Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 January 2023.

Ambassador Bush condemns Russia’s attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and stresses Russia will not break the resolve of the Ukrainian people.

Thank you Mr. Chair. Last week I, and many others spoke about the devastating Russian missile attack on an apartment building in Dnipro. The lives of 46 innocent Ukrainian civilians were tragically cut short, including six children, with 80 injured and 11 still missing. This horrific attack was yet another example of Russia’s numerous and sustained violations of international law over the course of the last 11 months, which continue to this day. Following reports of further Russian strikes overnight, we stress our solidarity with Ukraine. Russia will not break the resolve of the Ukrainian people.

Since the start of Russia’s illegal invasion, and following several investigations by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine (OPG), ODHIR, the UN and through the Moscow Mechanism (to name but a few), there can be no doubt as to Russia’s culpability for atrocities and human rights violations carried out in Ukraine. The evidence is overwhelming.

We have seen indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the use of wide area, inaccurate weapons in residential and highly populated areas resulting in loss of life and widespread devastation. The theatre in Mariupol sheltering children. The railway station in Kramatorsk where women and children were fleeing. The shopping centre in Kremenchuk. Too many stories. Too many innocent victims.

We’ve heard harrowing testimony from survivors, detailing summary executions, unlawful confinement, torture, rape and other sexual violence committed in areas once under Russian control. As recorded by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, family members, including children, were sometimes forced to witness the crimes – powerless to act. We have spoken of Russia’s disturbing policy of filtration and of those who have disappeared, some unlawfully deported to Russia – including orphaned children. We recall the attacks against sites with protected status – medical and educational facilities, cultural and religious sites, and energy infrastructure. We commend the investigators seeking the truth, often under dangerous conditions, and those courageous survivors willing to share their testimony to ensure justice is delivered.

As reported by ODHIR, the sheer number of accounts describing allegedly systematic torture and ill-treatment inflicted upon civilians by Russian forces seems to suggest these practices were carried out in an atmosphere of impunity.

However, we will not allow ourselves to become numb to the immense suffering caused by Russia’s illegal invasion. The victims and the survivors will be remembered. We must, and we will, deliver justice and accountability for all of them. For those in Bucha, Irpin, Izium, Makariv, Kupiansk, Mariupol. The list is far too long and the price paid by Ukrainians for their freedom far too high.

There can be no lasting peace in Ukraine without justice. In London this March, Justice Ministers from across the world will meet to discuss further provision of financial and practical support to the International Criminal Court investigation in Ukraine. We will ensure the ICC has all it needs to pursue investigations and prosecute those responsible. The UK has joined a core group of partners to ensure criminal accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. UK legal expertise will be utilised to ensure Russia’s leaders are held to account fully for their actions. We continue our work with the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) for Ukraine, bringing together multinational experts to assist and advise the OPG War Crimes units in their tireless work.

Last week we and many participating States asked the Russian Federation for a comprehensive response to the reports of SMM vehicles being used in eastern Ukraine. These are the assets of the organisation and its participating States.

In closing, Mr Chair, the international community must collectively send a strong message to the Russian government – through our words and through our actions. We will not stand for unbridled aggression against a sovereign state; we will not tolerate violations and abuses of international law and human rights; we will not sit back and allow the perpetrators of such egregious crimes in Ukraine go unpunished; and we will seek and see justice delivered for those who have suffered at the hands of Russian aggression.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 January 2023.

Ambassador Bush voices full support for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s continued focus on Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 January 2023.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2023.

Rear Admiral Tim Woods has joined British Embassy Washington as its new Defence Attaché. He will lead the UK’s extensive military engagement and partnerships across all branches of the United States military.

Rear Admiral Woods joins the team in Washington from Kyiv, Ukraine where he was the British Defence Attaché – at the frontline of the UK’s support to the Ukrainian military. In Kyiv he also served as Head of the British Defence Staff in Eastern Europe, commanding all Defence Attaches across Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine at a defining moment in European security.

He brings more than three decades’ experience both on land and at sea. Previous roles have included active duty in Afghanistan, deployments to the Far East, submarine patrols, secondments to NATO, the UK Ministry of Defence and the National Security Secretariat.

Rear Admiral Woods joined the Royal Navy in 1988 after training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, south west England, and at sea. He is a graduate of the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies, where he was awarded the Wellington Prize for Strategic Analysis.

Commenting on the appointment, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States of America Dame Karen Pierce said:

I am delighted to welcome Rear Admiral Tim Woods to the British Embassy. The UK’s military-to-military links with the US form part of the bedrock of the Special Relationship and have protected our citizens for decades. Tim’s extensive experience in Ukraine, NATO and with US forces will be a huge asset at this critical time, as we work with the US to support Ukraine.

The Rear Admiral said he was relishing his new role at the heart of the UK-US defence relationship:

I have worked closely with our American colleagues throughout my military career and have seen the strength of the relationship – the UK’s most important single bilateral partnership – at first hand.

I am thrilled to have moved to such an exciting and welcoming country, and am looking forward to meeting US decision makers to ensure our hand-in-glove relationship remains very focussed on the range of pressing defence and security threats. I also look forward to travelling throughout the various states over the next three years, and seeing our defence collaboration in action across America.

Rear Admiral Woods takes over the role of UK Defence Attaché at the British Embassy from Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath who will become Director of the Global Defence Network, the head of UK Defence Attachés worldwide.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2023.

Statement by Chanaka Wickremasinghe, UK Legal Adviser, at the Security Council briefing by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Darfur.

President, I thank the Prosecutor for the thirty-sixth report on the Situation in Darfur, pursuant to Resolution 1593 and for his presentation today.

We welcome the swift progress made in the trial of Mr Abd-Al-Rahman as a historic step towards seeking accountability for survivors and affected communities in Darfur after many years. In this light, the UK would like to commend the ICC’s tireless commitment for more than 17 years to help deliver justice for the people of Darfur.

The trial of Mr Abd-Al-Rahman has enabled victims and witnesses to courageously tell their stories and to demonstrate to other victims that justice can be delivered. Such progress is an example of how strong cooperation with the ICC can translate into meaningful action.

It is therefore deeply disappointing that sufficient cooperation has been lacking from the Sudanese authorities, despite their reassurances to the Chief Prosecutor during his visits to Sudan.

Stronger engagement would demonstrate that the Sudanese authorities are serious about delivering their commitments on transitional justice, as outlined in the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement and the initial Framework Agreement signed 5th December 2022.

The UK urges the Sudanese authorities to immediately enhance their cooperation with the Court, in three areas in particular:
Firstly, we call on the Sudanese authorities to provide prompt access to Sudan, including unimpeded access to documentary archives and witnesses relevant to the Court’s investigations.

Secondly, a permanent presence is vital for the Office of the Prosecutor to  deepen its engagement with affected communities. We therefore urge the Sudanese authorities to help facilitate the establishment of a field office in Khartoum, and to remove the unnecessary bureaucratic impediments preventing Court staff from being granted multiple-entry visas to Sudan and to give access to ICC staff to Darfur.

Thirdly, the UK calls on the Sudanese authorities to respond swiftly to the Court’s outstanding requests for assistance, noting that 34 requests currently remain outstanding, with no responses received in the current reporting period.
Finally, Mr President, we welcome and encourage the continuation of cooperation between the Court and third States, which has proved vital, particularly in the absence of sufficient cooperation from the Sudanese authorities.

The UK would like to reiterate our support to the Court in delivering justice for the people of Darfur. In this respect, we call for action to deliver on the four ICC warrants which remain outstanding in the Darfur situation, and we continue to call for the surrender of Mr Banda, who remains a fugitive from justice.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Syria.

Let me start by again thanking Special Envoy Pedersen and OCHA Deputy Director Mudawi for their powerful briefings today.

I will highlight three points:

First, the United Kingdom welcomes the recent adoption of resolution 2672 to continue the delivery of life-saving aid to millions of Syrians in need. But let’s be clear – 6 months is not a sufficient timeline within which humanitarians can effectively operate and we heard that again today. The humanitarian community have consistently warned us that shorter mandate renewals force UN agencies and NGOs to direct much of their effort to contingency planning. That uncertainty limits their capacity to help those in need. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate with 15.3 million Syrians now in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

Second, with humanitarian needs growing each year, the Assad regime continues to profit from the production and trafficking of narcotics, most prominently captagon – which provides billions of dollars annually to the regime. Turning the country into a ‘narco-state’ harms the people of Syria and adds to regional instability. We urge partners in the international community to condemn this clearly and to continue supporting those affected by the captagon trade.

Third, we applaud Special Envoy Pedersen’s efforts to continue engagement with Damascus, as well as countries in the region and beyond.The UK stands ready to support a political process in line with resolution 2254. We must guard against any process that does not deliver on the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and which will not contribute to a lasting and sustainable peace.

We have heard from Russia that they were taking steps to renew the Constitutional Committee. But we have seen no progress. We urge Russia to stop stalling what ought to be a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process. It is time to move away from discussions of process for the Constitutional Committee and begin to tackle substance.

President, it has been seven years since this Council unanimously adopted resolution 2254. The principles set out in that resolution remain the only means for achieving a sustainable solution to the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Syria.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2023.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2023.

Ian Stubbs (UK delegation) says Putin’s horrific war of choice has created a legacy for which millions will be forced to bear the cost of for years to come.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2023.

Representatives of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States met in Geneva with UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen on January 24.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 January 2023.

Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education Helen Grant delivered at statement at the UN on International Day of Education.

I am delighted to be here with you all on this fifth International Day of Education. I am extremely honoured to be the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education. I must also agree with you, I am absolutely humbled to hear the testimony of those Afghan women. Brave, brave, women. I shall be taking their messages home with me, back to the UK.

My role as the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Global Education is to globally champion his message that providing every girl on the planet with 12 years of quality education is one of the best ways of tackling many of the problems facing the world today, such as poverty, climate change and inequality.

Investing in girls’ education is a game changer. If we want to change the world for the better, girls’ education is a great, great place to start. The child of a mother who can read is 50% more likely to live beyond the age of five years, twice as likely to attend school themselves, and 50% more likely to be immunised.

We know too, girls who are educated are more able to choose if, when, and how many children they have. Girls’ education is therefore vital to women and girls, but also in levelling-up society, boosting incomes and developing economies and nations.

Refocusing international education finance to countries where the disparities are largest is more important than ever before. This is because the pandemic has become one of the biggest educational disruptors in our history, affecting 1.6 billion learners at the peak of the pandemic in 2020. It has also created a global education funding gap of $200 billion dollars each year. In poorer countries now over 70% of children can’t read a simple text by the age of ten.

So we must work hard, together, better and differently, if we want to get girls’ global education back on track. I think a large part of the answer with financing is to continue with the work that we started in 2021.

At the G7 summit that we hosted in Cornwall, our then Prime Minister Boris Johnson put girls’ education at the very heart of the summit. This ensured that education received the priority and profile it needs and deserves as well as the financial and political commitments.

At the Global Education Summit in London just a few months later in 2021 we raised, with our international partners, $4 billion dollars for global education. This will help another 175 million more children to learn. And of course, further momentum was created by the excellent Transforming Education Summit that took place here, in America, in September last year. Bit I think we also need to be more innovative in terms of finance.

This is why the UK is supporting the International Finance Facility for Education – and this is an amazing facility for leveraging additional funding for children in Lower Middle-Income

Countries – up to seven times what can be derived from a simple donor grant. We also support the Education Outcomes Fund – which emphasises payment by results and we are pioneering this approach in Sierra Leone and Ghana.

Regarding adjusting our programs to reach the most marginalised girls, this is absolutely critical and there are many examples I can give but in the interest of time I would say that a good example of our work is what we’re doing around climate change.

There are 200 million of the most marginalised women and girls living on the front line of climate change and we are never going to tackle SDG4 unless we tackle climate change.

At COP26 in Glasgow, we made the important connection between girls’ education and climate change. Showing how girls’ education can be very much a part of the solution.

Because girls who are educated are more able to participate in decisions, actions and leadership, on climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation. Our work in this area has led to the recently published climate paper that was launched by Minister Andrew Mitchell. And of course now we are full steam ahead with our preparations for COP28.

Again, in the interest of time I am going to close their but just to say I know the weight of the challenge of girls’ education is considerable. It is significant. But our ability to make change in the world world, if we work together, should never ever be underestimated.

Thank you.