Tag: Foreign Office

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

The UK and the Republic of Iraq agreed a joint communiqué during the UK-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, held in London on 3 to 4 July 2023.

The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, hosted Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq Mr Fuad Hussein, for the UK-Iraq Strategic Dialogue in London on 3 to 4 July 2023.

The Strategic Dialogue builds on the signing of the UK-Iraq Strategic Partnership in Baghdad in June 2021 which deepened bilateral co-operation and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the long-term security, stability and sovereignty of Iraq. The Strategic Dialogue also follows the visit of the Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad, to Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, from 28 February to 2 March 2023.

The Strategic Dialogue underlined the strength and breadth of the bilateral relationship between the UK and Iraq and both governments reaffirmed their commitment to work together for our shared regional and global interests. The ministers agreed to develop and further co-operation on a wide range of sectors, including:

Economic reform

The ministers discussed the importance of building a prosperous future for the Iraqi people and the UK’s commitment to support Iraq, including through the Iraq Economic Contact Group, as it undertakes the bold long-term reforms needed to put Iraq’s economy and society on a stable footing.

Both sides welcomed the Government of Iraq’s ambitious economic reform agenda – and agreed on the necessity of rapidly delivering non-oil growth, private sector job creation and improving access to finance. They agreed on the importance of Iraq swiftly completing its accession to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development in 2023, and continuing to work closely with the International Monetary Fund on a long term programme to support Iraq, as well as joining other international finance institutions, such as the European Investment Bank.

The UK committed to share expertise through government-to-government exchanges; and provide bilateral support and technical assistance to deliver economic reform in key areas such as building economic capacity, diversifying government revenue sources and improving access to finance, and facilitating Iraq’s accession to the WTO.

Trade

With bilateral trade increasing the 2 sides convened the sixth meeting of the UK-Iraq Trade Council, following the fifth in Baghdad in January 2019. Experts discussed how to encourage greater investment into Iraq and how to remove barriers to trade. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also met leading UK businesses to identify new commercial opportunities.

Both sides agreed their intention to finalise the UK-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement as soon as possible and put it to their respective parliaments this year.

Climate and environment

Ahead of COP28 later this year, the ministers discussed the importance of working together tackling climate and environmental issues and agreed to increase high level engagement over the rest of 2023. Both sides welcomed the UK’s support in further developing and strengthening Iraq’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The UK also outlined technical assistance opportunities, including a programme with the UK Met Office to support Iraq’s capacity to prepare for and respond to sand and dust storms.

Defence and security

The ministers agreed on the importance of continuing to remove the space for Daesh to operate in Iraq and welcomed the commitment of both the UK and Iraq to support the Global Coalition Against Daesh. They also welcomed the Government of Iraq’s commitment to protect the Coalition sites and diplomatic premises in Iraq.

The ministers recognised the crucial efforts by both sides on rehabilitation and reintegration of displaced Iraqi citizens including those returning from Al-Hol camp in North-East Syria, and reiterated the importance of international coordination to support pathways to durable solutions for camp residents.

Both sides recognised the UK’s work with the Iraqi Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs on Professional Military Education and agreed that the Iraqi military will continue to participate in officer training within the UK, including places at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, and Royal Air Force College Cranwell, as well as places at the Defence Academy Shrivenham and the Royal College of Defence Studies.

Recognising modern threats posed by cyber, both sides agreed to deepen engagement on cyber security, including through the UK’s support of the newly established Cyber Security Directorate within the Iraqi Ministry of Defence.

Migration and serious organised crime

Ministers discussed the shared challenges that the UK and Iraq face in tackling serious organised crime and the drivers of migration. The ministers reviewed areas for further cooperation to ensure safe and legal migration, including targeted programming to better understand and address the drivers of illegal migration and establish robust and trusted processes for migration cooperation, including reintegration packages. The UK will bolster its support to strengthen Iraq’s borders through mutually agreed programmes.

Health

Both sides reiterated the importance of developing Iraq’s health sector. They welcomed the UK’s ongoing £35 million Demographic Transition programme that aims to support the Government of Iraq to deliver Family Planning and Sexual Reproductive Health services in line with Iraqi rules and law.

Human rights

Ministers discussed the need to continue our cooperation on human rights and support for women and girls – particularly survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. The UK welcomed the Government of Iraq’s recent efforts to implement the Yazidi Survivors’ Law and both sides recognised UK support to the launch of the reparations applications process – through which over 800 women and girls have begun receiving reparations – and launch a referral pathway for mental health and psychosocial support services.

Both sides also discussed the vital need to support children born of conflict-related sexual violence and welcomed Iraq agreeing to consider making voluntary commitments under the Platform for Action on Promoting the Rights and Wellbeing of Children born of conflict-related sexual violence.

Bilateral and regional politics

Ministers welcomed efforts by the Government of Iraq to further build relations with the region in the pursuit of stability and cooperation, including through the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. The UK welcomed efforts to connect Iraq to the GCC’s power grid and establish greater energy connections with the region.

The Republic of Iraq and the United Kingdom look forward to concluding the Strategic Dialogue sessions and reviewing their progress at the next Strategic Dialogue, planned for 2024 in Baghdad.

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

UK Statement for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Internally Displaced Persons.

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

Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Adviser on Genocide Prevention. As delivered by the UK.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom would like to thank the Special Advisers for their ongoing contribution to flagging atrocity risks to the Secretary-General and UN Member States. We remain committed to atrocity prevention and the responsibility to protect.

We continue to see atrocities being committed around the world. To highlight one instance, reports of an increase in ethnicity-based violence in Darfur, Sudan, are deeply troubling, and the international community must act to prevent history from repeating itself.

The responsibility to prevent atrocities cuts across the whole UN system, and we encourage the Office to play a key role in ensuring that an atrocity prevention lens is applied across the UN’s work. We also call on the Office to prioritise drawing information from across the system to inform an effective approach to early warning. Indeed, the UK is working to strengthen our monitoring and analytical capability at the country, regional and global levels.

Special Adviser, how is your office working with the High Commissioner on Human Rights to gather and use information on human rights globally? Secondly, last year, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination referred the human rights situation in Xinjiang to your Office. We would be grateful for an update on this matter.

Thank you.

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

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide. Joint Statement by Sudan Core Group, delivered by the UK.

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

UK Statement on role of digital & media in promotion & enjoyment of right to freedom of opinion & expression. Due to time constraints, this was not delivered.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 June 2023.

Enhanced Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in Afghanistan. Delivered by UK’s Ambassador to the WTO & UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you, Mr President.

It has been more than 600 days since schools for girls were shut down across Afghanistan. 600 days. Two years of lost schooling, lost opportunities. To the girls of Afghanistan: I know that many of you are here today or listening online and we stand with you.

Since their takeover in August 2021, the Taliban have continued their campaign of repression and violence against Afghan women and girls. Due to the Taliban’s restrictions on female workers in the humanitarian aid and development sector, they are unable to provide life-saving support to women and girls in their own country. This is taking place at a time when over 28 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid, more than half of whom are women and children. These decisions have life-threatening consequences.

So let me repeat our call to the Taliban: Re-open the schools. Let girls learn. Let women work. End the violence and discrimination against women and girls.

Special Rapporteur, Members of the Working Group,

We thank you for your steadfast efforts. How can we better support civil society in Afghanistan, particularly women’s rights organisations?

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 June 2023.

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

President, I would like to start by thanking SRSG Bathily, Ambassador Ishikane, and Ms Imneina, for their briefings today.

I visited Libya earlier this month, to meet the SRSG and the UNSMIL team. I want to thank them for their engagement and tireless efforts to support Libya on its path to peace and stability.

During my visit, I also met Libyan people to hear and understand their concerns. The clear and consistent message was the urgency of moving the political process forward and for political leadership to deliver the stability and security the people of Libya want and deserve as we have heard so clearly from the SRSG.

But this is not just an abstract point about politics and governance. I visited a World Health Organisation health centre project, to which the UK has contributed over two and a half million dollars of funding. I want to thank the WHO for facilitating my visit and for their work to bring physical and mental health support into primary healthcare services in Libya. This is important work but the point is that the political impasse directly impacts the healthcare system, and Libyans who need healthcare, antenatal checks, dental treatment, primary care and so on.

Hospital services, healthcare provision and long-term investment, which Libya can well afford, are stalled because of the political impasse.

President, I therefore return from my visit with clarity about the importance of Council Members and the international community supporting SRSG Bathily in his work to  facilitate an effective political process for positive change, through a clear roadmap to successful elections and beyond.

In this context, the UK takes note of the 6+6 Committee’s hard work to agree draft electoral laws. However, the reception to their announcement demonstrates the need for broader political agreement between Libyan power-holders and we welcome the SRSG’s commitment to convene stakeholders to reach agreement to make the draft law implementable. Only in this way can we overcome the issues preventing elections and then make progress towards long-term stability.

President during my visit, Libyan people told me they want to engage actively, freely and safely in the political sphere. They want to exercise their democratic right to vote, to work towards a better future, and move beyond, as the SRSG said, slogans which prolong the status quo and are detrimental to Libya people.

The UK will continue our work to ensure these aspirations are fulfilled – including through our support to the SRSG and his efforts towards peace and stability.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 June 2023.

Statement by Quad members: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America on High Commissioner’s report on Sudan.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the Quad members: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States of America.

We express our deep concern about the catastrophic human rights and humanitarian situation in Sudan. We urge the warring parties to fully respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law and to agree an effective and sustained ceasefire to ensure safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access.

The warring parties must uphold their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration to Protect the Civilians of Sudan. Their fighting endangers the lives, livelihoods, and human rights of the people of Sudan.  Many cannot access food, safe drinking water, health care, or reliable information. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable.  Sudan’s rich cultural patrimony is at risk.

The Quad stands by the people of Sudan at this difficult time. We implore the warring parties to resolve their differences peacefully, protect civilians, return to an inclusive political dialogue process, and intensify coordination with Sudanese civilian stakeholders, who must be the authors of their country’s future.

I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 June 2023.

Statement on the report of the High Commissioner on the human rights situation in Sudan as delivered by UK’s Ambassador to the WTO & UN in Geneva, Simon Manley.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 June 2023.

UK Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk was in Paris today (19 June 2023) to meet French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti.