Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 August 2022.

£37.65 million of urgent UK humanitarian funding will deliver life-saving assistance across Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Nigeria and Niger

20 million people are projected to be in need of urgent aid across the region by the end of 2022

the money will help fund 2 projects for the next year focused on the most vulnerable, including malnourished women and children

The UK will support around 1 million of the most vulnerable people across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin with food, water and sanitation.

Growing instability and violent extremism across the region and the war on Ukraine have exacerbated existing issues with food insecurity and malnutrition. As things stand, there will be close to 20 million people across the region in need of humanitarian aid by the end of the year.

And the Sahel faces further vulnerabilities due to climate change and extreme weather shocks, putting unimaginable stress on communities, meaning urgent intervention by the international community is now a necessity.

The UK is providing £37.65 million in urgent humanitarian assistance, focused on these areas where conflict, climate change and extreme hunger is causing the most suffering.

Minister for Africa Vicky Ford said:

“Millions of people across the Sahel and West Africa are unimaginably suffering with hunger and malnutrition.

That’s why the UK will step up with an urgent £38 million of humanitarian funding, reaching those most vulnerable and saving lives across the region.

The number of people facing starvation are at their worst for a decade. Whilst this UK funding is a necessity, it has to be part of a bigger international effort. We’re calling on international partners to enhance our collective support and scale-up intervention to halt this humanitarian catastrophe.”

£19.9 million will support The Sahel Humanitarian Assistance and Protection Programme (SHAPP), a programme which has been responding to the most acute needs, including those of displaced and malnourished women and children, and enables safer access for humanitarian aid workers to reach them.

The funding ensures delivery partners including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the INGO-run Sahel Regional Fund can continue their heroic, life-saving work in the region. The funding also supports the work of the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO).

Their work between 2019 to 2022 under the Sahel Humanitarian Emergency Response Programme (SHERP) supported 2.7 million people with food assistance, provided treatment to nearly 900,000 severely malnourished children and ensured over 1.5 million mothers could detect malnutrition among their children, enabling early intervention.

In addition, £15 million of emergency humanitarian funding has been made available for North-East Nigeria over the next few months, when food is most scarce and humanitarian needs are highest. Violence, displacement, poverty and climate shocks are just some of the many reasons why 8.4 million people need life-saving humanitarian assistance there. This emergency funding supports the UK’s work alongside the Nigerian government to build security in the face of growing instability in the north of the country.

In North-East Nigeria, the UK is proud to be supporting the work of our delivery partners – the World Food Programme and UNICEF – whose aid workers put themselves at great risk in order to reach those suffering most.

This food assistance funding is part of the UK’s wider commitment to prioritise life-saving humanitarian aid to communities around the world who are most vulnerable due to the ongoing combination of crises.

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

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on promoting common security through dialogue and cooperation

Thank you, Mr President.

I thank the Secretary-General and Ambassador Zlauvinen for their important briefings today.

Mr President, dialogue and cooperation are essential components for settling disputes and building peace and security. In this Council, we have seen some significant positive examples in recent months.

In Yemen, sustained efforts, including Council members and regional actors, have brought us to a fragile truce.

On Somalia, cooperation within the Council and with the African Union have led to the establishment of a new mission, establishing the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

But dialogue can only ensure our collective security if it is matched and underpinned by states upholding the international system that keeps us all safe. This must start with the Charter as the guarantor of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

Today, there is no contest for the gravest threat to the system of common security that is enshrined in the United Nations. Russia, a permanent member of this Council, has torn up the Charter and trampled on the rules that underpin international peace and security. This undermines the entire system we are all here to uphold.

To ensure all of our security – and the system we all rely on – we must hold to account states that transgress universally accepted norms, such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. If we accept that a big country can simply invade its smaller neighbour, we return to dark days of human suffering as well as wider international instability and conflict.

This is why we call – again – for the Russian Federation to stop its illegal invasion of Ukraine and withdraw its forces.

Mr President,

With the global system under challenge, we must do everything we can to avoid nuclear escalation. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) remains a cornerstone of the global security architecture in this era. And the only route to our shared goal of complete nuclear disarmament.

The joint statement on this subject in January from P5 leaders was an important signal of the willingness to work together to reduce risks and build confidence.

And in this context, we thank Mr Zlauvinen for his tireless work as President of the NPT Review Conference. The UK remains unwaveringly committed to its aims, and to working with other states to ensure implementation of the NPT and other treaties.

So we echo the concern of the Secretary General about the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in southern Ukraine. He has our support in efforts to deescalate the situation. We also underline the importance of a mission of IAEA experts to address nuclear safety, security and safeguarding concerns, in a manner that respects full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and infrastructure.

Mr President,

The UN Charter and the international security architecture that we collectively built are crucial for all of our countries. Let us defend that, together, to ensure a world in which all sovereign states can ensure the safety of their people and the integrity of their territory.

Thank you.

 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 August 2022.

People whose lives have been upended by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, drought and food shortages in East Africa, and conflict in Syria will be among those to benefit from £36 million in UK humanitarian funding announced today.

The announcement comes on United Nations World Humanitarian Day (Friday 19 August) as parts of the globe come under increasing strain from lasting effects of the pandemic, the increasing impact of climate change, and conflicts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Local aid workers are at the forefront of the effort to alleviate the disastrous consequences of these crises as they provide humanitarian assistance for communities across the world. The UK’s funding announcement will support them to continue their essential work.

In Ukraine and Poland, where the majority of Ukrainians who have fled the conflict have travelled, £15 million in UK funding will support up to 200,000 of the most vulnerable impacted by Russia’s invasion. This includes children, older people and those with disabilities. International aid organisation Mercy Corps will work with grassroots civil society groups to provide emergency assistance to cover basic needs, including food, water and sanitation, psychological support and childcare services.

In East Africa, where severe food insecurity threatens over 48 million people, the UK has allocated an additional £14 million to the countries on the frontline of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. This new spending, which will work immediately to save lives and prevent more people experiencing famine-like conditions, includes:

– a £5 million boost to the UK Somalia programme, which is providing life-saving health, nutrition, food security and water and sanitation assistance to over half a million people in some of the most vulnerable families

– £6 million for the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund which will provide vital assistance to under-funded emergencies across Ethiopia, including drought and conflict-affected regions

– £3 million in emergency humanitarian funding to the World Food Programme, Sudan, helping reach approximately 120,000 vulnerable people with food assistance

Minister of State for South and Central Asia, North Africa, UN and the Commonwealth and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

“In 2022 millions more people are now in desperate need of humanitarian support.

UK funding is ensuring that the UN and local partners can reach those affected by Russian aggression in Ukraine, drought in East Africa and ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan. We thank those on the ground who so often risk their own lives to help and protect them.

Britain has a proud humanitarian tradition, and we will continue to support the most vulnerable, wherever they are.”

The Russian invasion is exacerbating the world food crisis, which is hitting the poorest hardest, particularly in East Africa. The UK and its allies have pushed hard for the UN grain initiative and the world is watching to ensure that Russia complies, so food continues to flow from Ukraine and feed the hungry.

The UK is also providing £1.5 million to deploy technology to identify whether grain sold by Russia on the world market has been stolen from Ukraine. A package of rail support to Ukraine will also ensure grain trains can run. Moreover, the UK is providing Ukraine with the military capability to help protect its ports, essential for the grain deal to be a success.

Minister for Africa Vicky Ford said:

“In the Horn of Africa, around 700,000 people are experiencing famine conditions – and in Somalia over 386,000 children are projected to be severely malnourished and at risk of death by the end of the year.

UK aid in east Africa is providing life-saving support to the most vulnerable people in the hardest hit countries.

We must now bring new stakeholders to the table to strengthen our international action towards the world’s worst humanitarian crisis today.”

The UK is also announcing a £7 million package to support Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict to Lebanon, delivered through the World Food Programme. This funding will help provide more than 150,000 people with food, water and nutrition. This is part of the UK’s pledge to provide up to £158 million earlier this year at the Brussels Pledging Conference for the Syria Crisis, which will support food production, protect women and girls from violence and ensure humanitarian access to the North East of Syria, where the situation is deteriorating.

The UK is the third largest bilateral donor to the crisis in Syria, having committed over £3.8 billion to date in our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. This includes support to the governments of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to cope with the protracted refugee presence by supporting displaced Syrians until they can return safely to Syria.

Since 2012, across Syria and the region, the UK has provided:

– over 28.3 million food rations

– over 24 million medical consultations

– 6.3 million cash grants/vouchers

– 11 million relief packages

– over 15.2 million vaccines

Our aid provides life-saving support to millions of Syrians, supporting refugees to remain in countries in the region, and enabling their host communities to accommodate them.

The UK has consistently been one of the largest bilateral humanitarian donors globally and have been at the forefront of driving more effective and innovative approaches to crisis prevention, preparedness, and response.  Since 2015, the UK has reached 32.6 million people with humanitarian aid, saving lives and alleviating suffering in places like Syria, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan.

Now in Ukraine, the UK is working alongside trusted partners to deliver its £220 million humanitarian pledge.

Mercy Corps Ukraine Response Director, Michael Young, said:

“In Ukraine and Poland, we have partnered directly with local organisations that know their community needs best and are working quickly to deliver humanitarian aid.

With this funding, our partners will continue to deliver emergency assistance and ship essential supplies such as food and hygiene items to people affected by heavy fighting, as well as providing reliable information on where to access basic services, safe routes, legal rights for refugees and people displaced inside Ukraine.”

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 August 2022.

The scheme will help these countries grow and prosper, and in turn tackle poverty by harnessing the power of trade. The DCTS replaces the UK’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), a preferential trading system that provides tariff removals and reductions on various products.

Under the DCTS, Pakistan will continue to benefit from duty-free exports to the UK. In addition, the DCTS will remove tariffs on over 156 additional products. It will also simplify some seasonal tariffs, meaning additional and simpler access for Pakistan’s exports to the UK.

Total trade (goods and services) between the UK and Pakistan each year currently stands £2.9bn. In total, 94% of goods exported from Pakistan will be eligible for duty-free access to the UK. Pakistan will save £120m in tariffs on exports to the UK under the scheme.

Pakistan, and other DCTS countries, will also be supported to participate in the international trading system through the UK’s Trade Centre of Excellence, which will provide specialist support so that they can fully participate in the global trading system. This will include support on meeting trade standards, and participating in multilateral trade fora.

UK’s Trade Director for Pakistan and British Deputy High Commissioner, Karachi, Sarah Mooney, said:

“A prosperous UK-Pakistan relationship matters. As we celebrate 75 years of our bilateral relations, we want to further cement our strong ties and double bilateral trade by 2025. The newly announced DCTS Scheme will be pivotal in achieving this.”

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 August 2022.

The UK Government has initiated formal consultations with the EU, with the aim of finalising UK participation in EU science and research Programmes. This follows persistent delays by the EU in implementing the agreement reached under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

The UK Government wrote to the European Commission on 16 August 2022 to request consultations on finalising the UK’s participation in EU Programmes (Horizon Europe, Copernicus, Euratom Research and Training, Fusion for Energy) and access to programme services (Space Surveillance and Tracking) as soon as possible.

The UK’s participation was agreed with the EU under the TCA in 2020, which was clear that it would take place at the earliest opportunity when the relevant EU legislation was finalised. This timeline was vital so that UK researchers and businesses would be able to fully participate from the beginning of the respective EU Programmes. But it has now been over 18 months since the TCA was agreed and the EU has refused to proceed with the UK’s association.

The UK Government has engaged extensively with the EU in an effort to resolve this issue. It is clear that the EU is not fulfilling the agreement reached. Association to these Programmes remains the UK’s preference, but the EU’s delays are creating intolerable uncertainty for researchers and businesses in both the UK and EU Member States. That is why the Government is taking action to start consultations with the aim of finalising UK participation. This is a mechanism agreed in the TCA to resolve issues between the UK and EU.

Supporting the UK’s research and development sector through this period and ensuring continued collaboration remains the Government’s priority. That is why, in parallel to starting consultations, the UK continues to develop bold and ambitious plans for domestic alternative arrangements should the EU continue its refusal to meet its commitments. The UK Government released a publication on 20 July 2022 setting out further detail on these plans. If the delays continue, the UK Government will be forced to decide whether to put in place these arrangements.

Now more than ever the UK and the EU should be working together to tackle our shared challenges from net zero to global health and energy security. The UK Government is ready to work together with the European Commission to resolve this issue and looks forward to constructive engagement during consultations.

 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 August 2022.

The government has launched formal consultations with the EU, in an effort to end persistent delays to the UK’s access to EU scientific research programmes, including Horizon Europe. Formal consultations is a mechanism set out in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to resolve disputes between the UK and EU.

The UK negotiated access to a range of EU science and innovation programmes as part of the TCA in 2020. However, more than 18 months later, the EU has still refused to finalise UK access, causing serious damage to research and development in both the UK and EU member states.

The delays have prevented the UK from accessing Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, as well as Copernicus, the earth observation programme, which provides data on climate change. Other affected schemes include Euratom – the nuclear research programme – and access to programme services including Space Surveillance and Tracking.

Now the government has written to the European Commission to launch dispute resolution proceedings and to encourage the EU to abide by their obligations in the deal.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

“The EU is in clear breach of our agreement, repeatedly seeking to politicise vital scientific cooperation by refusing to finalise access to these important programmes. We cannot allow this to continue. That is why the UK has now launched formal consultations and will do everything necessary to protect the scientific community.”

Minister for Europe Graham Stuart said:

“It is disappointing that the EU has not facilitated UK participation in the agreed scientific programmes, despite extensive UK engagement on the issue. Now more than ever the UK and the EU should be working together to tackle our shared challenges from net zero to global health and energy security. We look forward to constructive engagement through the formal consultations.

UK membership of Horizon Europe would be a win-win for both the UK and EU. The UK is a world leader in science and technology, houses some of the most research intensive universities in the world and led the global effort to combat COVID-19. The UK has set aside around £15 billion for Horizon Europe alone.”

The EU’s research and innovation community has been calling on the European Commission to associate the UK to these programmes. The UK government also continues to seek association so that collective work to solve the greatest economic and societal challenges can continue.

In the event that association is not formalised, the government has prepared an alternative set of programmes to support UK scientists and researchers: Supporting UK R&D and collaborative research beyond European programmes.

The UK government is ready to work together with the European Commission to resolve this issue and looks forward to constructive engagement during consultations.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 August 2022.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 August 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Yemen.

Thank you President and thanks to Special Envoy Grundberg and Ms Mudawi for their briefings.

On behalf of the United Kingdom, I would like to pay tribute to Mr Grundberg’s continued leadership, which has been critical to securing this two-month extension to the truce, a significant achievement by the UN and the parties. For the Yemeni people, it means an additional two months of relative peace, and the chance to keep benefitting from the confidence building measures.

Fuel prices for ordinary Yemenis have been seriously eased thanks to the delivery of 720 thousand metric tons of oil into Hodeidah Port during the last four months. Yemenis have been accorded renewed freedom of movement thanks to the commercial round-trip flights out from Sana’a.

While the extension of the truce is welcome, we recognise and we’ve heard about today the challenge of the two months ahead. We urge the parties to continue their constructive engagement with the UN Special Envoy and to abide by their commitments. Continued cooperation and an expansion of the truce is in the interests of all parties, and the Yemeni people.

Only peace will solve the humanitarian crisis. Despite the truce’s tangible benefits to Yemeni civilians, rising global commodity prices and a dearth of humanitarian funding has meant continued suffering for Yemenis. World Food Programme analysis in June showed some of the highest levels of inadequate food consumption ever recorded in Yemen. This cycle, shortage of funding will lead to 3 million fewer Yemenis receiving the rations they need. The funding deficit is undermining the humanitarian response and, without further disbursement of funds from donors, the crisis will only deepen and undermine the benefits of the truce. And, indeed, without humanitarian access, no amount of funding can serve those in need. The people of Yemen deserve to live peacefully, without the looming threat of famine.

While we welcome the progress associated with the truce, the threat of a spill from the FSO SAFER continues to loom over Yemen and the region. Action must be immediate, as non-intervention will result in environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. The UK was pleased to announce on July 18th a further £2 million pledge to the UN operation, but we urge colleagues to urgently bridge the £20 million gap and commit funding immediately before it is too late.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 August 2022.

Following a meeting with Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UK Elin Suleymanov, the Minister for Europe, Graham Stuart said:

“Today I spoke to Azerbaijani Ambassador Elin Suleymanov following a serious security incident at the Azerbaijani Embassy in London on 4 August. I emphasised the importance that the UK government attaches to the security of all diplomatic missions in the UK, and expressed my deep regret that the event took place.

The UK has a longstanding tradition of support for the right to freedom of expression, but this must be exercised through peaceful and lawful demonstration.”

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 August 2022.

The United Kingdom remains open to discussions on improving penholding. We welcome these discussions being taken forward shortly within the Informal Working Group on documentation and other procedural matters.

Colleagues, the penholding convention we know today is still relatively new. As mandated missions grew and files became more complex, the current approach evolved to provide efficiency, continuity and predictability.

This flexible and informal approach means that anyone can penhold and there are different ways of doing it. Indeed we have seen many valuable products initiated by elected members, particularly during their presidencies – such as on peacekeeping, WPS, climate security and protection of civilians.

We have also been open to co-penholding to enhance the process and have done so recently with Germany on Sudan and Libya sanctions and with Gabon on UNOCA.

The UK’s approach to penholding reflects a deep sense of responsibility for the Council’s role of addressing conflict and human suffering through proactive and practical action, and its mandate to address threats to international peace and security.

We strive to balance differing views. To reach consensus the UK has to go against our own national position. For example the fourth 3 month extension of the UNSMIL mandate last month; and the technical rollover of UNITAMS/Sudan mandate in June. The last time a UK-drafted resolution did not reach nine positive votes was in 1976.

Colleagues, the objective of improving working methods is surely for improving better outcomes, including Council products.

What underpins penholding it is what underpins all Council negotiations: the willingness of all of us to collaborate, listen and bridge national positions for the greater good.

But there is another approach pursued by the Russian Federation. Not engaging in negotiations, then tabling alternative texts for a vote, without taking into account the views of most Council members, is not consistent with this spirit of collaboration. Such showdowns are not best practice.

We note that the Russian Federation has initiated texts themselves, on Libya, WPS and on the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. These were not successful because they refused to take account of other views to reach consensus.

Colleagues, Note 507 – agreed recently in 2017 – sets out helpful guidance for enhancing ‘the full participation of Council members in the preparation of Council documents’.

The UK strives to take a professional, transparent, consensus-based, collaborative approach to enable all stakeholders time to articulate their views. Consulting the host government and the region early is critical for us. For example, the two technical rollovers of AMISOM in 2021 and 2022 ensured African partners and the African Union were ready to engage on a substantive reconfiguration of the mission.

We welcome further suggestions for how the process can be improved further and look forward to constructive discussions in the IWG.

Finally colleagues, it needs no reminding that Russia has convened this discussion today on working methods while their invasion of Ukraine – now six months in – remains in flagrant breach of the UN Charter – the very foundation that underpins everything the Council does and how it functions.