Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council meeting on Iraq.

Thank you Mr. President, and let me start by commending the tireless efforts of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq and of the Special Representative in difficult circumstances.

We’d like to make four points today.

First, the UK offers our deepest condolences for the deaths and casualties caused by the violence in the International Zone in Baghdad on the 29th and 30th of August. As the Special Representative said, the country stood on the brink of chaos. We cannot allow violence to destabilise the political process.

We urge Iraq’s leaders to work together urgently in the coming weeks to find a peaceful, inclusive solution to the political crisis. The political impasse has gone on too long. This will enable Iraq to address and tackle the considerable challenges faced by its people, from ensuring the country’s long term security, to tackling climate change, delivering urgent economic reform, and reconstructing the areas of the country liberated from the control of Da’esh.

Second, the UK condemns in the strongest terms Iran’s indiscriminate missile attack on Kurdish towns on the 28th of September, which led to the loss of innocent lives and damaged civilian infrastructure. These attacks are a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and are wholly unacceptable. They demonstrate a repeated pattern of destabilising activity in the region by Iran. We stand with the Kurdistan Regional Government in condemning these attacks and continue to support the security of Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.

Third, we need to manage carefully the humanitarian risks. We welcome the efforts by the FAO and the WFP to support food production and sustainable resource management. We urge regional neighbours to engage with the government of Iraq on water shortages. The UK is also working with UNDP to support the government of Iraq in dealing with the worst effects of climate change, including providing support on the governance of water resources.

Finally, we welcome the Special Representative’s update on missing Kuwaiti and third country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property. We note the progress made on the identification of burial sites, including in Najaf, and we urge continued progress on this file.

Mr President, the fundamental point is this: As the Special Representative has said, Iraq’s political leaders must step up their efforts to resolve the current impasse and begin delivering for the Iraqi people. And as a Council, we must be united in encouraging progress on this.

Thank you.

 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister for Asia said:

The UK condemns North Korea’s launch of an Intermediate-range ballistic missile on 3 October and calls on the regime to immediately stop all activity that violates UN Security Council Resolutions.

This is the first ballistic missile since 2017 that has been launched over Japan and demonstrates North Korea’s reckless actions. The UK stands alongside our allies and partners as we confront the growing threat North Korea poses to regional and international security.  Once again North Korea shows no regard for its international obligations.

We urge the DPRK regime to put the well-being of its own people ahead of the illegal pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

The UK Permanent Representative to the UK in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement on the High Commissioner’s Oral Update on Ukraine.

Thank you Mr President.

Thank you Director for your admirably objective update.

Two weeks ago the Commission of Inquiry confirmed that war crimes have indeed been committed in Ukraine, days after the liberation of areas in Kharkiv oblast revealed yet more Russian atrocities.

Last week, President Putin purported to annex four regions of Ukraine – a blatant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and of international law – and then used Russia’s veto to try to avoid the scorn of the Security Council.

Today, you have made clear the horrors and the scope of Putin’s violations of human rights law and international law in the course of his war of aggression.

Hospitals, schools, places of worship destroyed. Millions denied their basic rights to health, education and religion or belief.

Sexual violence and rape, including of children. Civilians shot dead in the street trying to gather fuel, food or medicine.

There are apparently no limits to Putin’s disregard for International Law, or to the Ukrainian people’s unspeakable suffering. And in Russia, those enough to protest the war and mobilisation face arrest and abuse in detention. Aggression abroad, repression at home.

There is one simple way to end the suffering in Ukraine. President Putin: bring your troops home. End the war. Respect the law.

Director,

Faced with Russia’s continued flouting of international law, how can the OHCHR minimise the devastating impact on ordinary people.

 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

• Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex, accompanied by FCDO Minister of State, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI), visits a ground-breaking foundation for survivors run by Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege
• this is the first visit by a member of the Royal family to DRC
• the visit comes ahead of a major global conference on PSVI being hosted in London in November by the UK government, which Her Royal Highness will attend

The Countess of Wessex is visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), accompanied by Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Minister of State Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, to raise awareness of the urgent need to tackle sexual violence in conflict in the DRC and around the world.

For Her Royal Highness, the visit is part of a long-standing commitment to championing this issue.

Lord Ahmad as the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative for PSVI, joined her on the visit to gain a deeper and practical insight into DRC’s experiences of tackling conflict-related sexual violence, and identify lessons learned to share at a global PSVI Conference in the UK next month.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr Denis Mukwege welcomed them to his groundbreaking foundation in Bukavu. The Panzi Foundation has transformed the lives of thousands of women who have suffered sexual violence in the armed conflict and violence in DRC. The Foundation provides medical care, legal assistance, psychological support and economic programmes to offer a holistic model of care for survivors of these horrific crimes.

The Countess of Wessex and Lord Ahmad saw first-hand the difference the Panzi Foundation has made to women’s lives during the first ever visit by a member of the Royal family to DRC.

The UK will host a major international conference in London in November, marking 10 years since the launch of PSVI, an initiative which Lord Ahmad now leads. The conference will bring together the UK and its partners around the world to review progress made in the last decade, identify shared challenges and agree further action.

Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

Sexual violence in conflict continues to shatter lives and scar communities around the world. Tackling it is a top priority for the UK and we will continue to work with our partners to provide better support for survivors, bring perpetrators to justice and encourage partners to share new ideas and experiences of tackling sexual violence in conflict at the conference in November.

Since 2012, we have committed over £50 million to support projects around the world that help prevent conflict-related sexual violence, including in the DRC. This includes providing £2.7 million to the Global Survivors Fund, whose projects in the DRC have supported over 1,000 survivors.

Dr Mukwege, Founder of the Panzi Hospital and Foundation, and President of the Global Survivors Fund, said:

My staff and I are grateful for the visit of Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex and Lord Tariq Ahmad. Too often, the world turns a blind eye towards the suffering of survivors, especially here in DRC. Their visit will highlight the ongoing critical work to end conflict-related sexual violence, both in this country and around the globe.

During the visit to eastern DRC, The Countess of Wessex and Lord Ahmad met with survivors of sexual violence, and civil society organisations in Bukavu to gain an understanding of the challenges they face.

In Kinshasa, Her Royal Highness and Lord Ahmad will also meet President Felix Tshisekedi and First Lady Denise Tshisekedi, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula, and other Ministers, for discussions on sexual violence in conflict, the UK’s international conference, and other important issues such as climate change.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

The UK delivered a statement on the Item 9 General Debate on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance – outlining our Inclusive Britain strategy.

Thank you, Mr President.

Let me be clear – racism is abhorrent and has no place in our societies. We can only effectively combat it by working together. Everyone must be able to live their lives free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance.

In my country we are aiming to do this through our landmark Inclusive Britain strategy, which sets out steps towards tackling racial and ethnic disparities that persist.

This includes taking forward the right legislation, regulation, and putting education in place to ensure fair treatment for all, and by clamping down on racist abuse online through our Online Safety Bill.

We have specific programmes to tackle hate crime, including the Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks programme, a free programme that assists victims of anti-Muslim hatred through legal signposting, advocacy and counselling services.

We are also supporting our Community Security Trust, a charity working to protect British Jews from racism and antisemitism by offering free courses on personal safety to university students, youth workers and religious leaders.

Internationally, we are proud to have joined many of you at the General Assembly last month to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Declaration on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities.

We are fully committed to continue tackling the scourge of racism that continues to affect all regions of the world.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

The International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 today issued the following joint statement:

October 4, 2022, marks 1,000 days since the unlawful downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752) by Iran that resulted in the deaths of 176 innocent civilians.

We, Ministers representing Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, stand with the grieving families on this solemn occasion and honour the memories of the victims killed on board Flight PS752. We renew our demand that Iran fulfills its international legal obligations and ensures transparency and justice for its actions.

As we continue to advance our efforts to hold Iran accountable in accordance with international law, the Coordination Group is thankful for the contribution of four highly recognized legal experts: Professor Payam Akhavan, Professor Harold Hongju Koh, Ms. Jessica Wells and Sir Michael Wood.

They have brought their extensive expertise to our legal teams, who continue their diligent work in response to Iran’s unlawful and egregious downing of Flight PS752.

We continue to stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of the victims of the downing of Flight PS752.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 October 2022.

Statement to the 101st Session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons by Her Excellency Joanna Roper, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Mr Chair, Director-General, Colleagues,

The Executive Council of the OPCW was created in order to promote the effective implementation of, and compliance with, the Chemical Weapons Convention. The United Kingdom takes that responsibility seriously.

As Council members we are obliged to ensure that the Organisation has an adequate budget. We are mindful that the world faces economic headwinds following the global pandemic and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Many national budgets are under pressure. Looking ahead the OPCW must continue to exercise budgetary restraint. That said, the United Kingdom supports the proposed budget revision for 2023. It puts to good use the 2020 cash surplus, which arose primarily due to late contributions from States Parties. We urge all OPCW members to pay their Assessed Contributions on time and in full.

We must continue to respond to evolving circumstances. It is high time for the Council to move forward with sensible measures, such as those proposed on business continuity and appointing the External Auditor.

In a similar vein, the Review Conference process enables us to take stock of implementation of the Convention. We welcome the constructive discussions in the Open-Ended Working Group and look forward to the next six months to come.

Like other states, we are planning to provide national papers and look forward to further discussions on practical proposals to strengthen implementation of the Convention. Hearing from industry and civil society will be of great value, particularly in relation to future activities at the Centre for Chemistry and Technology. We also have much to learn from others about enhancing diversity and gender equality. Mainstreaming gender considerations is key to delivering successfully. A diverse Technical Secretariat that represents the world it serves and attracts the best talent from all backgrounds is a stronger Secretariat.

Mr Chair, the central responsibility we share on this Council is to challenge all uses of chemical weapons. If we do not respond we are not promoting compliance with the Convention. The Syrian regime has been found responsible for eight uses of chemical weapons and the Council acted. It is very straightforward. Syria has used chemical weapons before and still refuses to acknowledge this fact.

We remain concerned about the future too. Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons programme is incomplete. It is obstructing the Technical Secretariat in its efforts to deliver on the instructions of OPCW States Parties. If Syria had nothing to hide they would not behave in this way. We cannot and will not ignore this. The Syrian chemical weapons programme should remain a top priority for this Council until it comes into compliance with its legal obligations.

A member of this Council, the Russian Federation, used chemical weapons on the streets of my own country, and then again on Russian territory. Russia must account for the poisoning of Alexey Navalny in 2020 and answer the questions posted by 45 States Parties under Article IX of the Convention.

Russia must stop spreading disinformation about this Organisation and making baseless allegations against other States Parties. We continue to watch very closely for any signs of chemical weapons use by Russia during its ongoing brutal war in Ukraine. Any use would have grave consequences.

Thank you Mr Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 October 2022.

The Foreign Secretary instructed the FCDO to summon Mehdi Hosseini Matin, Iran’s most senior diplomat in the UK, over the Iranian authorities’ violent crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The violence levelled at protestors in Iran by the security forces is truly shocking.

Today we have made our view clear to the Iranian authorities – instead of blaming external actors for the unrest, they should take responsibility for their actions and listen to the concerns of their people.

We will continue to work with our partners to hold the Iranian authorities to account for their flagrant human rights violations.

Vijay Rangarajan, Director General for the Middle East, held the meeting with Matin and reiterated the UK’s call for a full and transparent investigation into death of Mahsa Amini.

He urged the Iranian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly, exercise restraint and release unfairly detained protesters, and outlined the UK’s concern at reports of live ammunition being used at Sharif University.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 October 2022.

UK government statement on responsible space behaviours:

The UK has today, 3 October, announced that it commits not to destructively test direct ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missiles, as part of the UK’s enduring efforts to promote responsible space behaviours.

Space has a vital role for global prosperity, development and security. Space systems have become integrated into global infrastructure upon which modern life depends.

The destructive testing of DA-ASAT missiles can create dangerous space debris, which threatens the functioning of these systems and can put at risk those who explore space, as well as being potentially destabilising.

Given our increasing security and socio-economic reliance on space, we believe that destructive testing of direct ascent anti-satellite missiles can be conclusively regarded as irresponsible.

DA ASAT missile testing is one of a number of threats to space systems. Several countries already possess a broad range of counter-space capabilities that can threaten all segments of space systems – on the ground, in space and the signals between them.

The UK is leading the international debate at the United Nations to tackle space threats. A UK-sponsored resolution on 30 December 2021 (A/RES/76/231), established an open-ended working group (OEWG) make recommendations on norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours relating to threats by States to space systems. The UK is actively participating in the OEWG, which will conclude its work in August 2023.