Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 March 2023.

UK Ambassador Neil Bush welcomes Secretary General Helga Schmid’s proposals for taking climate and security work further at the OSCE.

Thank you, Secretary-General. I would like to share a few brief reactions to your report.

Firstly, we share your widely-held view that climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, and the urgency with which it needs to be addressed is only becoming more pressing. The security implications of climate change reach right across the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security. From shrinking glaciers, to increasing aridity, wildfires, droughts and floods, the OSCE region is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change; tackling these risks will require dialogue and transboundary co-operation which in normal times should be intrinsic to this organization.

We thank you and the OCEEA for progressing OSCE’s work on climate change throughout a challenging year, and for your consideration of what more the OSCE could do to advance co-operation in addressing climate-related risks. We welcome your proposals for taking this work further in future.

First and foremost, we share your concern with the devastating impacts that Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine continues to have on people, environment and climate action; and we welcome the Chatham House analysis commissioned on the impact of the war. We support your proposal to learn from and act on the war’s consequences, including how vital climate action can become a victim of war. We support your proposal to look more closely at the risks that tensions and conflicts pose to climate action and climate security, and promote the development of complementary approaches between climate and conflict that recognise the underlying drivers of fragility for climate-vulnerable populations.

We support your idea to bring a climate and security perspective into the climate policy-making, including in strategies and planning for climate finance. And finally, we praise the particular attention the OSCE’s activity pays to the needs of women and their active involvement in work on climate change and security.

Thank you, Secretary-General, for the report and I look forward to the deliberations it has started, including at the rescheduled high-level meeting on climate change.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 March 2023.

Ambassador Neil Bush says that 141 countries have rejected Russia’s disinformation and stand with Ukraine to demand a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

The UK becomes a member of IDB Invest, the private sector arm of the largest development bank in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The UK has joined IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) focused on development through the private sector, in a move designed to boost the UK’s work reducing poverty and tackling climate change across Latin America and the Caribbean through support for small and medium sized businesses.

Development Minister Andrew Mitchell was joined by IDB President Ilan Goldfajn and IDB Invest CEO James Scriven in London to complete the UK’s membership of the group that provides almost £5 billion of annual finance to businesses across the region. Membership will ensure the UK can influence investments that the institution makes annually and promote the UK’s development objectives through the work of the Bank.

Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said:

Unleashing private sector investment across the Caribbean and Latin America is vital to delivering the UK’s International Development Strategy.

Joining IDB Invest will help us promote private sector investment, alleviate poverty and tackle climate change in a region experiencing its most severe effects.

The UK and IDB Invest will build on their existing partnership through the UK Sustainable Infrastructure Programme (UKSIP), which supports Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Brazil to reduce their emissions and transition to sustainable infrastructure.

UKSIP support for IDB Invest projects is expected to raise over £150 million in private finance for the development of two solar power plants and the purchase of 400 electric buses.

The solar plants will produce around 440 GWh per year, the equivalent power required for 230,000 homes in Colombia. Green electric buses are expected to save an estimated 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over their lifetime – the equivalent to taking 100,000 cars off the road for a year.

In the last decade, IDB Invest has listed over £5 billion in bonds on the London Stock Exchange. This demonstrates the strength of its partnership with the City and London’s role as the leading hub globally for green finance – ranked first in the world, for a third consecutive time, according to the Global Green Finance Index.

Last year, British International Investment, the UK’s own development finance institution, made its first investment in the Caribbean for over 20 years, investing alongside IDB Invest and local partners with the aim to deliver thousands of jobs and support productive, sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the region.

During their meeting, Minister Mitchell and President Goldfajn agreed on the critical role of the Bank Group in increasing global climate ambitions. The minister set out the UK’s commitment to international investment in green businesses, stressing its importance in addressing the strategic vulnerability of climate change.

The UK’s International Development Strategy also outlines its commitment to help countries strengthen their energy security and provide affordable, reliable, and clean energy for all, employing the full development finance toolkit, including British International Investment. This put the UK’s strengths – its capital markets, innovation, and expertise in science and technology – to work in mobilising more private finance to advance climate and nature goals.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

UK Minister for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment, Lord Zac Goldsmith is in Libreville for two-days to attend the One Forest Summit.

The Summit is an opportunity for the UK and international partners from three continents to advance and renew their collective ambition regarding the conservation and sustainable management of the Amazon, the Congo basin and the tropical forests of South East Asia often considered as the heart and lungs of the planet.

International collaboration and coordination between donors and regional countries is paramount to reversing forest and biodiversity loss and promoting sustainable development, and the UK is taking a leading role as Chair of the Central African Forest Initiative and co-chair of the Donor College within the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.

The UK will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Gabon, where both parties will agree to shared priorities in the context of the climate ambition and commitments made at COP26.

Further engagements will include high-level meetings with Heads of State, Government officials, as well as other public and political stakeholders on how to promote the emergence of tangible solutions for a transition to a low-carbon economy, for climate change adaptation and for the protection of biodiversity.

Minister Goldsmith said:

I am delighted to be attending the One Forest Summit on behalf of the UK. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with our partners from across the globe to reaffirm the climate commitment made at COP26 to protect the Congo Basin forests and peatlands.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

The UK’s Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, delivered this statement at the 15th WTO Trade Policy Review of Japan on 1 March 2023.

Madam Chair, thank you for leading this important scrutiny of one of the WTO’s biggest economies. In this new era of UK-EU cooperation let me also thank João for setting up our discussion today with such wisdom and linguistic skill. And let me also warmly welcome Japan’s delegation to their Trade Policy Review today, led by Deputy Assistant Minister Okochi.

Madam Chair, our nations enjoy deep historical ties going back centuries and Japan is now one of Britain’s closest partners in Asia. Indulge me a moment, as a lapsed historian, to take stock of the progress we have made together since English seafarers established first trading stations at Hirado Island in the 17th Century.

Today, Japan is a key partner with whom we share a vibrant bilateral trading relationship. Decades of partnership in automotive and electronics manufacturing, IT, energy, life sciences and financial services have provided the foundations for a dramatic expansion of industrial ties. From 2012 to 2020, Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in the UK almost tripled. In 2021, Nissan chose the great city of Sunderland as its flagship global EV Hub, investing £1bn in EV manufacturing and a gigafactory. Japanese firms contribute to the UK’s leading position in offshore wind. A Marubeni consortium is developing one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farms in Scotland. From large tech to pharma to megabanks, there are now around a thousand Japanese companies operating in the UK.

Our association is deep and wide-ranging, underpinned by our bilateral FTA, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force last year, further updating our collaborative and reciprocal relationship for the 2020s and beyond. The UK and Japan have also shown ambition in areas dear to the heart of the DG and vital to supporting trade like digital, on which we launched our Digital Partnership, in December 2022.

When our two Prime Ministers met at the Tower of London on 11 January, Prime Minister Sunak spoke of “an unbreakable bond that reaches halfway around the world”. And that’s why, recognising that our security is shared and indivisible, they signed a landmark deal on military cooperation – the Reciprocal Access Agreement.

And we hope that our membership of CPTPP will further elevate the ties between the UK and its Pacific partners, including Japan, to a new level. We are grateful to Japan for their support to the UK in that process and hope that this will not only promote trade and investment between our two great nations, but also demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.

Madam Chair, we commend Prime Minister Kishida’s agenda of driving the transformation of Japan’s economy by digitisation and investments in green technology and human capital. And we encourage Japan to match its high ambition with corresponding actions. As identified in our Advance Written Questions, there are several strategic areas where we would like to collaborate even more closely with Japan. Some of these are global issues, like decarbonisation and digitalisation, where all countries need to do more. But to realise ambitions in this area, we must focus on ensuring that businesses can make the most of these opportunities, by tackling the practical challenges that they still face: streamlining bureaucratic processes is a key example of this. Across the piece, we hope the UK can provide valuable expertise and support, and we look forward to continuing to work with Japan on realising these mutual opportunities.

Chair, we are glad to see that maintaining and strengthening the multilateral trading system is a key pillar of Japan’s trade policy. And I pay tribute to the wise guidance that Ambassador Yamazaki provides to his team in this House. Plurilateralism has brought much-needed energy and dynamism to this organisation. We are grateful for Japan’s cooperation in plurilateral initiatives, in particular as one of the co-convenors for the E-Commerce JI, which will deliver modern global rules on digital trade that are fit for purpose in the 2020s and support the digital economy. This is a top priority for the UK and we look forward to working with Japan to conclude substantive negotiations in 2023. We also appreciate Japan’s efforts to launch certification requests for the Services Domestic Regulation JI last December 2022.

We wholeheartedly agree with Minister Nishimura’s assessment in his speech to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies that we must never allow ourselves to fall into protectionism and using industrial subsidies to compete against one another. Our countries support a robust and effective multilateral trading system, crucial to the future functioning of the international order, and we must ensure our industrial policies do not disrupt these important trade links. The UK will support Japan in holding high the banner of free trade.

We therefore welcome Japan’s focus under their G7 presidency on global economic recovery, strengthening economic security, and improving cooperation with the Global South. In the past year we have stood side by side with Japan and all G7 partners in supporting Ukraine against President Putin’s unprovoked aggression, and we will continue to stand together for Ukraine’s freedom, for international law, and our rules based multilateral trading system.

We are pleased that the G7 Trade Track is now in its 3rd year, an initiative pioneered under our own 2021 Presidency. We will support Japan to achieve practical outcomes particularly in the development of a comprehensive package on economic security that will help create a more resilient global trading system in the interests of all WTO Members.

Chair, to conclude, as the annual cherry blossom viewing season approaches, we wish Japan a similarly serene review and a florescence of success in their strategic trade programme, with the UK as a close partner.

And, in the spirit of a belated Trade Valentines, permit me to close with a short verse of optimism in the best of Japanese tradition:

Trade friendship blossoms,

Rooted in our shared values,

Garden of Progress.

Thank you, Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

During the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UK delivered a statement on the Right to Development.

Thank you Madam Vice President,

Human rights are indivisible, interdependent and, universal. And they are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The realisation of human rights underpins sustainable development – they go hand in hand, they are mutually reinforcing – and they are building blocks to achieving inclusive and prosperous societies.

For the United Kingdom, it is clear that the right to development is an obligation of States to ensure individuals are able to enjoy their human rights and have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential. These obligations are already enshrined and clearly set out in the existing human rights treaties. Implementing these existing obligations is the only way to realise the right to development.

Last year, we published our new development strategy that aims to unleash the power of people and countries to take control of their own future. Human rights is at the heart of this – empowering people to stand up for freedom and supporting them to plan for their own sustainable future.

This is a vital year for action, as the world faces multiple crises exacerbated by conflict and climate change. The UK will continue to partner with countries to achieve the collective vision agreed in Agenda 2030. But if we are to succeed, we not only need to step up efforts but must put human rights at the front and centre of them.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

UK military advisor Ian Stubbs says that thousands of Russians continue to pay the price for the tactics of a desperate Russian military leadership.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

The Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a bilateral Green Economy Framework.

The Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a bilateral Green Economy Framework. This agreement, a first-of-its-kind for the UK, was signed during a virtual call between the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) Secretary of State, The Rt Grant Shapps MP, and Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations from the Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Mr S Iswaran, on 1 March 2023.

Building on the successful UK-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and Digital Economy Agreement, the innovative UK-Singapore Green Economy Framework combines elements of climate, economic and trade policy. This will enable both countries to achieve national decarbonisation targets in alignment with the Paris Agreement while enhancing energy security and promoting green growth through new investment, job creation and export opportunities. This collaboration will take place across three key pillars: green transport, low carbon energy technologies, and sustainable finance and carbon markets.

Expanding on the UK’s legacy of our successful COP26 Presidency, and Singapore’s COP-honed expertise facilitating the negotiations on international rules for carbon trading, the ambition of this government-to-government agreement is to facilitate more collaboration between UK and Singapore industry and academic partners. This will result in new commercial pilot projects, trade and investments, and research and innovation. The Framework will be implemented through different mechanisms, including government policy dialogues, business matchmaking, industry workshops, and research partnerships.

Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Grant Shapps said:

The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the vital importance of shoring up our energy security, and moves towards ever-greater energy independence.

Today’s agreement with Singapore – the first of its kind in the UK – will make the most of the expertise and innovation of both our countries.  It will help us move towards greener, home-grown alternatives to fossil fuels like renewables, creating high tech jobs and businesses of the future and, ultimately, bringing down costs for consumers.

British High Commissioner to Singapore Kara Owen said:

Today marks a very significant milestone for the UK-Singapore partnership as we sign an innovative and real-world focused UK-Singapore Green Economy Framework. The framework will help both the UK and Singapore work towards their ambitious net zero targets and contribute to the development of a vibrant green economy private sector ecosystem that can have an impact beyond our two shores.

In action, this Framework will leverage the UK and Singapore’s strengths in areas like low carbon technology, shipping and finance to deliver long-term sustainable policy, regulation and technical solutions and projects between our private sector and academic communities.

Singapore is an important partner to the UK in working towards a sustainable and net zero future. With significant and ever-growing investments in UK’s renewable energy sector, the UK-Singapore Green Economy Framework will further strengthen our existing, long-term collaboration by creating new growth opportunities for both countries.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

James Cleverly will launch an exchange scheme for young professionals and, at a foreign ministers’ meeting, will urge G20 partners to tackle global challenges.

• Foreign Secretary to launch new exchange scheme for young British and Indian professionals to live and work in the 2 countries
• James Cleverly will also announce the UK is to appoint a Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region
• he will continue to call out Russian aggression in Ukraine at a foreign ministers meeting for India’s G20 Presidency and urge partners old and new to work together to tackle the most urgent global challenges

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is visiting India to mark a new scheme allowing young Brits and Indians to live and work in each other’s countries for up to 2 years, which was announced by the Home Secretary earlier this week.

The Foreign Secretary will today (1 March) meet his counterpart, External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, ahead of foreign ministers gathering in New Delhi tomorrow (2 March). They are expected to discuss progress on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap, which aims to bolster the 2 countries’ ties in defence and security, trade and investment.

During a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi today (Wednesday), the Foreign Secretary will mark the opening of the Young Professionals Scheme, an ambitious new partnership between the UK and India which allows up 3,000 Brits and 3,000 Indians a year the right to live and work in the other country for up to 2 years.

The Foreign Secretary will also announce the creation of the UK’s first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region, who will boost ties with India as a priority. This envoy is the second of its kind to be announced by the UK (after the appointment of a Tech Envoy to the US in late 2020) and demonstrates our commitment to the region and tech-diplomacy.

The new Tech Envoy role will boost the UK’s status as a science and tech superpower. The envoy will work with our partners in the region on areas of shared interest, including setting global technology standards and helping to solve challenges through innovative technology.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

India is a hugely important partner to the UK and the deeper ties we are forging now will help to grow the UK economy and boost our industries for the future. This landmark migration scheme will enable the brightest and best in both our countries to benefit from new opportunities.

India is also an emerging global leader on technology and there are immense opportunities for better collaboration between us in this sector. That is why we will be sending our first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region, to maximise the tech expertise of both countries.

India has the world’s third highest number of tech unicorns and start-ups, with 108 start-ups gaining the unicorn status of a private company valued at over $1 billion. This announcement illustrates the UK’s clear commitment to boosting partnerships in India and across South Asia.

On Thursday the Foreign Secretary will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting to work with partners to advance global efforts on food and energy security, climate change and development. He will also continue to call Russia out at the G20 and work with partners to mitigate the global impacts of Russian aggression in Ukraine. If the war were to end today, the effects of the exacerbated food insecurity would still run into 2027.

The Foreign Secretary will also address an India-Europe business event in the capital where he will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to conclude a Free Trade Agreement with India. With more links than almost any country in the Indo-Pacific region, the UK-India trading relationship is already worth £34 billion, growing by £10 billion in 1 year.