Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 October 2022.

Ambassador Bush commends efforts by OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly, and stresses that parliamentarians play a crucial role in ensuring sustained support for Ukraine.

Madam President, thank you for your address and welcome back to the Permanent Council.

It was a great honour for the United Kingdom to host the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Annual Session this year. I was proud to join Professor Ibrahim and Dr Elliott on the panel for preventing and prosecuting war crimes, and speak to the UK’s support for the Murad Code. I look forward to continued engagement on this important initiative, which will help to ensure justice for survivors of sexual violence.

I also congratulate you and OSCE parliamentarians on the successful adoption of the Birmingham Declaration, which was approved with overwhelming support. We strongly endorse the Declaration’s core tenet – that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, facilitated by the Belarusian regime, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamentals of international law, as well as a severe breach of the OSCE’s commitments and principles. It jeopardizes the security architecture of Europe and the whole OSCE region.

In response to my Russian colleague’s tired accusations on access in July, may I remind them that it is Russia’s actions alone that led to their exclusion.

Unfortunately, since the Annual Session we have seen the Kremlin’s war rage on. In the last few weeks alone we have witnessed Russian military attacks on both civilians and critical infrastructure in Kyiv and across Ukraine, with the intention of cutting off Ukrainian people from energy, heating, and water. Sham referenda have been cynically deployed to facilitate attempted illegal land grabs. And the Russian military’s bombing of Ukraine’s agricultural and transport infrastructure continues to exacerbate global food insecurity.

Not content with attacking another State, the Russian Government continues to inflict misery upon its own population. As the latest Moscow Mechanism report found, the Russian government continues to wage a systematic and repressive war against the freedoms of its own people. This has included cracking down on independent media and restricting civil society activities, all of which also serve to quell any internal dissent against its external aggression.

So what role should the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly play in all of this?

As you said, Madam President, during an interesting side event at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, the role of Civil Society Organisations is key in all OSCE participating States. You noted the importance of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly working with civil society organisations and that OSCE Parliamentarians should use their privileged positions wisely, to reach out to others and to influence beyond their own Parliaments.

We agree that parliamentarians have a crucial role to play in harnessing their considerable political leverage to ensure sustained support for Ukraine. This includes pursuing accountability for war crimes and pushing for humanitarian, economic and military assistance to Ukraine. It also includes forcefully defending OSCE principles in all available fora, and supporting diplomatic efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, with full respect for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. I would also like to thank the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and its members for their ongoing efforts in this regard.

Beyond the war, parliamentarians play a key role in continuing to support participating States to implement their OSCE principles and commitments. This includes defending human rights and democratic institutions, sharing knowledge and expertise on security challenges and military transparency, and performing the necessary checks and balances to hold our executives to account. I welcome the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s vital work in these areas.

In conclusion – and ahead of your Autumn Meeting in Warsaw next month – the UK offers its full support to you and the Parliamentary Assembly and we look forward to continued co-operation and collaboration in 2023 and beyond.

 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 October 2022.

Ambassador Bush marks eight months since Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, which has caused immense suffering, destruction and loss.

Thank you Mr Chair. The start of this week marked eight months of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Eight months of suffering, destruction and loss, at the hands of Russian Forces and President Putin. Eight months of Russia’s failure to subjugate the Ukrainian people and their democracy. Eight months of Russian government lies and disinformation.

Just this weekend, the Russian government baselessly tried to claim that Ukraine was planning actions to escalate the conflict in Ukraine through the use of a dirty bomb. There is no reason to suggest that Ukraine would use such a device in its own territory, against its own people and Russia has provided no evidence to support its claims.

As Ukraine has reconfirmed in the last few days, it has no nuclear weapons, no dirty bombs and no plans to acquire any. The IAEA has unambiguously stated they have no proliferation concerns and as reiterated today, Ukraine has offered to open its sites for further inspection.

Russia has a history of making false claims to provide a pretext or cover for its own actions. Russia has demonstrated its disregard for global nuclear security through its illegal takeover of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, and Russia is the only State which has repeatedly raised the prospect of nuclear weapons use during the course of its illegal invasion.

The Russian government is hoping to distract and de-sensitise the world from what is really happening on the ground in Ukraine – the continued killing and injuring of Ukrainian civilians and the targeting of critical national infrastructure by the Russian military. An adviser to Ukraine’s energy minister has reported that as much as 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been seriously damaged, with approximately 1.5 million households left without electricity following more strikes on Saturday.

This is a concerted campaign by Russia to deplete Ukraine’s energy generating capabilities ahead of winter. Families are being forced to cook their evening meals on the side of the street, using open fires; hospitals are dependent on back-up generators, jeopadizing patient safety; parents worry how they will keep their children warm at night; police have even reported that many air raid sirens don’t have the electricity to warn of other potential airstrikes. The devastating impacts are being felt across all areas of civilian life – from education; to sanitation; to communications, through to the meeting of fundamental human needs such as warmth, food and clean water.

The Russian government and the Russian military are knowingly and systematically plunging millions into cold and darkness, weaponising energy in an attempt to crush the courage and strength of the Ukrainian people. Attacks disproportionately killing civilians, and destroying objects indispensable to the survival of civilians, are prohibited under international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes. It is barbaric.

In Kherson, the Russian government is attempting to forcibly remove and resettle Ukrainian citizens. Mr Chair – this is not an evacuation; it is deportation. Preparing for the oncoming Ukrainian counter-attack, we have heard credible reports of the looting of an entire city by Russian forces – including emergency service vehicles and medical equipment being taken to Crimea. Russian officials and senior military officers, installed to oversee the sham referenda and attempted illegal annexation are now fleeing, leaving newly mobilised and inexperienced Russian servicepersons to their fate.

President Putin is resorting to more cruel, brutal, deadly methods. But as we have seen time and time again in these past eight months, the resilience and strength of the Ukrainian people in the face of such adversity is truly admirable. They are not alone in this struggle. The UK, with our partners, will continue to support Ukraine militarily, financially, with humanitarian assistance and through sanctions, to ensure they can protect their people, defend their country and restore territorial integrity and sovereignty to the whole of Ukraine.

As we approach winter, the unity of the international community, the outrage at Russia’s continued disdain for human life and the standing up for international rules, laws and principles must not and will not fade away. Ukraine is not only defending its right to exist as a sovereign and democratic country; Ukraine is defending the right of all peoples of all States to live in freedom, without fear of aggression from authoritarian regimes. We have so much gratitude. We stand by you now and for as long as it takes.

The press release issued by 26 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

Thank you Mr President and I thank the USG for Legal Affairs for his briefing.

This meeting represents another attempt by Russia to distract from its crimes in Ukraine and Iran and Russia’s failure to abide by their international obligations.

Russia and Iran have been caught red-handed violating resolution 2231.

Russia is now concocting an argument about process because they cannot defend their actions. We have seen them do this many times before. It is sad that this is now standard procedure for them.

Based on the evidence provided by Ukraine and significant amounts of open source reporting, our view is clear: Iran has supplied UAVs to Russia with which Russia is targeting Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure and these UAVs fall under the list in Annex B paragraph 4 of UNSCR 2231.

Given no prior approval was sought or granted by the Security Council, these transfers represent violations of resolution 2231.

Unlike Russia, we are happy for our position to be verified. We have therefore expressed support for an impartial, expert investigation by the UN Secretariat, in line with its mandate under resolution 2231, so the facts can be clearly established.

As Council members are aware and as others have made clear already today, the UN 2231 Secretariat has conducted many such investigations, most recently in UAE and Saudi Arabia. So this is entirely in line with precedent and normal practice.

Russia’s claim we are trying to unduly influence the Secretariat is both absurd and hypocritical. It is Russia, in trying to sustain its disinformation which first attacked the Secretary-General and now the whole Secretariat, just for doing their jobs.

And it is Russia that has threatened to end all cooperation with the UN if the Secretariat does not do as Russia wants.

That is not the behaviour of a country with nothing to hide. It is the behaviour of a bully.

Colleagues, what is Russia trying to do here today?

Russia is trying to make the UN’s ability to monitor implementation of a key non-proliferation resolution subject to a new lock in the Security Council in which Russia itself has a veto.

Russia is again trying to abuse its seat on the Council to shield itself from international scrutiny.

Further open source reporting suggests that Iran intends to transfer yet more UAVs and, potentially, ballistic missiles to Russia. Any such transfers of items could constitute further violations of resolution 2231 and represent a significant escalation.

In using Iranian drones to attack civilians, as part of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia is violating the UN Charter, a Security Council resolution and may be committing war crimes. That is quite the hat-trick. These increasingly desperate attempts to distract us from these facts and undermine the system must be rejected.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council session on the Great Lakes.

Thank you President, and I thank Special Envoy Xia for his briefing today, and welcome the participation of countries of the region in this meeting.

President, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by the security situation in the Great Lakes region, in particular the resurgence of violence by M23 in the last week. We call for immediate cessation of violence and the withdrawal of M23 from their current positions. All parties must respect national sovereignty and uphold the principle of territorial integrity.

We call upon countries in the region, with the support of the Special Envoy, to continue to work in close coordination with the Government of the DRC and MONUSCO to bring lasting peace to the country.

President, we have said many times that political and diplomatic efforts should have primacy over a military solution. Humanitarian considerations should also have equal priority. Military action alone will not bring peace to the Great Lakes. So we encourage the resumption of the Nairobi and Luanda processes. The UN, including through the offices of the Special Envoy, should actively support these efforts and ensure coordination with existing efforts, such as the DRC’s P-DDRCS process.

President, any military action in Eastern DRC requires careful planning, coordination with MONUSCO, adherence with international law and a clear exit plan. The EAC Force and DRC Armed Forces must substantively engage with MONUSCO on de-confliction of forces, to ensure, primarily, the protection of civilians. We trust Special Envoy Xia will support this coordination.

The United Kingdom remains concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region. The DRC is suffering from the world’s largest food security emergency, with 26 million people in crisis levels of food insecurity. Recent violence is adding to the 5.9 million people already displaced in the DRC. Access to those that need relief is severely limited. Coordination between military and humanitarian operations is vital and we call on all parties to facilitate humanitarian access.

In conclusion, President, we call upon countries in the region to intensify efforts to improve their regional cooperation, address shared security challenges via political and diplomatic means, improve humanitarian access, and bring an end to the violence. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 October 2022.

Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political Coordinator at the UN, at the UN Security Council briefing on chemical weapons in Syria.

Thank you President, and thank you to the High Representative.

There may be one thing that I can agree with my Russian colleague on; that sadly, we heard today no significant new developments in the briefing from the UN. We again heard instead a long list of areas where the Syrian regime continues to refuse to provide adequate information to the OPCW or to complete basic actions in accordance with its international obligations.

But this does not mean we should simply turn a blind eye and give the Syrian regime a free pass.

Syria’s refusal to cooperate with the OPCW, to address the outstanding issues with its Chemical Weapons Convention declaration, is inexcusable.

As we have said many times, the 20 outstanding issues are not academic – they include the whereabouts of several hundred tonnes of chemical warfare agents, whose destruction still cannot be verified.

And the history is not in doubt, with at least 8 chemical weapon attacks already independently attributed to the Assad regime against its own people.

Syria and Russia have long used deceit and disinformation in an attempt to deflect attention from appalling war crimes committed by the Assad regime.

Despite all this two things are clear. First, Syria’s non-compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention poses a genuine and ongoing threat to international peace and security.

And second, there must be accountability for the Assad regime’s historic use of chemical weapons.

This Council must continue to address these issues despite Syrian and Russian efforts to obstruct progress.

We cannot send the signal that we tolerate the use of Chemical weapons, and we cannot allow impunity.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria.

Thank you President, and let me thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Ms Ghelani for their briefing today. I’d like to make three points.

First, the United Kingdom supports the efforts of Special Envoy Pedersen to progress the implementation of 2254 through the Step for Step initiative. We welcome the news of his recent discussions in New York, Damascus and elsewhere. But Russian and regime intransigence continues to preclude progress and we call for their participation in good faith. We urge them to de-politicise the Constitutional Committee. We are clear that the Committee should reconvene in Geneva, as agreed, and begin to focus fully on substance rather than process.

Second, the United Kingdom is appalled by the human rights situation in Syria. Tens of thousands of Syrians have been forcibly disappeared, detained and tortured since the beginning of the conflict. Including in the notorious Sednaya prison, where as civil society have told us repeatedly, detainees are tortured and killed on a daily basis.

We strongly condemn these violations. We call for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2254, which includes release of the arbitrarily detained along with a nationwide ceasefire; unhindered aid access; conditions for safe voluntary and dignified refugee return and free and fair elections pursuant to a new constitution.

The UK is closely monitoring the escalation of hostilities in north west Syria. It is essential that all parties to the conflict respect the ceasefire.

Finally, President, as we’ve heard, the spreading cholera outbreak highlights the frankly horrifying humanitarian context, and the need for a sustained response by the humanitarian community. The United Nations is stepping up its cross-line delivery where possible.

But cross-border remains a vital lifeline for many in the north west. We look forward to this Council renewing the cross-border mandate in January, ensuring aid for millions of Syrians during winter months.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 October 2022.

The UK’s Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, commends the trade commitments made by Barbados and highlights the importance of UK-Barbados bilateral relations.

Chair, let me warmly welcome the Barbados delegation, led by the Minister of State the Honourable Sandra Husbands to their 4th Trade Policy Review. We are grateful to the Government of Barbados and to the WTO Secretariat for their Reports, and to our most distinguished Chair and Discussant, the Ambassador of Maldives, for kindly facilitating this Review with their insights.

Barbados’s Trade Policy Review (TPR) Report and its own policy statement describe a relatively small and open economy, vulnerable to exogenous shocks and facing economic challenges with a large current account deficit and public debt, but committed to an open trade policy as a key plank of its economic strategy. We commend that commitment to trade as a driver for sustainable growth. In our Advance Written Questions, the UK was keen to understand developments in areas including customs administration, tariffs, intellectual property, the harmonisation of standards, and the manufacturing sector. We thank Barbados for their helpful responses.

The dramatic effects of climate change, and damage wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, are recurrent features in TPRs at the moment. We are particularly cognisant of the disproportionate impact felt by Small Island Developing States and other small and vulnerable economies. Let me pay tribute to Barbados for its efforts to champion these perspectives at the WTO, as they have also done so effectively elsewhere, including in the Commonwealth and at COP26 in Glasgow.

Turning to Barbados’s trade profile, the UK agrees wholeheartedly with the Government’s own assessment that growth and development are predicated on an openness to the global community, in which free trade plays an integral part. We were pleased to note Barbados’s commitments in its policy statement to liberalised international trade and its aversion to trade barriers, despite the additional economic stresses caused by a global pandemic, the volcanic eruption, and significant climate events.

Additionally, prudent fiscal solutions implemented since 2018 (such as the BERT Plan) have demonstrated the effectiveness of responses by the Barbadian Government. The fall in Barbados’s current account deficit from over 9% of GDP in 2014 to under 3% in 2019 illustrates the impressive effectiveness of Barbados’ fiscal consolidation path response.

We also note the concerted strategic efforts made by Barbados to increase linkages with African continental markets and the Middle East. These demonstrate Barbados’s commitment to diversifying its economy and to targeting opportunities for export-driven growth.

Chair, the threat of climate change to livelihoods and prosperity throughout the world – (which we were discussing here just yesterday in our agriculture retreat) – obliges us all to put the environment at the heart of our economic policies. So we commend Barbados’s National Energy Policy target to reach 100% renewable energy and carbon neutrality by 2030. We appreciated the clarifications within the Secretariat Report regarding both demand and supply-side solutions. The outlined two-pronged attack – of increasing the adoption of energy efficient technologies and promoting energy conservation, and diversifying sources of energy, respectively – suggests a reassuringly holistic strategy.

Let me pay tribute to the leadership role that Barbados plays, not only in this organisation, but across multilateral Geneva. In particular, let me reiterate our pleasure that Barbados ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) back in January 2018 and encourage Barbados’s ongoing progress in implementing the TFA. We note, as Barbados and others have acknowledged, that Barbados has various outstanding WTO notifications. We welcome the assurance that the Minister gave this morning. We are sympathetic and receptive to Members’ individual pressures and we encourage Barbados and other Members in similar circumstances to consult with the WTO Secretariat and to utilise the resources already available. Notifications are a vital WTO transparency component, and their value is highly regarded both across the Membership and outside this organization. We want to make these tools workable and useful for delegations like Barbados, and effective for the Membership as a whole.

Finally, let me underline the healthy state of the long-standing and deep-rooted bilateral relationship between our two countries. At the economic heart of that modern relationship lies the UK-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in January 2021, ensuring continuity from the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. The first meeting of that agreement’s Trade & Development Committee took place in October last year. The meeting was an opportunity for parties to provide updates on relevant trade policy developments in the United Kingdom and in the Caribbean region, and to reaffirm their desire for a prompt ratification of the EPA by all parties.

The United Kingdom and CARIFORUM States discussed matters of joint interest including tariff liberalisation, trade in Goods & Services, and Geographical Indications. The parties noted with satisfaction that the EPA had secured continuity of a trading relationship worth almost three billion pounds in 2020 and expressed their desire to develop further sustainable and inclusive trade underpinned by the EPA.

And so, to conclude, Chair, we wish Barbados well in building on its trade-centred growth and development path as it recovers from the pandemic and confronts the challenges of climate change, and we thank our colleagues in Barbados for their engagement in this important transparency exercise. Let this be a successful and fruitful 4th Trade Policy Review.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 October 2022.

Statement from Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Libya.

Thank you President, and let me thank SRSG Bathily for his inaugural briefing to the Council, and congratulate him on taking up his appointment. SRSG Bathily – you have the full support of the United Kingdom in the implementation of your mandate. I also welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Libya in our meeting today.

President, it is regrettable that Libya’s political elite have made no further progress to agree a basis on which to hold free, fair and inclusive parliamentary and presidential elections. I therefore welcome SRSG Bathily’s efforts to engage with all Libyan parties across the country, including civil society, women, and youth groups.

As a Council we should now urge all Libyan parties, in particular Libya’s political leaders, to work constructively with SRSG Bathily, and agree a roadmap to elections as soon as possible. This is in the interest of all the Libyan people.

President, I would also like to highlight two areas that are undermining prospects for free, fair and inclusive elections. First, the UK is deeply concerned by reports of increased restrictions on, and a deteriorating operating space for, civil society in Libya. As well as administrative impediments, civil society organisations reportedly face an escalation in the level and frequency of scrutiny of their operations.

A vibrant civil society is critical for the holding of free, fair, and inclusive elections. It is an essential component of a functioning democracy, leading to greater stability and prosperity. So we urge all Libyan authorities to ensure a safe, secure and unhindered operating environment for civil society.

Second, President, we call on all Libyan parties to protect the neutrality, integrity and reunification of public institutions so as to ensure that Libya’s wealth is used for the good of all citizens. Reports of the misuse of public funds, set out in the recent Audit Bureau’s report, damage the credibility of Libya’s institutions. These institutions must be supported to serve the whole of Libya and all Libyan people.

Finally, President, I would like to thank Council members for their constructive engagement in negotiations to renew UNSMIL’s mandate for a year. We look forward to the resolution’s adoption later this week. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 October 2022.

Statement by Colonel Carl Harris, UK Military Advisor to the UN, at the High-level Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Leadership Dialogue.

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to address today’s meeting. I would like to pay thanks to our fellow co-hosts, especially the German Mission for hosting us here, and to our esteemed panel of experts for joining us today.

The United Kingdom firmly believes that the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and humanitarian processes is crucial to effectiveness. Women’s participation in decision-making, peace operations and humanitarian interventions is not only a moral imperative, but it also improves the quality of policymaking and interventions. That is why peacekeeping, humanitarian action and women’s leadership are central to the UK’s new National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security.

Driven by this belief, we have consistently supported the UN’s Senior Women Talent Pipeline and the Elsie Initiative to improve the gender balance in UN Peace Operations. We are proud to have committed $7.4mil to Elsie since its inception.

Women’s involvement in peace processes and political transitions is also an imperative for lasting peace. It is vital for UN peace operations to support women’s participation in such contexts: such as in Mali’s political transition and ongoing peace agreement implementation, and in the DRC through the Nairobi process and the government’s new DDR process.

In humanitarian crises, the UK works closely with our partners to support women’s leadership on the frontline of responses. Women’s meaningful participation and leadership in humanitarian action not only improves outcomes for women and girls, but also strengthens the impact of the entire humanitarian response.

But endemic violence against women and rollbacks on gender equality are major barriers. We see this in contexts around the world, but it is particularly the case in Afghanistan today. We must continue to press the Taliban to ensure women’s full inclusion and promote their rights, including to education.

The benefits of women’s participation are clear. So let’s act to build more effective humanitarian interventions and stronger, more resilient peace process, with women involved at every stage. I look forward to today’s discussion and hearing from our panel. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 October 2022.

We, the Foreign Ministers of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, reiterate our steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression. We remain committed to continue supporting Ukraine’s efforts to defend its territory for as long as it takes.

Earlier today, the defence ministers of each of our countries spoke to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu at his request. Our countries made clear that we all reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory. The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation. We further reject any pretext for escalation by Russia.

The Foreign Ministers also discussed their shared determination to continue supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance in the face of President Putin’s brutal war of aggression.