Tag: Foreign Office

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

On the launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by North Korea.

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms North Korea’s March 16 launch of yet another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), which undermines regional and international peace and security.

Since last year, North Korea has intensified its escalatory actions through a record number of ballistic missile launches and its continued irresponsible and destabilizing rhetoric regarding the use of nuclear weapons. Earlier this year, North Korea publicly stated its intent to further expand and enhance its unlawful nuclear and missile programs.

We reiterate our demand that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner and fully comply with all obligations under the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We urge North Korea to engage in meaningful diplomacy toward denuclearization and accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea.

We deeply regret to see the stark contrast between the frequency of North Korea’s repeated blatant violations of UNSCRs and the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) corresponding inaction because of some members’ obstruction. North Korea’s reckless behavior demands a swift and unified response by the international community, including further significant measures by the UNSC. We call on all UN Member States to fully and effectively implement all UNSCRs, and for the UNSC Members to follow through on their commitments.

The G7 remains concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in North Korea and is committed to working with all relevant partners toward the goal of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to upholding the rules-based international order.

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

The Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, launches a new programme to support 60,000 children to access education in the Kasai province in the DRC.

• New UK programme to increase girls’ access to education in Kasai, one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) most deprived provinces.
• Following launch of UK’s new Women and Girls Strategy to tackle increasing threats to gender equality, support will reach 60,000 children in the region, 60% of whom will be girls.
• The Accès et Égalité pour l’Éducation des Filles (AXE-Filles) Programme will improve access to and the quality of education, tackling barriers to girls continuing in school, such as sexual and gender-based violence.

The Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell has today (Sunday 19 March) launched a new programme to support 60,000 children, mainly girls, to access education in the Kasai province in the DRC.

Kasai is one of the most deprived regions in the DRC, where both attendance in school and literacy rates for children are low.

Up to £28 million of UK funding will go to the new programme, Accès et Égalité pour l’Éducation des Filles (AXE-Filles), to improve school facilities and provide a better quality of learning for Congolese children, including marginalised girls.

This builds on previous UK education programmes which have helped approximately four million children access schooling across the DRC, and have supported the Congolese government’s efforts to roll out free education and improve quality.

The UK is committed to tackling gender inequality around the world and helping girls get a quality education, a priority reaffirmed by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Sierra Leone last week where he launched the UK’s new global Women and Girls Strategy. The strategy puts a continued focus on educating girls, empowering women and girls, championing their health and rights and ending gender-based violence – the challenges the UK believes are most acute.

AXE-Filles will work with schools, provincial government, and communities to provide education on sexual health and reproductive rights, tackle sexual and gender-based violence at school, and provide scholarships to help girls attend and remain in secondary school.

The Minister for Development and Africa, The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP said:

The launch of our new education programme is vital for ensuring that Congolese children who need it the most get the access to education they deserve. By transforming the way they learn, we can boost the quality of teaching, improve school attendance and outcomes, and empower girls.

We work closely with DRC on common challenges, including the fight against climate change. From strengthening democratic processes, to UK-supported hospitals saving lives in North Kivu, we are collaborating to improve the lives of Congolese people, supporting sustainable development, empowering women and girls and working towards regional peace.

During his three-day visit to the country, Minister Mitchell will also discuss steps towards ending the violence in the east of the country.

In Kinshasa, he will meet President Felix Tshisekedi and Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula to discuss the ongoing work to strengthen the UK-DRC partnership.

Alongside development and humanitarian support, the UK is also keen to work with DRC to improve the business environment and help deliver economic prosperity. The UK has invited the DRC to the UK-African Investment Summit, to be held in London in April 2024, aiming to grow two-way trade and investment.

He will also visit North Kivu to listen to a range of voices on finding a peaceful solution to the violence in the east of the country, and see first-hand how UK humanitarian support is saving lives and reducing suffering of the most vulnerable who have been displaced by ongoing conflict.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 March 2023.

UK sends aid support to help save lives in aftermath of Cyclone Freddy.

• UK sends search and rescue team of 27 and medical team of six to help the Government of Malawi save lives in the aftermath of the Cyclone Freddy
• Support will also provide shelter and water to thousands of people hit by flooding
• British teams will work with the Malawi authorities to provide help where most needed

The UK is providing urgently needed crisis expertise and humanitarian supplies to Malawi following the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy.

Our support will provide emergency shelter to approximately 3,600 people and allow up to 12,750 people affected by the floods to access safe drinking water, protecting them from disease.

UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell MP said:

We have been working since this horrendous cyclone hit to support the emergency response in Malawi and provide life-saving assistance to those who need it most.

Working alongside the Malawians, our search and rescue and medical teams are playing a critical role in helping ensure those who have lost their homes in the floods receive much required expert assistance and that we prevent a wider outbreak of cholera.

The initial UK package of assistance, which arrived in Malawi today, comprises: 27 members of the UK’s International Search and Rescue Team (ISAR); and six from the UK Emergency Medical Team (EMT); specialist boats; and urgently needed emergency relief items. The flight with our support left Birmingham airport this morning.

This is in addition to the immediate help the UK provided to the Malawian Government, when the cyclone hit last week, to help launch emergency operations. This builds on the UK’s longstanding partnership with Malawi, working together on crisis preparedness and resilience. For example, the UK has supported Malawi tackle cholera and Covid-19.

Over 300 people have died in the tragic event which has also left nearly 20,000 people without homes.

The UK ISAR team will support Malawian authorities in the search for survivors of the floods, assisted by their specialist equipment which includes lightweight, nimble boats and a drone team. These boats will be gifted to the Malawi Government for future emergency use when the UK ISAR team departs.

The Emergency Medical Team will support hospitals in southern Malawi to treat victims of Cyclone Freddy and save lives. Their support builds on the existing cholera-focussed UK EMT who have been in Malawi since January 2023, and are helping to reduce the risk of the on-going cholera outbreak.

The UK government remains in close contact with the authorities in the area and is ready to assist any British nationals affected.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 March 2023.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will visit Astana on 18 March 2023, where he will meet President Tokayev, the Prime Minister and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On Saturday 18 March 2023, UK Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, will visit Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

During his first bilateral visit to Kazakhstan, the Foreign Secretary will meet with His Excellency President Tokayev, the Prime Minister and other ministers. He will discuss ways to strengthen the UK-Kazakhstan strategic partnership, built over the last 31 years across many sectors including trade and investment, education, security and peacekeeping, finance and law.

The Foreign Secretary will also meet with representatives of business, civil society and higher education as well as Bolashak and Chevening alumni.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 March 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Thank you, President.

As we have heard today, over 21 million people now need humanitarian assistance as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion: this is over 50% of Ukraine’s pre-war population.

Of these people, over 5 million are displaced internally, and another 8 million have fled to Europe as refugees. This is the most significant displacement seen anywhere in the world for decades.

In areas under Russian control, approximately 4 million people are in acute need of humanitarian protection and assistance.

These figures demonstrate the devastating impact of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. But we must not forget that behind every single number in these millions is a person, a brother or a sister, a mother or a father, whose normal life has been obliterated by Russia’s aggression.

Mr President, I want to focus on the situation in Bakhmut. The city has been subject to near constant shelling, with civilian infrastructure, such as schools, water and energy and health facilities taking significant damage. There are not many buildings left standing and the humanitarian consequences of Russia’s brutal assault are extreme.

Humanitarian assistance into the city stopped mid-February when the fighting intensified and it became too dangerous for most aid to get in. Nearly 4,000 civilians remain, hiding in basements. These people are severely vulnerable – in particular children, persons with disabilities and the elderly.

Only a limited number of local volunteer groups have been able to distribute assistance, at great risk to their personal safety.

We therefore call for unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to the people of Ukraine, including in Bakhmut. Russia must stop denying access and must cease its attacks on critical infrastructure and residential areas. Ukrainians must be allowed to seek safety wherever they choose.

President, as USG Griffiths made clear, the impact of Russia’s actions are still being felt around the world. Commodity prices are up and 345 million people face crisis levels of food insecurity with close to 50 million people one step away from famine. This is the global cost of Russia’s actions.

The UK strongly supports the efforts of the UN in partnership with Türkiye to continue bringing Ukrainian grain to the world markets.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative is vital – the world needs Ukrainian grain.

Everything should be done to tackle global food insecurity and ensure food assistance reaches those that need it most. We call on Russia to respect the terms of the deal and the latest 120 day extension.

Finally, President, the UK is fully committed to holding Russia to account for its illegal actions in Ukraine. The International Criminal Court’s announcement today is an important step for ensuring those responsible are held accountable.

Barbaric atrocities have been committed during this conflict, including against children. It is right that these should be independently investigated, and those accountable face justice.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 March 2023.

The UK Government will match fund up to £6million of public donations to Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day appeal.

The UK Government today (Friday 17) announced that it will match fund up to £6million of public donations to Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day appeal, to empower people living across Africa to take control of their own development.

The funding will go towards Comic Relief and FCDO’s joint-funded Shifting the Power programme, as part of a total £30m package of support.

Locally led, civil society organisations in Ghana, Zambia and Malawi will be supported through the programme to become more effective, sustainable and better able to represent local people’s priorities.

By acting on the issues that are most important to them and their communities, including supporting women and girls, early childhood development, mental health and tackling homelessness, they will help drive lasting change.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South and Central Asia, North Africa, UN and the Commonwealth, said:

The UK Government will match fund up to £6m of public donations, pound for pound, to Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day appeal. Thanks to your generosity locally-led organisations across Ghana, Zambia and Malawi will be able to bring lasting change to their communities by supporting women and girls to fulfil their potential, allowing young children to survive and thrive, and giving people access to mental health services and a safe place to call home.

Shifting the Power is due to run until 2030, as part of the UK Government’s long-standing partnership with Comic Relief.

Samir Patel, CEO, Comic Relief said:

We are delighted to receive strong support for our international work from the UK Government. The generous £6 million funding will be invested in locally led organisations across Africa that focus on empowering women and girls, supporting the development of young children, increasing mental health support and addressing gender inequality. This money will support some of the most vulnerable people in society and make a real difference to their lives.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 March 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly gave a statement on Turkey’s decision to ratify Finland’s accession to NATO.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

We welcome Turkey’s decision to ratify Finland’s accession to NATO. We are clear that Turkey should provide a clear path for Sweden’s swift accession.

We remain fully committed to supporting both Finland and Sweden’s NATO accession, in line with NATO’s open door policy.

Their membership will make all Allies safer, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.  We will continue to press for both countries’ swift accession into the alliance.

Our mutual security declarations signed with Sweden and Finland on 11 May 2022 demonstrate our steadfast and unequivocal commitment to the security of both countries during this process and beyond.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 March 2023.

UK statement during the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council on 16-17 March 2023.

Thank you, Chair.

The UK welcomes a return to substantive discussions on this issue in the TRIPS Council, which is the right venue for Members to consider the evidence relating to the potential extension of the MC12 TRIPS decision to COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics. We recognise this as an important issue, and Members should have the opportunity to seek clarification on the issues that have been raised and to work towards a decision which is underpinned by evidence-based policy-making. We would like to stress the importance of open, inclusive, and transparent processes going forward, as many members have called for previously.

The UK has long maintained that the TRIPS Agreement strikes the correct balance between incentivising innovation and ensuring access through its flexibilities, including those enshrined in the Doha Declaration. We recognise the essential role of generic manufacturing and believe that, during the life of the patent, this should be enabled by voluntary licensing agreements which include technology and know-how transfer. This collaboration ensures that generic manufacturing adheres to regulatory practices that are internationally recognised so products meet the necessary quality and safety standards.

We have noted before that there are approximately 130 voluntary licensing arrangements in place for COVID-19 treatments, which cover most low- and middle-income countries, including bilateral agreements with countries such as Brazil and India, which are important regional manufacturers of generic medicines. We would welcome being made aware of any evidence on how these arrangements fail to meet current international demand.

We recognise extension proponents’ mutatis mutandis proposal from December 2022. The UK has considered this proposal carefully. Our view is we must first form consensus on whether extension is required, based on the evidence available. We have also noted that a number of questions have been raised by Members in relation to this proposal, including, but not limited to, the scope of products covered by the proposal and the risks of dual and multiple use. As has been discussed, COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics rely on pre-existing treatments and testing technology, used in different contexts to test and treat other diseases.

In this regard, we consider the papers circulated last year, by Mexico and Switzerland and Chinese Taipei, as important contributions to address these unresolved issues. We understand that the questions raised by them are yet to be addressed. These relate, among other things, to concerns over the scope of the potential extension being excessively broad or unilaterally defined by individual Members, as well as to the current supply and demand dynamics for these products.

As demonstrated by Chinese Taipei’s discussion paper, a key factor to increase production and to enhance access to therapeutics is closer industrial cooperation between originators and generic producers. The UK is ready to engage in conversations on ways to foster industrial cooperation with low- and middle-income countries to achieve this at the TRIPS Council and other relevant fora. The UK recognises that COVID-19 remains a serious challenge and that we need to promote equitable and effective distribution of COVID-19 products globally. A holistic response is needed to address the barriers to access, including better health infrastructure and health system readiness, harmonised regulatory mechanisms, as well as effective procurement and distribution strategies.

We maintain that changes to the international IP framework, which are not substantiated by evidence, could weaken its ability to incentivise investment and innovation, thus risking our ability to tackle health and other emergencies both now and in the future. As ever, the UK stands ready to engage constructively in evidence-based conversation.

Thank you, Chair.

 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 March 2023.

During the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, the UK delivered a statement on the report on access to COVID-19 vaccines.

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

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on Security Sector Reform.

Thank you, President.

As Mozambique’s helpful Concept Note for this meeting sets out, security sector reform and governance has an important role to play in state building and peace-building.

The United Kingdom has invested in security sector reform and governance at home and overseas. We have done so because we believe a democratically accountable and well-functioning security sector is an integral element in a broader system of government that provides protections for its citizens, based on the fundamental principles of universal human rights and respect for the rule of law.

This is what makes security sector reform relevant, not just in post-conflict reconstruction, but also in conflict prevention. Because trust between citizens and the state is premised on the existence of institutions that serve and protect the needs of those citizens.

For example, President, today the Council has just issued a PRST on Libya’s electoral process. We welcome the 5+5 Joint Military’s engagement with UNSMIL and their commitment to come together to create a safe environment for free and fair elections. As co-chair of the Security Working Group for Libya, the UK will continue to support efforts for the joint working and eventual unification of Libya’s militaries into one state military that is accountable to an elected government and able to tackle, comprehensively, Libya’s security challenges.

President, let me make three additional points. First, the United Kingdom welcomes the Secretary-General’s efforts to strengthen the United Nations’ comprehensive approach to security sector reform – including in particular his focus on security sector governance. Here, the UN has a strong comparative advantage, underpinned by experience and an approach that prioritises integrity, transparency and accountability.

I am grateful to Mr. Zouev for his update on the implementation of the UN’s Programme of Action on security sector reform. The United Kingdom continues to support a more integrated and coherent UN approach to security sector reform and governance.

Second, this Council has an important role in driving the application of best practices on security sector reform by the UN and its partners. This includes Council cooperation to shape fit-for-purpose mandates to guide the engagement of UN peace operations and improve the coordination of international support.

Third, we all need to do more to advance women’s inclusion in security sector reform processes. The United Kingdom’s new National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security underscores precisely this point, which will guide our domestic and international policy-making in this area.

The United Kingdom will continue to be an advocate for security sector reform and governance, working with the UN and other partners, including the African Union, to maximise the impact of our support.

Thank you.