambassador Biang, Ms Gilles and Prime Minister Holness for their briefings.

I also welcome the participation of Foreign Minister Geneus, Foreign Minister Álvarez and the representative of Barbados at this meeting.

As we’ve heard today, the people of Haiti are facing a dire humanitarian, security and political crisis. Gangs have taken over entire neighbourhoods.

There is killing, burning, kidnapping and severe restriction of movement.

We hear chilling accounts of the widespread use of sexual violence – including collective rape – by armed gangs as a weapon to instil fear into communities.

Nearly half the population are in need of humanitarian assistance.

We need to look seriously at what this Council can do to address the cycle of violence.

The UK recognises the Haitian Government’s calls for urgent international security assistance.

Today’s meeting is an important part of our discussion on the way forward, following the recent visit of the Secretary-General.

In addition to addressing the security crisis, the people of Haiti need political stability.

We welcome the recent CARICOM-hosted stakeholder meeting held in Jamaica.

We hope this regional support will encourage ongoing domestic efforts.

We call on all actors to engage constructively to prepare for the holding of inclusive, free and fair legislative and presidential elections, as soon as the local security situation permits.

To complement regional and national actions, we should ensure BINUH has the right capabilities to deliver on its mandate.

SRSG Salvador and her team are doing vital work in incredibly difficult circumstances.

We look forward to concluding our discussions on BINUH’s mandate renewal in the coming days.

The United Kingdom will continue to support the efforts of the Government of Haiti and the international community to address this pressing crisis.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 July 2023.

The UK, France and Germany (the E3) have given a joint statement to media following a UK-chaired UNSC session on Iran’s implementation of UNSCR 2231.

Today, the Security Council discussed the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2231, particularly Iran’s nuclear activity, missile development and continued weapons proliferation inconsistent with that resolution.

Iran has been in violation of its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), endorsed by Resolution 2231, for more than four years and its nuclear programme has escalated to dangerous levels. This is of utmost concern for international peace and security.

Regarding enrichment, the IAEA reports that the total stockpiles of Iran’s enriched uranium now stand at 21 times the amounts permitted under the JCPoA. Iran’s stockpiles of high enriched uranium at 20% and 60% are unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme. In March, the IAEA reported it had detected uranium particles enriched to 83.7% at Fordow. Enriching to such levels is a very grave development, inconsistent with the JCPoA or even the levels declared to the IAEA.

Regarding R&D, Iran’s activities already have provided Iran with irreversible and significant knowledge gains that the JCPoA sought to limit, as have Iran’s activities on uranium metal in the recent years. For the first time since 2009, Iran also failed to report a change in centrifuge configuration at Fordow to the IAEA.

Iran has no credible civilian justification for its continued escalation. It only brings Iran ever closer to weapons related capabilities. This is an issue of grave concern for the Security Council. At the same time, necessary steps – as committed to by Iran as part of the March 4 Agreement with the IAEA Director General – remain insufficient. They must be pursued in full, without further delay, as requested by the Director General in his latest report.

The Security Council has also today discussed key developments regarding Iran’s missile programme and its destabilising transfers of missiles and drones to state and non-state actors in the region and beyond.

Firstly, Iran continues to develop and improve ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Iran’s defence ministry announced on 25 May it had tested a missile capable of delivering a 1500kg warhead to a range of 2000 km. This is inconsistent with UNSCR 2231. A few days later it unveiled another missile with specification inconsistent with UNSCR 2231. Since its adoption, Iran has never stopped its ballistic missile programme, in disregard for this resolution.

Secondly, Iran endangers the region and the whole international community through its weapons proliferation to non-state actors. We have compelling evidence from repeated interdictions of Iranian weapons in the region that Iran has continued to transfer UNSCR 2231-controlled weapons to non-state actors in the Middle East. These transfers have not been permitted and therefore violate this Security Council resolution.

Finally, Iran has escalated its violations by transferring hundreds of UAVs to Russia since August 2022. Deliveries took place in the knowledge that Russia uses them to target Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. It has thereby knowingly supported Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Neither Russia nor Iran have ever sought authorisation for these transfers, which are therefore a breach of UNSC Resolution 2231 by both states. We condemn Iran’s continued disregard for its obligations under this Resolution, urge it to immediately cease this activity, and strongly caution Iran against any further deliveries or escalation of such violations.

In light of such repeated violations, we encourage the Secretary General to instruct the UN Secretariat to examine and report on the ample evidence of Iran transferring weapons, materials, equipment, goods and technology or related services controlled by UNSCR 2231 as it has done so on several occasions in the past. We would welcome a visit by UN experts to Ukraine as requested by the Government of Ukraine and supported by us and other council members.

We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and must reverse its nuclear escalation. We are deeply concerned that against such dangerous dynamics, key restrictions of UNSC Resolution 2231, particularly on Iran’s ballistic activities and missiles transfers will expire in October. We recall that the restrictions of other relevant UNSC Resolutions will remain fully in place after that date.

We emphasise once again our determination to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis, as demonstrated by our consistent efforts in that regard. We urge Iran to immediately de-escalate its ongoing activities. Positive moves are critical to open space for constructive engagement with the international community and for renewed steps towards nuclear diplomacy.