Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 September 2022, relating to a meeting in Geneva on 12 September 2022.

UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French delivered her statement on the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan.

Thank you, Madam Vice President.

Special Rapporteur,

Let me start by thanking you for your detailed and sobering update to this Council. It is a reminder to us all, on this first day of the fifty-first session of the Council, of how crucial your mandate is in providing a voice to millions of Afghans.

We share your grave concern about the, “staggering regression in women and girls’ enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights since the Taliban took power”. Indeed, in no other country have women and girls so rapidly disappeared from all spheres of public life, particularly secondary schools. We call on the Taliban to urgently reverse these policies and practices restricting the human rights of Afghan women and girls.

Special Rapporteur, we also welcome your efforts to shed light on the broader situation of human rights in Afghanistan. Religious and ethnic minorities continue to be targeted, including by terrorist groups. There are allegations of arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial killings at the hands of the Taliban. Media freedoms have been restricted and there are all too frequent reports of peaceful public dissent being violently repressed.

The UK remains committed to supporting the Afghan people. We urge the Taliban urgently to take steps to protect the rights of all Afghans. This includes ensuring inclusive dialogue, which truly reflects Afghan society.

Your role, Special Rapporteur, is vital to provide an independent voice for the Afghan people, including women and girls. We will do all we can to support you in your work and we encourage our fellow members of this Council to do the same.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 September 2022, relating to a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on 12 September 2022.

Thank you Mr President,

Let me warmly thank colleagues for this morning’s silence for Hr late Majesty Elizabeth the second.

The UK continues to condemn the military coup in Myanmar, the violence against the people of Myanmar, and the unlawful detention and execution of figures in the deposed civilian government and civil society by the military.

Security forces continue to commit atrocities throughout the country, with credible reports of torture, burning of villages, sexual violence, violence against children, and mass killings. 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine state, where they face systemic discrimination; are denied their citizenship rights and access to education and healthcare.

The UK will continue to apply pressure through international fora, targeted sanctions and other means to respond to the junta’s actions. We have also announced our intention to intervene in the ICJ case brought by The Gambia for Myanmar’s alleged breach of the Genocide Convention. We welcome the Mechanism’s cooperation with the Court.

The international community must support the IIMM to collect and preserve incidents of human rights violations. The UK has provided 500,000 pounds sterling of core funding, and established the Myanmar Witness programme.

Mr Koumjian,

What actions can the international community take to improve evidence gathering for alleged crimes relating to gender and children?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 September 2022. The speech had been made in Geneva, Switzerland on 12 September 2022.

Ambassador Simon Manley delivered his opening remarks in tribute of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and invited the Council to honour her memory in a minute’s silence.

Mr President,

Let me begin by thanking you and many of our colleagues here today in this hall for their words of condolence, tribute and support, in these last few difficult days for me and my country.

Mr President, this is a time of national mourning for the United Kingdom. Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second was, as I think we all know, a truly remarkable person, and an era has ended.

She was, if I may say, an internationalist before the word became fashionable.

And, throughout her long life of service to her country, the realms and the commonwealth, she visited more than 100 countries and touched the lives of countless people across the globe.

She was indeed my country’s greatest diplomat.

And in remembering her this morning, I wanted to quote some words from William Shakespeare from his play Henry the eighth which contains a prophecy by Archbishop Cranmer about the baby princess Elizabeth the first, in which he wrote;

She shall be, to the happiness of England,

An aged princess; many days shall see her.

And yet no day without a deed to crown it.

And indeed our late Majesty worked until the very last day of her life; devoted to the service of her people and her country.

If I may Mr President, I would like to ask you to join me in a minute’s silence in memory of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 September 2022.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly begins his first overseas trip in his new role today (Tuesday) – arriving at the United Nations in New York for high-level talks as part of the 77th UN General Assembly (UNGA).

During his trip, alongside the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary will meet his global counterparts to take action on a series of global challenges, including Russia’s malign activity and building stability in the Middle East.

Ahead of arriving in New York, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

We live in an increasingly unstable, divided world. As Foreign Secretary, I will work to bring countries together to tackle aggression, overcome challenges and promote our democratic values. We will judge others on actions not words.

Every day the devastating consequences of Russia’s barbaric tactics become clearer. There must be no impunity for Putin’s hostility.

His main event of the week will be a special UN Security Council session on Thursday focusing on the situation in Ukraine and ensuring that Russia does not get away with its actions unpunished. The Foreign Secretary will give the UK’s intervention at the meeting, exposing Russian aggression and tactics as they seek to justify their illegal war.

Cleverly is due to have his first bilateral meeting in his new role with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later today (Tuesday).

He is also due to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Canada’s Melanie Joly tomorrow (Wednesday) and Australia’s Penny Wong on Thursday.

On arrival in New York, he is due to attend a global food security event hosted by the United States, European Union and African Union as 50 million people worldwide face being just one-step away from famine.

Also this week, the Foreign Secretary will join partners, including fellow G7 Foreign Ministers, for an event on nuclear safety, as concerns around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine continue to grow.

Stability in the Middle East will be a recurring theme on the agenda in New York, with discussions set to take place on Yemen, Syria and the Gulf.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 September 2022.

• UK and Argentina will co-chair the 2022 Equal Rights Coalition conference from Buenos Aires today
• 42 member states and more than 140 civil society organisations will discuss the need to uphold human rights for LGBT persons
• Pre-conference report highlights the growing global “backlash” against LGBT rights and freedoms

The Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) will meet in Buenos Aires today (Thursday 8 September) to discuss joint action on urgent issues that LGBT people face globally.

The gathering comes at a pivotal moment as ERC member states have identified a growing global threat to the freedoms and human rights of LGBT persons. It will also provide the opportunity for governments and NGOs to share best practise.

The current ERC co-chairs, Argentina and the UK, will also present a report tracking progress of the ERC’s Strategy and Five-Year Implementation Plan, published in July 2021.

Germany and Mexico will take up their roles as new ERC co-chairs during the closing ceremony of the conference on Friday 9 September. The ERC will commit to strengthening engagement from ERC members and empowering greater representation from the Global South. Germany and Mexico will also be joined by civil society co-chairs and supported by a new Administrative Unit, funded by member states.

UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for LGBT Rights, Nick Herbert (Lord Herbert of South Downs) said:

The UK stands for freedom – and that means freedom for all. We’re proud of the Equal Rights Coalition’s work to defend these freedoms but more needs to be done, in every part of the world, to achieve our aims.

We look forward to supporting Germany and Mexico in their role as the next ERC co-chairs. Together we can send the clear message that LGBT rights are human rights.

Argentina’s Special Representative Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Alba Rueda said:

Argentina is a strong country in human rights and diversity. This is the result of the social and political movement of lesbians, gays, travesties, transgender people, non-binaries, and all activisms that break away from the patriarchal and binary system.

We value the ERC in this same way: as a space in which social organisations can express themselves so that states can listen to them and commit to turning their demands into public policies”.

This year’s ERC Conference follows previous convenings in Montevideo in 2016, Vancouver in 2018, and a virtual event in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the UK and Argentina have held an extended tenure as co-chairs since 2019.

The conference will focus on four key areas, including developing inclusive national laws and policies, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, supporting civil society responses to the global anti-gender movement, and mapping the progress towards decriminalisation around the world.

Civil society organisations play a vital role in the Equal Rights Coalition. The current civil society co-chairs – Asociación Familias Diversas Argentina, Kaleidoscope Trust, and Stonewall – support more than 140 groups from across the world. The UK, Argentina, Mexico, the USA, Canada, The Netherlands and Belgium have funded some of the in-person participation at this year’s conference for civil society organisations and human rights defenders from the Global South.

In July 2021, the ERC agreed a Strategic Plan and Five-Year Implementation Plan to help guide and energise the group’s work and ensure the organisation can live up to its huge potential. The pre-conference report highlighted this prioritisation process as a “major achievement” of Argentina and the UK’s tenure as co-chairs.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 September 2022.

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

Thank you President. I thank the previous speakers for their briefings, Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo, Assistant Secretary-General Kehris and Ms Oleksandra Drik for their briefings.

As we’ve discussed, today we meet to discuss emerging evidence of further potential Russian violations and abuses of international law.

We are deeply concerned by reporting by the UN, the OSCE and civil society organisations that Russia is systematically detaining, processing and deporting Ukrainian men, women and children, with chilling echoes from European history.

As we have heard, civilians reportedly face interrogation, body searches, stripping, invasive data collection, ill-treatment and torture while passing through ‘filtration’.

Those who are deemed most threatening are reportedly held indefinitely in detention centres, while others, including unaccompanied children, are forcibly deported to Russia. Some simply disappear.

So we call on the Russian Federation to allow the UN and other relevant international organisations immediate, full and unhindered access to those held in filtration camps and detention centres. And for these reports to be fully investigated to ensure those responsible can be held to account.

We are concerned, too, that Russia may in fact be using forced deportations and displacement in an attempt, forcibly, to change the demographic makeup of parts of Ukraine.

What does this tell us about Russia’s war?

First, it tells us about their method and their disregard for the rules that we agreed and observe here at the UN – the collective rules that bind us together. They act as if the Charter and international humanitarian law do not apply to them.

Second, it confirms this is not just an attempt to destroy Ukraine’s democracy, but also Ukrainian identity and culture. Alleged ‘Denazification’ is a cover for ‘de-Ukrainian-isation’ and annexation. Mass movements of Ukrainian people give the game away.

Finally, it confirms what has been abundantly clear over the last six months: Russia’s army is not being welcomed as it enters Ukrainian territory. This is a war of conquest, a war of occupation, a war of oppression, and a war to eliminate Ukraine.

So once again we call on the Russian Federation to observe fully its obligations under international law and to bring an end to its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

 

The press release issued by Downing Street on 7 September 2022.

The Prime Minister spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The leaders discussed the energy challenges faced by the UK and its European partners as a result of Putin’s illegal war. Both agreed on the importance of energy resilience and independence.

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of ensuring democracy and freedom were upheld in Europe, and of protecting countries made vulnerable by Russia’s economic blackmail.

The UK and Germany were important economic partners, and the Prime Minister said she was keen to expand defence cooperation between the two countries.

Discussing the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Prime Minister was clear that her priority is protecting peace and stability in Northern Ireland and upholding the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. She stressed the importance of finding a solution to the fundamental problems with the text of the Protocol as it stands.

The Prime Minister said she looked forward to working closely with Chancellor Scholz in the coming months.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 September 2022.

The UK has condemned the Iranian state for a cyber attack against Albania’s government that destroyed data and disrupted essential government services.

The UK has today (Wednesday 7 September) condemned the Iranian state for a cyber attack against Albania’s government that destroyed data and disrupted essential government services, including paying utilities, booking medical appointments and enrolling schoolchildren.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) assesses that Iranian state-linked cyber actors are almost certainly responsible for the series of cyber attacks against Albanian government infrastructure from 15 July, which caused significant impact to online public services and other government websites.

The websites of the Albanian Parliament and the Prime Minister’s office, as well as ‘e-Albania’, a portal that Albanians use to access a number of public services, were attacked and subject to a shut down. The attackers also leaked Albanian government data, including details of emails from the Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Iran’s reckless actions showed a blatant disregard for the Albanian people, severely restricting their ability to access essential public services.

The UK is supporting our valuable partner and NATO ally. We join Albania and other allies in exposing Iran’s unacceptable actions.

Background

NCSC assesses that Iran is an aggressive and capable cyber actor. Cyber operations are likely conducted by a complex and fluid network of groups, with differing degrees of association to the Iranian state, the workforces of which are highly likely a mix of departmental and contractual staff.

These cyber attacks are the latest in an increasingly reckless pattern of behaviour by Iran. Iranian-linked cyber actors have a number of powerful disruptive and destructive tools at their disposal. The UK has previously attributed and advised on a number of cyber incident by Iranian actors:

• 22 March 2018: The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre assessed with high confidence that the MABNA Institute were almost certainly responsible for a multi-year Computer Network Exploitation (CNE) campaign targeting universities in the UK, the US, as well as other Western nations, primarily for the purposes of intellectual property (IP) theft
• 24 February 2022: CISA, FBI, CNMF, NCSC and NSA released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory highlighting a group of Iranian government-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) actors, known as MuddyWater, conducting cyber espionage and other malicious cyber operations targeting a range of government and private-sector organisations across sectors in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America
• 17 November 2021: CISA, FBI, ACSC and NCSC released a joint Cyber Security Advisory on Iranian government-sponsored APT actors exploiting Microsoft Exchange and Fortinet vulnerabilities to gain initial access in advance of follow-on operations. The Iranian government-sponsored APT actors are actively targeting a broad range of multiple US critical infrastructure sectors as well as Australian organisations

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 September 2022.

At the BTWC meeting to discuss Russia’s unfounded allegations against the US and Ukraine, Ambassador Aidan Liddle gave the UK’s national statement debunking Russia’s claims.

Mr Chair, this process, as instigated by the Russian Federation, concerns issues at the very heart of this Convention. I’d like to start by reaffirming the United Kingdom’s longstanding and deeply-held commitment to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, to actively strengthening this Convention, and to safeguarding against efforts to undermine it. We are committed to following the process for this Formal Consultative Meeting under Article V, fully and in good faith.

We must look at the wider context to Russia’s request. On 24 February Russia invaded Ukraine, an act of aggression in violation of international law, which the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to deplore in the strongest terms. Since then the Russian Federation has repeatedly spread false narratives and disinformation to try and justify its illegal aggression, including wild and inconsistent claims involving dirty bombs, chemical weapons, and offensive biological research. It is against that backdrop that the credibility of Russia’s claims must be evaluated.

Mr Chair, Russia’s allegations refer to Articles I and IV of the BTWC. Many delegations have recalled precisely what these Articles require. But it is also worth recalling the first few lines of Article X: that “the States Parties to this Convention undertake to facilitate, and have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technical information for the use of bacteriological (biological) agents and toxins for peaceful purposes.”

The United Kingdom’s experts have analysed the supporting evidence Russia has provided. I will share some key points from our assessment.

Firstly, Russia claims the culture collections held by Ukraine at the Mechnikov Anti-Plague Research Institute are inconsistent with peaceful, protective or prophylactic purposes, and are therefore evidence of a breach of Article I. This allegation is based on specific reference to 422 cholera ‘storage units’ and 32 anthrax ‘storage units’ and a lack of mass outbreaks of these diseases in Ukraine in recent years. The term ‘storage unit’ is ambiguous and misleading. These numbers of samples are to be expected given the presence of these pathogens in Ukraine and the surrounding region. Open source scientific research shows 32 incidents of anthrax infections in Ukraine between 1997 and 2022, and a cholera epidemic in Ukraine between 1994 and 1995. Such strain collections are relevant for research aimed at understanding outbreaks and combatting infectious diseases, not only for the benefit of Ukraine but also for global preparedness and response. Most importantly, the endemic status and previous outbreak history are not the only reason determining whether a research programme on a particular biological agent should take place. Other reasons could include responses to global health security, international research collaboration, infectious disease preparedness, prevention and response, and disease surveillance and monitoring.

All of these are relevant to the provisions of the BTWC, particularly Article X. The evidence that Russia has presented is not indicative of offensive biological warfare activities. Irrespective of the size of the cholera and anthrax culture collections at the Mechnikov Institute, their retention is justifiable and we assess that research in Ukraine in fact, supports the provisions of the BTWC, including Article X.

Secondly, Russia claims a scientific pre-proposal from the Kharkov Institute of Veterinary Medicine, to investigate the potential transmission of avian influenza in wild birds in Europe, and a presentation slide titled ‘Risk of Emerging Infections from Insectivorous Bats in Ukraine and Georgia’ are evidence that the United States and Ukraine were studying the spread of dangerous infections as a means of biological weapons agent delivery. These documents provide no evidence supporting those claims. The proposed projects are consistent with investigations, for peaceful purposes, of wildlife that transmit pathogens. These documents relate to scientific research designed to better understand disease transmission and contribute ultimately to mitigating these pathogens. There are many examples of these types of studies being conducted internationally, including by Russia. We assess this shows Ukraine and the United States upholding the provisions of the BTWC, including Article X.

Thirdly, Russia claims to have recovered drones with 30-litre reservoirs within Ukrainian territory that they allege can be used to spray ‘bioagents’. The only evidence Russia has provided is a letter from Baykar, a Turkish equipment manufacturer, in relation to export control regulations. The Russian claim that the drones have ‘the ability to be equipped with aerosol generating systems with a 20+ litre capacity’ is not actually supported by the documents provided. In fact, on the document, the manufacturer has explicitly written that the drones do not have this capacity. The drones referred to in the Russian documents appear to be of the type used for agriculture, manufactured by Chinese company DJI, supplied under the Chinese ‘Belt-and-Road’ initiative in collaboration with the Ukrainian government. Yet again, no evidence has been presented that demonstrates any non-compliance with the Convention by Ukraine.

Mr Chair, Russia has asked that we take their allegations seriously. It is hard to do so, when their presentation yesterday, delivered by a parade of nameless individuals, contains no more than misrepresentations of assorted public documents quoted incorrectly or out of context, and copy-pasted images from Wikipedia. This is not only an abuse of the time and resources States Parties have devoted to this meeting, in respect for the provisions of the Convention. It is a dangerous attempt to exploit the Convention for aggressive political purposes.

Nevertheless, we, along with all the delegations represented here, have listened carefully to the allegations presented by Russia, and to the exhaustive response given by the United States and Ukraine. We consider that Russia’s allegations have been duly heard, and that on considering their evidence no cause for ongoing concern about compliance with the Convention remains. In our view this process has served its proper purpose and should be concluded.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 September 2022.

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

Thank you President,

I’d like to start by thanking SRSG Swan and our AU briefers today.

I congratulate Somalia on the successful completion of the electoral process, and the peaceful transition of power to President Hassan Sheikh.

The UK stands ready to support President Hassan Sheikh’s government to deliver its ambitious agenda and realise his vision of “a Somalia at peace with itself and the world”.

I will focus my remarks today on three subjects: the humanitarian situation; security; and reconciliation.

First, President, urgent action is needed to meet Somalia’s acute humanitarian needs. As Under-Secretary-General Griffiths has warned, after four consecutive failed rains, Somalia faces famine on a scale greater than we last saw a decade ago. The window to prevent it is closing rapidly.

We recognise the efforts of Somalia’s Drought Envoy and of the “system-wide scale up,” but the response must be sustained and prioritised.

On our part this financial year, the United Kingdom has contributed $180 million to respond to drought in the Horn of Africa. We call on all partners to do what they can to step up their humanitarian support to prevent famine.

Secondly, President, the UK welcomes the high priority that the new Somali government has placed on security and on the fight against Al-Shabaab. We join others in extending our condolences to those who suffered and were killed as a result of the Hyatt hotel attack.

We are also proud to provide funding to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia and the Somalia Trust Fund. We encourage other Member States to join us in this, so that Somali forces can develop the capacity and capabilities they need to end the threat of Al-Shabaab.

However, military effort on its own will not be enough. The upcoming renewal of the mandate of UN Assistance Mission in Somalia and the 751 sanctions regime will be an opportunity for this Council to set out how these tools can work most effectively alongside ATMIS to support Somalia and defeat Al-Shabaab.

Finally, President, we urge Somalia’s political leaders to work together to agree and implement national priorities and solve shared problems. Working together, and with support from their partners, we are confident that Somalia can defeat Al-Shabaab and advance peace, stability and prosperity for the benefit of all Somalis and the region.