Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

Statement by Chanaka Wickremasinghe, UK Legal Adviser at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Thank you Mr President,

Let me start by welcoming President Gatti Santana to the Council for the first time – we are confident that she will be an excellent leader for the Court. We also would like to thank the President and Prosecutor Brammertz for their reports and informative briefings today. It is clear that under their stewardship the Mechanism will continue to play an essential role in ending impunity and implementing international justice.

Their briefings demonstrate that this is a good opportunity to look forward to the Mechanism’s future.

First, this summer we will see the conclusion of the final appeal relating to the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. The final decision in the Stanišić and Franko Simatović case is a defining moment and one of which the Court should be proud.

Second, we note that Félicien Kabuga’s trial is progressing on schedule and is due to conclude with judgement in 2024. His trial is a testament to the international community’s continuing dedication to accountability for the genocide against the Tutsi.

And third, we are pleased to see the efforts that the Mechanism is making to be agile and downsize in line with the tasks that it now has, including by looking for new headquarters in The Hague and by reducing its presence in the Western Balkans. We look forward to collaborating closely with the Mechanism and to all colleagues on the Council to ensure the Mechanism remains efficient, while securing its critical legacy.

But while there are positives for the future, we have continuing concerns.

It is high time that Serbia arrested and transferred Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta to the Mechanism following years of requests, considerations and discussion.

Separately, while the Mechanism continues to engage in important work to assist with justice at the national level in the Western Balkans, the blocking of cooperation by some in the region represents a critical and growing risk to meaningful reconciliation and long-term stability. This has direct implications for achieving justice for victims and we call on all States to meet their obligations and increase their efforts to provide justice for these heinous crimes.

And finally, we are saddened to see that glorification of war criminals and the denial of genocide continue. This is unacceptable and it increases the suffering of the victims. The United Kingdom condemns such denial and glorification in all its forms and calls on all Member States to do so.

While we regret these continuing issues, they serve as an important reminder that the work and legacy of the Mechanism remain as important as ever.

Before closing, Madam President, I would just like to say a word in answer to the concerns raised by our colleague from Russia. Let me assure the colleagues on the Council that Mr Karadžić is treated exactly the same as other convicted prisoners, with the same rights, privileges, and restrictions. He is not being mistreated in any way. Whilst his access to certain telephone contacts with certain members of his family and wider circle were temporarily suspended, those controls were legal and in line with prison service policy and were intended to prevent his continued abuse of that access, and to protect the victims of his crimes.

We also understand that despite Russia’s concerns, Mr Karadžić himself has raised no complaint. We consider that these types of spurious complaints are an attempt by Mr Karadžić’s supporters deliberately to undermine the Mechanism, the UK as the enforcing state, and also the victims and survivors of his terrible crimes.

Thank you Madam President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

The recipients, considered among the most accomplished undergraduate university students and recent graduates in the United States, were chosen following an intense selection process.

Washington, DC (12 December 2022) – The 40 winners of the 2023 Marshall Scholarships have been unveiled today by the British Government. The recipients, considered among the most accomplished undergraduate university students and recent graduates in the United States, were chosen following an intense selection process. The 2023 class will begin graduate studies at universities across the United Kingdom next year, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the scholarship.

The incoming class are the latest cohort of the seven decades-long program created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a thank you to former US Secretary of State General George Marshall and the US for assistance under the Marshall Plan. Since that time, the British Government has provided scholarships for over 2,200 Americans, many of whom have gone on to play leading roles addressing global challenges facing society. Marshall Scholars currently sit on the US Supreme Court, serve in local, state and federal governments, and have played key roles in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s class includes accomplished authors, astrophysicists, human rights advocates and COVID-19 researchers among other disciplines. 85% of the 2023 class intend to pursue public service careers in the US following their time in the UK, including representatives from the US Military Academy and US Air Force Academy who will take up active duty service upon completion of their studies.

“Whether it is the War in Ukraine or global challenges from the effects of Climate Change, Marshall Scholars continue to work to help address global issues head on,” said Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States. “The British Government is excited to support these future leaders of American society as they begin the next stage of their lives studying at some of the UK’s top academic institutions.”

“Marshall Scholars continue to embody the spirit of the scholarship’s namesake in their commitment to making the world a better place. They are powerful advocates for excellence and progress in an impressive range of disciplines.” said John Raine, Chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.

The program received 951 applications from candidates representing academic institutions across the United States. Of the 32 US universities represented, over a third are state or public universities and military service academies. The University of North Dakota, Pitzer College (CA) and Wayne State University (MI) will send Marshall Scholars to the UK for the first time ever. Morehouse College (GA) – one of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States – received its first scholarship award since 1996. Wabash College (IN) will send a Marshall Scholar to the UK for the first time in over three decades.

The program is principally funded by the British Government, but also benefits from generous support through partnership arrangements with world-leading British academic institutions, allowing winners to pursue graduate degrees in almost any academic subject at any university in the UK. The 2022 class will take up their studies at 21 different institutions across the UK starting next September, ranging from London institutions such as King’s College London to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

The scholarship program also continues to receive generous support from the Association of Marshall Scholars (AMS), the official alumni organisation of the Marshall Scholarship. The British Schools & Universities Foundation (BUSF) also provides generous support and funds for a scholarship.

The full list of 2023 winners are:

Recipient	US University
Abdelhamid Arbab	Princeton University
Dominic Arzadon	Pitzer College
Rachel Chae	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Chen	Yale University
Daniel Chen	University of Washington – Seattle
Assata Davis	Rutgers University
Carson Eckhard	University of Pennsylvania
Beatrix Frissell	University of Montana – Missoula
Bayan Galal	Yale University
Kyrolos Georgey	United States Air Force Academy
Hannah Gillespie	University of Notre Dame
Cyril Gilman	Columbia University
Alexis Harrell	SUNY – Buffalo
Clare Heinbaugh	College of William & Mary
Ricky Holder	University of Chicago
Alex Hu	Yale University
Sihao Huang	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lauren Jarvis	Baylor University
Kyra Jasper	Stanford University
Sarah Kane	University of Pennsylvania
Aaron Keathley	Wayne State University
Grace Kim	Harvard University
Amy Krimm	University of Pennsylvania
Laura Lewis	California Institute of Technology
Sarah Marze	University of Connecticut
Sydney Menne	University of North Dakota
Natalie Moss	University of Georgia
Nathan Mudrak	Johns Hopkins University
Katie Pascavis	Arizona State University
George Antony Pratt	Morehouse College
Max Pushkin	Brown University
Maggie Sardino	Syracuse University
Kavya Shah	Harvard University
Cooper Smith	Wabash College
Banks Stamp	University of Alabama – Birmingham
Rose Summers	University of Colorado – Boulder
Aristotle Vainikos	Harvard University
Marley Wait	United States Military Academy
Lauren Wilkes	University of Georgia
Samara Zuckerbrod	University of Texas – Austin

About the Marshall Scholarship

Named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the Marshall Scholarship Program began in 1953 as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the United States for the assistance that the UK received after World War II under the Marshall Plan. Since that time, it has remained uniquely positioned among national scholarships for its prestige and scope: offering talented young Americans the chance to study any academic subject at UK universities of their choice for up to 3 years. This has given rise to an unprecedented breadth of expertise in almost every academic field, producing numerous university presidents, six Pulitzer Prize winners, one Nobel Laureate, fourteen MacArthur Fellows, two-academy-Award nominees, two US Supreme Court Justices and a NASA Astronaut.

With over 2,200 scholarships awarded to date, Marshall Scholars are leading the conversation and direction of some of the most critical issues of our time. Notable winners of the scholarship include:

• Supreme Court Associate Justices Stephen Breyer and Neil Gorsuch
• William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
• Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Anne Applebaum, Tom Friedman, Jeffrey Gettleman and Dan Yergin
• Dr. Dan Barouch, Leading COVID-19 vaccine researcher and William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
• Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, White House National Security Council
• Reid Hoffman, Philanthropist and founder of social networking platform LinkedIn
• Lisa Cook, Economist and currently the first African-American woman and first person of color to sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
• Anne McClain, NASA Astronaut who served aboard the International Space Station in 2018
• Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State for the State of Michigan
• Roger Tsien, 2008 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry
• Ray Dolby, Founder of Dolby Laboratories and 1997 winner of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
• Rebecca F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War book trilogy

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

Mr Darren Welch has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union in succession to Dr Alastair McPhail CMG OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Welch will take up his appointment during January 2023.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Darren John Welch

Married to: Lucille Welch

Children: 2

Year	Role
2021 to present	FCDO, Director of Global Health
2018 to 2020	Department for International Development (DFID), Director of Policy
2017 to 2018	DFID, Director of Strategy
2016 to 2017	DFID, Head, Migration and Modern Slavery Department
2015 to 2016	Home Office, International Team Leader, Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme
2011 to 2015	Brussels, United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union, Counsellor for Development, Trade, Africa, Asia and The Americas
2008 to 2011	DFID Tanzania, Head of Office
2007 to 2008	DFID, Head, Information and Community Partnerships Department
2003 to 2007	DAI Consulting, Deputy Director for Governance Reform
2000 to 2002	Government of Bermuda, Senior Consultant
1998 to 2000	Cabinet Office, Performance and Innovation Unit (later the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit)

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 26 November 2022.

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food.

We strongly believe that this right, not a privilege, is inalienable for all people, for all countries along with the right to life and liberty. Every country must be reliably protected from famine.

At the same time, any state that provokes famine and tries to make access to food a privilege must face the toughest reaction from the world.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the world market has received 10 million tonnes of agricultural products less than in the same period last year. This means that the food security of millions of people around the world is seriously threatened.

These are just the initial consequences of the Russian blockade of the Ukrainian ports and Russia’s attempts to use missile strikes to prevent Ukraine from building new export logistics. Moscow’s actions deserve strong condemnation and must result in bringing those responsible to account.

However, even in such conditions, Ukraine in cooperation with international partners is actively engaged in search for ways to provide agricultural products to those in need. In particular, by supporting Somalia, Ethiopia, the Republic of the Sudan, Yemen, Kenya and Nigeria, and continuing grain exports to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the American continent.

Ukraine has always been and remains a reliable contributor to global food supplies and partner of the UN World Food Programme, supporting, in the spirit of global solidarity, efforts aimed at achieving food security and improved nutrition throughout the world.

Taking into consideration that approximately 70 million socially unprotected people, particularly from Africa and Asia, are at risk of hunger according to the UN statistics,

noting the fact of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which will cause food insecurity for millions of people around the world, with Africa suffering the most,

pointing out the deliberate months-long blockade of Ukraine’s ports by Russia, which has put hundreds of millions of people around the world on the verge of hunger, as well as Russia’s repeated attempts to block the Black Sea Grain Initiative to continue blackmailing the world with interrupting the food supplies to achieve its aggressive and revisionist aims, emphasizing the role of Ukraine as an essential guarantor to the global food security and the effective operation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has sent more than 10 million tonnes of grain worldwide, including the countries that were most affected by hunger,

We underscore the necessity to act persistently and in coordination to achieve the goals of the 2021 Food Systems Summit, as well as to respond to immediate humanitarian needs and build more resilient agriculture and food systems.

We recall the United Nations General Assembly resolution “State of Global Food Insecurity” adopted on 23 May 2022 that called on the international community to urgently support countries affected by the food security crisis through coordinated action.

We welcome the initiative of the Secretary-General to establish a Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy, and Finance; and call upon Member States and other relevant stakeholders to support the functioning of food, agriculture supply chains and keep trade channels and markets open for the deliveries of food.

We welcome the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, which have facilitated the export of over 17 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural goods since May by road, rail and through Black Sea and Danube ports. Together, the Solidarity Lanes and the Black Sea grain initiative have taken more than 28 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain, oilseeds and related products to world markets, including to the countries most in need. We welcome the further boosting of the Solidarity Lanes by the European Commission, working with partner Financial Institutions (the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Bank), which have mobilised EUR 1 billion of additional funding.

We condemn Russia’s aggression aimed at the destruction of the civil infrastructure of Ukraine and global food security.

We strongly urge the Russian Federation to stop its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and to restore its territorial integrity by fully withdrawing all military units from entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

We call for support of attempts of Ukraine, Türkiye, and the UN to prolong the Black Sea Grain Initiative and continue to provide food supplies for the countries that are most affected by hunger.

We welcome continuous joint efforts of the international community to prioritize global food security and to support multilateral efforts in finding acceptable solutions to the crisis.

With this aim, today we support the initiative of Ukraine and we are launching the Humanitarian Program “Grain from Ukraine” which will establish the framework to deliver Ukrainian food to the countries of Africa and Asia, which are most affected by hunger.

We set an ambitious and important goal for ourselves and invite other states and socially responsible businesses to support the implementation of this Humanitarian Program, particularly by financing the shipment of grain for the needs of Africa and Asia.

We are convinced that we will jointly overcome the grave humanitarian and economic consequences of the global food crisis caused by Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 December 2022.

The United Kingdom is contributing an additional £4.5 million to sustain the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh, lifting its funding from the start of the crisis in August 2017 to a total of £345 million. This additional support to WFP (£3m) and UNICEF (£1.5m) will provide food, water, sanitation, and child protection to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.

British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said

“The UK remains committed to supporting Rohingya refugees and their host communities in Bangladesh. This new UK assistance will provide vital food, water, sanitation, and protection to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.

“The UK continues to push for a long-term solution that will enable the Rohingya to return to Myanmar on a safe, voluntary and dignified basis, when the conditions there allow. We will continue to provide support to the Rohingya whilst they remain in Bangladesh.”

This new UK support will provide

• Food assistance to 219,000 Rohingya refugees
• Water, sanitation and hygiene facilities for 46,000 Rohingya refugees
• 8,500 menstrual hygiene kits for Rohingya women and adolescent girls
• Protection support to 1,500 children and adolescents from the refugee camps and host communities

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 December 2022.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on Ukraine.

Thank you President and I thank the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs for her briefing.

President, I will be brief because we discussed Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine just three days ago.

During that meeting, we heard Under-Secretary-General Griffiths’ harrowing account of the horrific consequences of Russia’s war and his deep concerns about the impacts of systematic attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and civilian centres, particularly ahead of winter. We have just seen further OHCHR reporting on potential atrocities against civilians committed by Russia.

The irony, given the topic of this meeting, is that Russia is perpetrating this war with weapons sourced from Iran in violation of resolution 2231, and is almost certainly seeking to source weaponry from other UN sanctioned states like North Korea as its own stocks dwindle.

We note that despite the resounding calls in this Council again on Tuesday for a ceasefire, and for peace, meaningful dialogue and diplomacy, the Russian President on Wednesday doubled-down, confirming that the invasion would continue and that it would be protracted. He also reaffirmed the neo-imperialist nature of the campaign, claiming that unlike Peter the Great, he had made the Sea of Azov a Russian internal sea.

President, in the face of Russia’s relentless effort to seize Ukraine’s territory in breach of the UN Charter, and to dehumanise, kill and subjugate its people, Ukraine has no choice but to exercise its right to defend itself. If it does not, it would cease to exist. In a similar situation, all of us would do the same. And due to the deep determination to live, Ukraine is prevailing.

The UK is proud of the support it is providing to the Ukrainian people in the face of this aggression, be it defensive, humanitarian or assistance to rebuild critical infrastructure destroyed by Russian attacks.

President, Russia can end this suffering immediately by ceasing attacks against Ukraine, including critical national infrastructure and innocent civilians, and withdrawing all of its forces illegally present in Ukraine.

We welcome and support Ukraine’s initiative for a just and sustainable peace. We again join the international community in calling on Russia to similarly commit to meaningful dialogue and negotiations based on upholding Ukraine’s rights under international law and the UN Charter.

Thank you President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 December 2022.

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

Thank you President,

Let me begin by thanking all our briefers today and I welcome Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Lutundula to our meeting.

President, I will focus my intervention on the situation in eastern DRC, regional efforts, MONUSCO and sanctions.

President, the UK remains deeply concerned by the security situation in eastern DRC, in particular increased armed group violence. We strongly condemn the attack by M23 in Kishishe that killed 131 civilians, as confirmed by the UN Joint Human Rights Office and MONUSCO.

We take note of M23’s statement indicating their willingness to withdraw from their current positions. We call on them to do so immediately and to uphold the Luanda ceasefire.

We also urge the Government, with the support of MONUSCO, to use all necessary measures, to prevent further M23 advances, including towards Goma.

The humanitarian toll of this violence has been devastating, and in this regard, we urge all actors to ensure assistance reaches affected people, including the 1.29 million newly displaced this year.

President, the UK reiterates our full support for the Nairobi and Luanda political processes. We are delighted to announce UK funding to support the East African Community led Nairobi Process.

We encourage continued dialogue through this and for Congolese armed groups to participate in the Nairobi process. We welcome the recently agreed ceasefire in Luanda and urge all parties to uphold their commitments to ensure peace prevails.

All support to armed groups must stop, including external support to M23. We call on countries in the region to use all means available to them to urge an immediate ceasefire of hostilities and immediate resumption of consultations on concrete steps to deescalate current tensions.

President, I welcome the information shared by EAC Secretary-General Mathuki today. Both the EAC Force and DRC Armed Forces must substantively engage with MONUSCO on de-confliction of operations to ensure the protection of civilians, as well as the safety and security of peacekeepers and the effective implementation of MONUSCO’s mandate.

The UK fully supports the work of MONUSCO and commends the Mission, and SRSG Keita, for their continued efforts in increasingly challenging circumstances.

We remain deeply concerned by the widespread anti-MONUSCO sentiment in DRC, which undermines the mission’s ability to implement its mandate. We encourage the Government of DRC to engage in a structured dialogue with MONUSCO to clarify roles and responsibilities for a responsible, conditions-based drawdown of MONUSCO.

Let me conclude by welcoming the cooperation extended by the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda to the DRC Sanctions Committee during its recent visit to the region. It is regrettable that Russia has blocked the SRSG for Sexual Violence in Conflict from briefing the DRC Sanctions Committee, particularly given that this a significant problem in the DRC and one that the Government is committed to working with the international community to tackle.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 December 2022.

At the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Washington DC, the United Kingdom delegation emphasised the need for the global community to continue fighting illicit finance and corruption.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 December 2022.

The Foreign Secretary has claimed ‘sordid deals’ between Russia and Iran are threatening global security, following the release of information by the US today showing Iran has become one of Russia’s top military backers.

The US have today released information laying bare the extent of Iran’s military support to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, including the provision of hundreds of drones used to kill Ukrainian civilians.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Iran is now one of Russia’s top military backers. Their sordid deals have seen the Iranian regime send hundreds of drones to Moscow, which have been used to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill civilians.

In return, Russia is offering military and technical support to the Iranian regime, which will increase the risk it poses to our partners in the Middle East and to international security. The UK will continue to expose this desperate alliance and hold both countries to account.

The UK agrees with the US assessment that Iranian support for the Russian military will grow in the coming months as Russia attempts to obtain more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles.

The UK is concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with more advanced military components, allowing the regime to strengthen their weapons capability, further increasing the risk to both regional and international security.

On the 19 October the UK, together with the US and France, raised this issue with the UN Security Council and supports Ukraine’s request for a UN investigation into the Iranian transfers, which are in violation of Security Council resolution 2231.  We will continue to hold both countries to account for this deplorable activity.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 December 2022.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the adoption of the Security Council Resolution on crosscutting humanitarian exceptions to UN asset freezes.