Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 February 2026.

The Russian Ambassador was summoned for a meeting to revoke the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

An FCDO spokesperson said:

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified decision to expel a British diplomat last month and its baseless accusations against our staff.

“Summoning the Russian Ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

“It is deeply disappointing that Russia continually seeks to disrupt the work of the UK’s diplomatic missions and deter our support for Ukraine. Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.”

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 February 2026.

Foreign Secretary sets out how she is strengthening FCDO action to tackle illegal migration on her first visit to Africa in the role.

• Foreign Secretary says UK must increase international partnerships with source and transit countries to tackle the drivers of migration and accelerate returns
• follows changing patterns in small boat arrivals, with an increasing proportion of total arrivals across the Channel and across the Mediterranean coming from the Horn of Africa 
• new co-operation includes job creation partnerships backed by UK investment to tackle the economic drivers of illegal migration as well as stronger partnerships to tackle criminal smuggler gangs in the Horn of Africa, and speeding up returns
• modern partnerships are at the heart of the UK’s new Africa Approach, unlocking growth, investment, and opportunities on both sides  

The UK is deepening its partnerships across Africa to tackle the factors that drive people into the hands of smuggling gangs – following the Horn of Africa becoming a key source region for illegal migration towards the UK, with around 30% of small boat arrivals over the past 2 years being nationals from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.   

On her first visit to the continent as Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper will set out how she is strengthening FCDO action to tackle illegal migration – increasing prevention, law enforcement and returns along key routes. 

She will meet telecoms firm Safaricom, backed by a British consortium including including and British International Investment (BII). They are one of the UK-supported companies who are increasing opportunities for Ethiopians to find work at home, support themselves and contribute to their economy, rather than making the long and dangerous journey to seek a new life overseas.  

On her visit, the Foreign Secretary will put job creation at the heart of this effort – cutting off push factors driving people to migrate. She will sign a Joint Development Agreement to take forward 2 energy transmission projects totalling over $400 million developed by Gridworks – a British International Investment company that delivers UK investment across Africa. 

This will cement the UK’s position as one of Ethiopia’s most trusted economic partnerships, positioning the UK as a key partner on COP32 which will take place in Ethiopia in 2027, the same year that the UK chairs the G20. She will also sign a MoU with the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance on the Ethiopia Investment Advisory Facility II (EIAF2), the UK’s flagship economic partnership with Ethiopia.  

The Foreign Secretary will also set out the work that the UK is doing to strengthen cooperation with the Ethiopian authorities to tackle the brokers and criminal gangs organising illegal migration from the Horn of Africa into Europe and the UK, and to speed up the return of Ethiopian nationals with no right to stay in the UK.  

This partnership includes Border Security Command funding and support for Ethiopian law-enforcement agencies to help them carry out more effective investigations and improve information-sharing on criminal networks and their activities.     

As part of the visit the Foreign Secretary will also be discussing greater cooperation with the African Union along with African foreign ministers on conflict prevention and resolution across the region to prevent people being forced to leave their homes by war and persecution. 

The Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:    

We are forging new partnerships with countries across Africa and delivering long term solutions. We are working together to tackle the economic drivers of illegal migration and the criminal gangs who operate globally, profiting from trading in people.  

That includes new partnerships to improve trade and create thousands of good jobs in Ethiopia so people can find a better life back home instead of making perilous journeys

And it means new law enforcement cooperation between the Ethiopian authorities and the UK National Crime Agency to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks who exploit vulnerable people and put their lives at risk. This follows a rising trend of organised people smuggling from the Horn of Africa towards the UK.  

Criminal smuggler gangs operate across borders around the world – so we are working together with countries right along the transit routes. This cooperation in Africa follows new partnerships with countries like Iraq, the Balkan states and Europe.

The Foreign office is making international partnerships to tackle illegal migration a major priority because the partnerships we build abroad are crucial to making us stronger back at home.

In meetings with the Ethiopian Government, the Foreign Secretary discussed the important role which Ethiopia can play in resolving regional security challenges peacefully and diplomatically. 

With conflict in the Horn of Africa displacing millions of people, and acting as a further driver of illegal migration, the Foreign Secretary has emphasised throughout her visit that achieving regional stability and sustainable growth in the region is crucial to reduce migratory pressures from Africa into Europe.

The Government’s recently published Africa Approach sets out a vision for modern partnerships between the UK and a continent of growth, ambition, and opportunity. From trade and investment to security and stability, these partnerships are intended to build shared prosperity, back African leadership and create the conditions for business and growth on both sides.

Additional information

In Ethiopia, the Foreign Secretary will also announce:    

• £5 million of humanitarian funding to tackle violence against women and girls, particularly in conflict-affected areas. This will reach approximately 110,000 people
• £4 million funding for UNICEF for life saving assistance to 68,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition  
• £8 million funding towards ICRC’s annual appeal, ensuring access to clean water for 62,500 displaced people, increasing food production for 40,000 people, and supporting 4 medical centres, 5 hospitals, and 1 centre for violence against women and girls (VAWG) services

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2026.

Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on UNMHA.

We welcome the Council’s extension of UNMHA’s mandate for a final two-month period until 31 March 2026.

We look forward to the UN’s orderly and sustainable transition of UNMHA’s responsibilities and residual functions to the Office of the Special Envoy and we welcome the continued commitment of this Council to the Hodeidah and Stockholm Agreements.

I want to thank those UNMHA officials who have worked tirelessly as since 2019, especially in the face of continued Houthi restrictions which inhibited the Mission’s ability to fulfil its mandate.

The safety of UN personnel across Yemen remains of the upmost importance.

Once again, the UK condemns arbitrary detentions by the Houthis, and we reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained.

The UK remains steadfast in our support for the Special Envoy in fostering an intra-Yemeni peace process under UN auspices.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2026.

Delivered at Oman’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Vice President,

The UK recognises Oman’s progress on human rights issues since its last review, particularly efforts to combat human trafficking, including through the introduction of a new Anti-Trafficking Law. We also welcome Oman’s accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

However, we encourage continued action to ensure full equality for women and girls in law and in practice, in line with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

We urge Oman to continue enhancing the rights and protections afforded to migrant workers within its national legal framework.

We recommend Oman:

1. Fully implements its new anti-trafficking legislation;
2. Continues strengthening its domestic laws and policies to safeguard the rights and welfare of migrant workers.
3. Brings forward reforms which ensure gender equality is guaranteed in its nationality laws.

Thank you.

STORY

The UK Government has expressed deep concern after North Korea conducted another ballistic missile launch on 27 January 2026. In a statement released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), a spokesperson highlighted that the act serves as a direct violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The British government warned that such launches continue to destabilise peace and security across the Korean Peninsula. This latest provocation follows a series of similar tests by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) over recent months, which have consistently drawn international condemnation for threatening regional stability and the rules-based international system.

In its official response, the FCDO urged the North Korean leadership to cease further provocations and instead focus on the well-being of its citizens. The UK continues to call for the DPRK to engage in meaningful diplomacy and return to the negotiating table. British officials noted that they remain committed to working alongside international partners, including Japan and the Republic of Korea, to ensure a robust and collective response to the ongoing threat posed by the DPRK’s unlawful weapons development.

STORY

In a joint statement released on 27 January 2026, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States have called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions in North East Syria to avoid a “security vacuum” that could be exploited by the Islamic State (ISIS). The diplomatic intervention followed high-level meetings between UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Minister of State Serap Güler and US Special Envoy Tom Barrack.

The four nations welcomed the 15-day extension of the ceasefire between Syrian Government Forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on 24 January. International observers remain particularly concerned about the security of ISIS detention centres in the region, where thousands of detainees are currently held. To mitigate the risk of mass escapes during the volatility, the United States has begun an operation to transfer approximately 7,000 of the most “hardened” ISIS fighters from SDF-run prisons to detention facilities in Iraq.

The joint statement emphasised that a unified and sovereign Syrian state that protects the rights of all citizens remains the most effective path to long-term stability. This diplomatic push aligns with a new 14-point integration plan, which seeks to disband the SDF and merge its individual members into the Syrian national army and police forces. While the current ceasefire has allowed the first UN aid convoys to reach besieged areas like Kobani, the humanitarian situation remains critical, with over 173,000 people displaced by the recent offensive.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2026.

Joint statement by France, Germany, the UK and the USA, following a meeting with the French Foreign Minister, German Minister of State, UK Foreign Secretary and US Special Envoy.

Joint statement by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States following a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean Noël Barrot, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, German Minister of State Serap Güler, and US Special Envoy Tom Barrack:

We welcome the 15-day extension of the ceasefire between the Syrian Government Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces announced on 24 January. We call upon all parties to strictly adhere to the ceasefire and to exercise their utmost restraint. We urge all external parties to join us in pursuit of peace and de-escalation of violence.

We reiterate the obligation of all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. We welcome the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance. We emphasise that these corridors must be maintained, and basic services resumed in the city of Kobane.

We also welcome the vital role played by partners, including Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in addressing the challenges posed by ISIS.

We urge all parties to swiftly agree to a permanent ceasefire, and to resume as soon as possible negotiations aiming at the peaceful and sustainable integration of North-East Syria into a unitary and sovereign state that effectively respects and protects the rights of all its citizens, based on the 18 January 2026 agreement, as the most effective path to stability in Syria.

We reiterate the need to maintain and focus collective efforts on the fight against ISIS. We call upon all parties to avoid any security vacuum in and around ISIS detention centres. To address these concerns, we agreed to promptly convene a meeting of the International Coalition against ISIS.

We reaffirm our support for an inclusive political transition in Syria, which protects the rights of all Syrians, and emphasise that the stabilisation of North-East Syria through peaceful means constitutes a central priority for preventing a resurgence of terrorism and for regional security. We underline readiness to support and monitor, together with regional and international partners, the implementation of agreements between the parties which aim at a peaceful and sustainable integration of North-East Syria into a unitary, inclusive and sovereign state, effectively protecting the rights of all its citizens.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 January 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on International Rule of Law.

The United Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to the rule of law is a key part of our national story, beginning over 800 years ago when the Magna Carta was signed, guaranteeing rights to justice and a fair trial.

The rule of law remains fundamental to the international system. It is the bedrock of stable democratic societies and prosperous economies. 

As embodied in the UN Charter, it is key to the maintenance of international peace and security. We must never lose sight of why nations first came together in this forum, and the principles that continue to bind us together.

Respect for international law is fundamental to offering a better future to citizens from the Middle East, to Sudan, to Haiti, and beyond. And, of course, in Ukraine, which has been on the receiving end of an egregious breach of the UN Charter.

President, the UK stands firm in our support for the institutions which defend and advance the international rule of law. 

The International Court of Justice’s demanding workload is testament to its impartiality, independence, and legal rigour. 

We also remain steadfast in our support for the International Criminal Court and its vital work to end impunity for the gravest crimes.

The UK believes that international law delivers real benefits and helps us address contemporary global challenges. 

For example, the recent entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement marks a major milestone in safeguarding our shared marine environment.

As we speak, work towards a Convention on Crimes Against Humanity is underway, representing a significant opportunity to strengthen prevention and accountability. 

And progress on a draft Convention for the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters reflects the importance of legal frameworks that enhance preparedness and cooperation. 

These efforts show what is possible when states work collectively to build and refine the international legal order to address new and emerging challenges.

In this context, the UK was pleased to recently pledge additional voluntary contributions to a range of UN funds supporting participation in these initiatives and the rule of law.

These include the UN Programme of Assistance on international law, the operationalisation of the BBNJ Agreement, participation of developing States at the PPED negotiating conference, and the ICJ Judicial Fellowship.

President, the United Kingdom’s enduring commitment to the rule of law is unwavering, reflecting our firm commitment to peace, international cooperation, accountability, and to the UN Charter.