Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

Following the UK government’s request for consultations, the second meeting of the Specialised Committee was co-chaired in Brussels by the UK government and European Commission.

UK statement following the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes consultations meeting on 22 September 2022:

The second meeting of the Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes was held today in Brussels, co-chaired by officials from the UK Government and European Commission. Representatives from the devolved administrations and EU member states also attended.

The meeting followed the UK’s formal request for consultations on 16 August 2022. Consultations are a mechanism in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to resolve issues between the UK and the EU.

The UK is seeking to implement the mutually beneficial TCA agreement to participate in EU programmes (Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, Copernicus, and access to services from the Space Surveillance and Tracking programme) to the benefit of researchers and businesses across the UK and the EU.

At today’s meeting, the UK once again requested that the EU fulfil its obligation to finalise the UK’s association to EU Programmes after 16 months of delays. It is regrettable that the EU continues to decline this request.

The UK has been clear that our preference remains association to EU programmes and that the EU’s persistent delays to finalising UK association amount to a breach of the TCA. We have set out that delays are causing considerable uncertainty for our research and business community and undermining scientific cooperation in both the UK and EU member states.

The UK government is now urgently considering next steps. Our priority is to support the UK’s world leading R&D sector and we have already outlined potential options for doing so.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

Ambassador Neil Bush welcomes the publication of OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism report, which outlines how Russia has waged a repressive war against its own people.

Thank you, Mr Chair. I wish to make a statement in my national capacity, to supplement the statement delivered by Ambassador Callan on behalf of the 38 States which invoked the Moscow Mechanism on Russia’s legal and administrative practices.

I would like to thank the independent expert Professor Nußberger for her expertise and her drafting of a robust and important report.

Mr Chair, the United Kingdom supported the invocation of this Moscow Mechanism because the issue of Russia’s repression of human rights is vitally important. It is important to the Russian people who face restrictions on their fundamental freedoms and it is important for peace and security in the OSCE region.

I want to highlight 3 elements of this forensic report. First, President Putin’s Russia has waged a systemic and a repressive war against the freedoms of its own people over the last two decades. Repressive legislation is used to restrict the rights of Russian people, most notably through the “foreign agents” and “undesirable organisations” laws.

Since the invasion, the Kremlin has implemented a wave of legislation targeting the dissemination of “knowingly false information” and “discrediting” of Russian armed forces. The real purpose is to criminalise the dissemination of the truth and for calling Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine what it is. Over 4,000 people have been prosecuted because of these laws, including dual British Russian national Vladimir Kara-Murza. As the report says, “this is military censorship”.

Secondly, Russia has created a climate of fear and intimidation to silence independent voices further. President Putin and the authorities employ propaganda to de-humanise Russian civil society. Murders and physical attacks are either carried out on the direct orders of the Kremlin, or are tacitly welcomed with no follow-up investigations. Between 1992 and 2021, at least 58 journalists were killed in Russia in connection with their work.

Police use violence and intimidation to suppress anti-war protestors. Over 16,000 people have been arrested. And overnight over 1,000 more were arrested for peacefully protesting mobilisation. The report highlights many cases of violence towards those detained. Grigory Yudin, a political scientist, was arrested at an anti-war protest and beaten in a police van until he lost consciousness. Female protesters were arrested, forced to undress, and physically attacked.

Thirdly, Russia’s domestic repression is a key enabler of its aggression abroad. Professor Nußberger writes that “repression on the inside and war on the outside are connected to each other as if in a communicating tube.” A tightening of freedoms at home allows the State to pursue conflict abroad with limited domestic accountability. This state of perpetual war provides a justification for further restrictive measures domestically. And we are seeing the grim outcome of this interrelation play out in Ukraine.

Mr Chair, this report reveals the horrifying scale of restrictive policies implemented by Russia over the last decade. Putin pursues these policies because he fears that a free society would hold him accountable for the abuses his regime have committed at home, and restrain his ability to commit abuses abroad. The tragedy is that both Russian and Ukrainian people, particularly vulnerable groups, are enduring the worst effects of this repression.

The UK, with partners from across the OSCE and the world, will defend human rights and the fundamental freedoms of citizens everywhere. We call on Russia to heed the warnings and recommendations of this Moscow Mechanism report. In particular, to comply with its OSCE Human Dimension obligations, and to critically assess the short- and long-term consequences of the “foreign agents” law, amongst other repressive legislation, on civil society.

I want to express the United Kingdom’s solidarity with all those who suffer repression at the hands of the Russian authorities. And to reiterate once again our resolute support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

The UK Permanent Representative to the UK in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement on the ongoing conflict in Syria and it’s impact on families.

Thank you, Mr President,

Thank you, Commissioners, for your latest report and the clear and detailed account of the human rights violations, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity that continue to take place across Syria. The Syrian regime and its allies will bear primary responsibility for these well documented horrors. Your valuable record provides an evidentiary basis on which the international community now must act to hold perpetrators to account.

Mr President,

Tens of thousands of Syrians have been forcibly disappeared and detained during the long years of this conflict. Thousands of families still wait to hear about their loved ones.

The agony of not knowing, and the danger faced by families, particularly women, in their search for answers, must end.

No more excuses. Just answers.

Commissioners,

What recommendations do you have to ensure that lessons from other international efforts on the missing, including detained and forced disappearances, can be applied to support Syrian families in their search for their loved ones?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly held a trilateral meeting with Polish Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Foreign Ministers of Poland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom met in New York on 21 September 2022 and agreed to:

• continue the unwavering support of Ukraine by Poland and the UK in the face of Russia’s aggression until Ukraine prevails
• elaborate further plans for the long-term support of Ukraine to help it deter and defend against future attacks
• develop their trilateral co-operation including by strengthening the defence capabilities of the 3 countries and the NATO Eastern flank

The Ministers also condemned Russia’s further mobilisation of forces, which can only set back the goal of peace.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

UK Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French, delivered a statement on the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes the Commission’s first report and their important work.

Since the conflict in northern Ethiopia began in November 2020, we have consistently called for three things.

First, for an immediate halt to the conflict, which has left over 13 million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. We are therefore extremely concerned by the return to war and the involvement once again of Eritrean forces, which will make finding a peaceful settlement more difficult.Second, for a negotiated political settlement between all sides, because it is clear that there is no prospect of a military solution. We welcome the Ethiopian Government’s public commitments to ending the conflict through dialogue, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s willingness to begin peace talks. Now is the time for both parties to deliver on these commitments.
Lastly, we have repeatedly called for full, open and independent investigations into the appalling human rights violations and abuses committed by all sides. We welcome the conclusions of the Joint Investigation and the work of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force. The Commission’s work plays a vital role alongside these in ensuring accountability. We urge the Ethiopian Government to cooperate with the Commission, and to support the extension of its mandate.

Commissioners,

We would welcome your views on key priorities over the coming year, in the hope that your mandate is extended.

Thank you, Mr President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

UK Ambassador Bush calls planned elections in Ukraine a charade, and part mobilisation admission that the invasion is failing.

Over these past months, we have seen the courage of the Ukrainian people; the adeptness of their military; and their unyielding commitment to their values under the most testing of circumstances. The United Kingdom is proud to call itself a partner – and a friend – of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian counter-offensive marks a new phase. But it is as solemn as it is welcome. To the international community, the Ukrainian flag symbolises bravery, freedom and democracy. To those in Izium, Balakliya, Kupyansk and the Kharkiv region, their national flag is not just a symbol – it is a lifeline. Because as the Ukrainian Armed Forces reclaim their territory, evidence emerges: reports of bodies showing signs of torture; reports of torture chambers; civilians, including children, amongst the dead. Beneath each wooden cross in Izium lies a human being, one who can no longer tell us what has happened to them. For the Ukrainian men, women and children whose stories will be told through post mortem, we promise justice.

Time and time again, Ukrainians have demonstrated the resilience needed to secure victory in their fight for peace. And yet President Putin falsely maintains that the Russian offensive in the Donbas remains on track. The world can see that he is lying. The Russian army, and the Russian leadership, is in panic mode. We see appalling acts of desperation: increased shelling of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including the dam at Karachunivske Reservoir and the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant at Mykolaiv. On 17 September, four medical workers were killed by shelling while attempting to evacuate their patients from a hospital in Strilecha, in Kharkivska Oblast. With Russian military actions in Bucha and Mariupol, we saw the very worst of humanity. By contrast, people like these Ukrainian medical workers, killed while saving lives, show us the best of it. We offer our deepest condolences to their families.

Meanwhile, President Putin’s proxies in the temporarily Russian controlled territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts scramble to organise sham referenda – a pitiful charade. Let us be clear: we will never recognise any Russian attempts to purportedly annex part of Ukraine’s sovereign territory. These illegitimate referenda will not alter our approach. We will continue to support Ukraine’s right to defend its territory.

Putin’s sabre-rattling, and decision to mobilise parts of the Russian population is an admission that his invasion is failing. He continues to send tens of thousands of his own citizens to their deaths, ill equipped and badly led. We have seen reports overnight of over a thousand people arrested – another vicious assault on fundamental freedoms in Russia. And in Ukraine we have seen Russia’s deplorable attempts to replenish its ranks with convicts – qualified for little more than continuing the so-called “Special Military Operation” in the style in which it has been conducted thus far: with ineptitude and brutality. Ukraine must win; and we must ensure there is accountability and justice.

We join our partners in condemning the sentencing of Maxim Petrov and Dymtro Shabanov by an unrecognised and illegitimate court in the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic. As the OSCE Chair-in-Office and Secretary-General have repeatedly made clear, SMM national mission members were detained for simply performing their official duties – duties mandated by all 57 participating States. Russia is solely responsible for these actions, and we call for the immediate and unconditional release of our OSCE colleagues.

Indeed, the UK holds the Russian Federation responsible for the safety and welfare of all Prisoners of War and detained civilians in the non-Government controlled areas of Ukraine. 5 British Nationals and 5 other foreign nationals held by Russia-backed proxies are being safely returned. Russia must end the ruthless exploitation of prisoners of war and civilian detainees for political ends.

I join my Ukraine, US and EU colleagues in condemning the sentencing yesterday of the Deputy Leader of the Crimean Majlis Nariman Celâl, as well as Asan Akhmetov and Aziz Akhmetov. Mr Chair, we stand with Ukraine for the long haul, which is why my Prime Minister has vowed to match the UK’s 2022 military support to Ukraine in 2023. Russia must withdraw all of its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement on the deteriorating situation in Myanmar.

Thank you, Mr President.

Thank you Special Rapporteur for your update yesterday afternoon.

We share your deep concern at the deteriorating human rights situation in Myanmar. I strongly condemn the junta’s human rights violations across the country. You, like others, have highlighted the truly horrific tactics, including mass killings, village burnings and indiscriminate airstrikes against civilians. The military’s recent attack on a school in Sagaing is utterly indefensible. There can be no justification for the killing of children and innocent civilians.

The regime’s executions of pro-democracy and opposition leaders in July were shameful acts that further demonstrate its casual disregard for human rights.

And we – like others – are concerned about the increased fighting in Rakhine State. Rohingya communities confined to camps and villages in Northern Rakhine risk being caught in the middle of the fighting.

Mr President, we stand with the brave people of Myanmar, and reiterate our call on the junta to end the violence now. Human rights violations and abuses must stop now. Civilians, including humanitarian workers, must be protected from violence by all parties. And we need unobstructed humanitarian access to reach Myanmar’s most vulnerable.

Special Rapporteur,

How can the international community better protect civilians in Myanmar?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

21 September 2022, Singapore – This week Singapore hosts a major delegation of 24 cutting-edge British companies exploring growth opportunities in Asia Pacific. They work on diverse projects including driverless vehicles, lawtech, cybersecurity and deeptech.

They are spending a week in Singapore hosted by the British High Commission and will engage with Singapore Government agencies including the Cyber Security Agency; Defence Science and Technology Agency; GovTech; the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Ministry of Law.

These activities form the first UK-Singapore Digital Economy Dialogue, a forum to promote the benefits of digital trade, deepen our partnerships at both the government and business levels, and ensure that regulation keeps up with the pace of innovation.

The visiting companies intend to use the all-new UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) to support their expansion into Asia Pacific.

The DEA is the most innovative trade agreement in the world, and is the first Digital Economy Agreement between a European nation and an Asian one. UK-Singapore trade is already worth over £17bn per year.

Tech Nation, the UK’s leading growth platform for tech companies, is co-leading this week by organising a delegation and creating a programme of 90 meetings with corporate partners and investors.

Lawtech: a bright spot for future growth

Ten lawtech companies are visiting Singapore from the UK to explore business opportunities in Asia Pacific.

‘Lawtech’ is commonly used to describe technologies that support, supplement or replace traditional methods for the delivery of legal services or legal transactions by law practice entities or lawyers.

The UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement is the first trade agreement in the world to contain specific commitments on lawtech. The UK’s lawtech sector is valued at £11.4bn, according to Tech Nation research. The UK has the largest legal services market in Europe – and is second globally only to the US.

The DEA brings together two leading nations on legal services, and will help firms identify collaboration opportunities in both markets more easily.

It has specific provisions that promote electronic contracts and signatures; secure international data flows; and ensure protection of key proprietary information.

The DEA gives businesses greater confidence and assurance about the rules of the road when it comes to trading digitally between the UK and Singapore, both now and in the future.

Kara Owen, British High Commissioner to Singapore said:

I am excited to host 24 UK tech companies at the British High Commission, Singapore. They are keen to use the all-new UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement to support their expansion into Singapore and the region.

The agreement is a marker of our ambition to break down trade barriers in areas including lawtech, data flows and cyber security. UK-Singapore trade is already worth over £17 billion per year, and this is only set to grow.

Natalie Black, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific said:

I am delighted to welcome a cohort of cutting-edge UK tech companies to Singapore to meet new partners, customers and investors and identify growth opportunities in the region.

Singapore is a gateway to the rest of Southeast Asia, which has a digital economy projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. The region has the demographics and openness that scaleups are looking for.

Our UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement will make the most of this opportunity – bringing together two high tech nations in a living agreement that keeps up with the pace of digital innovation.

Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary (Trade and Industry), Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Government, said:

We welcome the visit of UK tech startups to Singapore, in conjunction with the inaugural Digital Economy Dialogue under the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement. This is an opportunity to bring together industry stakeholders to explore how we can leverage this cutting-edge agreement and help our businesses, especially startups and SMEs, to seize new growth opportunities across our combined and growing digital markets.

Samantha Evans, Director of International at Tech Nation said:

Tech Nation are thrilled to be bringing the third cohort of leading UK tech companies on our International Growth Programme to Singapore. While here, the companies will be meeting with over 90 corporates and investors as they look for partnerships and opportunities to land and expand into this exciting market.

As part of the UK government’s Digital Trade Network, we have already supported over 300 UK tech scaleups derisk and accelerate their growth into Asia Pacific – with the majority looking to scale into Singapore first.

Given the demand from British tech to grow into this region, we look forward to continuing our work with the UK and Singaporean governments to support even more scaleups with their success here.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement on the issue of slavery.

Thank you very much, Mr Vice President,

Let me begin by thanking you Special Rapporteur, for your impressively thorough and well-evidenced report, and indeed for all your answers just now to some of the comments and questions that have been asked by colleagues in the room.

Your presence here today coincides with the sobering announcement from the ILO, that 10 million more people are in situations of modern slavery in the world. That means, 50 million people are living in modern slavery, 28 million people of whom are in situations of forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage. That is simply unacceptable in 2022.

That is why my country is partnering with Australia during this session of the Council to renew your mandate so that your crucial work can continue.

We welcome your recommendation that States should facilitate the full participation of survivors in developing forms of assistance as well as policies and programmes. We are committed to empowering and engaging survivors of modern slavery in our international policy and programming and we have commissioned independent research to inform our approach. We look forward to sharing the findings of this research with you and with other international partners.

Mr Special Rapporteur, in light of those figures from the ILO, how can we ensure SDG target 8.7 is indeed achieved?

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

Statement issued by the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Canada, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, USA and EU at the UN General Assembly in New York.

We, the ministers of Foreign Affairs of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and senior officials from Canada, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United States of America, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy wish to express our grave concern regarding the threats posed to the safety and security of nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes in Ukraine and their personnel, significantly raising the risk of a nuclear accident.

We wish to note the 2009 IAEA General Conference unanimous decision GC(53)/DEC/13 entitled “ Prohibition of armed attack or threat of attack against nuclear installations, during operation or under construction” which recognised the importance attached to safety, security and physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes as well as IAEA General Conference resolutions GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533 regarding armed attacks or threats against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes.

We underscore the importance of the IAEA Director General’s ”Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security”, outlined in his statement to the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on March 2-3, 2022.

These “Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security”, derived from existing IAEA nuclear safety standards and nuclear security guidance, are as follows:

1. The physical integrity of the nuclear facilities, whether it is reactors, fuel ponds, or radioactive waste stores, must be maintained;
2. All safety and security systems and equipment must be fully functional at all times;
3. The operating staff must be able to fulfil their respective safety and security duties, and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure;
4. There must be secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites;
5. There must be uninterrupted logistical supply chains and transportation to and from the sites;
6. There must be effective on-site and off-site radiation monitoring systems and emergency preparedness and response measures;
7. And finally, there must be reliable communications with the regulator and others.

We intend to continue to support the IAEA action in helping facilitate the implementation of these principles in Ukraine while fully respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, including through the IAEA nuclear safety and security assistance plan for Ukraine.

We welcome the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) and commend the Director General and his team for their courage and determination in performing this important mission. We support efforts to maintain a continued IAEA presence at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in order to support Ukraine, and stand ready to support the nuclear safety, security and safeguards objectives of the IAEA mission, as needed.

We emphasize that Russia’s seizure and militarization of the ZNPP is the root cause of the current threats in the field of nuclear safety and security. We recall that the heightened risks of a nuclear incident will remain dangerously high as long as Russia remains present on the site of ZNPP. The Russian Federation must immediately withdraw its troops from within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Should the Russian Federation conduct any sham referenda within occupied territories of Ukraine, we reiterate that these would have no legal and political effect, including on the status of the ZNPP.

We welcome the Director General’s work to follow up on his visit of September 1st and the proposals contained in his report. We reaffirm our support for resolution GOV/2022/58 adopted on September 15 by the IAEA Board of Governors.

We underline the importance of complying with international humanitarian law and renewing efforts aimed at the prompt reinforcing of the international framework relating to the protection of nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes including in armed conflicts.

As a first step, we stand ready to reaffirm the importance of these “Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security” in appropriate fora, in particular at the IAEA and at the United Nations as appropriate.

In due time, we are also ready to review the lessons learned in Ukraine in order to help the IAEA and the international community to prepare for and respond to future events and anticipate new threats, such as cyber-attacks.