Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 February 2026.

Ambassador Holland rejects Russia’s false claims about the OSCE, stressing that it is Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, refusal to engage with OSCE mechanisms and continued detention of OSCE staff that undermine the organisation. The UK remains ready for meaningful dialogue at the OSCE, but this should be based on facts and law.

Thank you, Mr Chair. And thank you for the briefing this morning.

Last week, ahead of the visit by the Chairperson-in-office and Secretary General, the Russian Federation released a statement claiming that Western participating States had destroyed the OSCE by drifting away from its founding principles. This is not correct. One participating State has been responsible for repeated and serious violations of those principles, and that State is Russia.

The Helsinki Final Act and the wider body of OSCE commitments are clear. States must refrain from the threat or use of force, respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and settle disputes through peaceful means. Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing attacks that have severely impacted civilians and critical infrastructure show a clear disregard for these commitments. It should be obvious to say, but to accuse others of abandoning the OSCE’s principles while pursuing a war of aggression is hypocrisy.

Russia has also suggested that it has been pushed out of the OSCE framework. This is also not supported by events. In the lead up to the full-scale invasion, participating States made full use of the Vienna Document mechanisms to try to reduce risks and to seek transparency. For instance, participating States enacted the Renewed European Security Dialogue and the Early Warning Mechanism to engage Russia before its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. The fact is that Russia has repeatedly refused to engage, avoided meetings and spread false narratives. It has continued to deny access to the temporarily occupied territories, undermining OSCE mandated functions including monitoring the humanitarian situation. This is not a failure by the OSCE. It is a refusal by Russia to take part in good faith.

Today, participating States, including the UK, continue to raise Russia’s actions in Ukraine every week in this Council and in the Forum for Security Cooperation. We are critical of the invasion and the conduct of it but we look for meaningful dialogue based on facts and law. Russia has so far not responded in that spirit. Instead, it has repeated propaganda, made accusations without evidence and used language that does not reflect the standards expected in this organisation.

One example stands out: three OSCE staff members remain in Russian detention. Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov were detained in April 2022 while carrying out their official duties under a mandate agreed by all participating States. They have now spent nearly four years in detention. A State that imprisons its own OSCE colleagues cannot claim to defend its principles.

Russia has also dismissed as illegitimate the OSCE mechanisms that it agreed to in the past but now finds uncomfortable, including the Moscow Mechanism. These tools were created by consensus. Their purpose is to allow the OSCE to respond when a participating State seriously violates our shared commitments. Rejecting them now does not change their validity or purpose.

Mr Chair, the OSCE may face challenges, but the cause is not the behaviour of those who uphold its principles. The cause is the behaviour of one participating State that has chosen to break them. The way forward is also clear. Russia should end its aggression, respect international law, and release the detained OSCE staff members.

The UK will continue to stand with Ukraine and support the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty and the peaceful settlement of disputes. These remain the foundation of this Organisation.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 February 2026.

The UK government has been supporting more than 1 million Ukrainians affected by the energy crisis this winter.

• As Ukraine suffers its worst winter in a decade, UK-funded deliveries of generators, hygiene kits and other vital components are providing urgently-needed assistance in response to the dire humanitarian situation
• With the latest trilateral peace talks set to begin in the UAE, the UK has partnered with UNICEF and Ukrainian energy and water suppliers to restore the supply of water and heating to those that need it most in display of our unwavering support for Ukraine

As temperatures drop below -20C across Ukraine, the UK government has been supporting more than 1 million vulnerable civilians affected by the energy crisis this winter.

The UK’s latest delivery of generators comes ahead of peace talks in the UAE as Russia continues to step up its barbaric attacks, brutally launching 70 missiles at vital Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Monday night – the largest missile attack in more than a year.

The UK Government is working closely with UNICEF and Ukrainian energy and water suppliers, to help provide generators, pipes, cables, and other items to restore the crucial supply of water and heating to Ukrainian homes, schools and villages affected by the Russian attacks.  

Amid freezing temperatures with strikes hitting residential buildings, many people including the elderly population have been stuck in cold, dark homes without running water or the ability to cook a hot meal. Schools and hospitals have also been affected, with severe disruption to medical services and some schools unable to provide in-person learning for students, denying children the basic right to a safe, warm classroom and the opportunity to see teachers and friends.

This week, 28 UK-funded generators have been urgently dispatched to water and heating companies across Ukraine, where they will provide hundreds of thousands of residents with emergency utility supplies. This is in addition to the 21 generators that were dispatched from December 2025.

Last month, 730,000 Ukrainians in Zaporizhzhia City and Oblast plunged into darkness without water, electricity or heating also had their water supply restored within just 90 minutes by switching to reserve power, thanks to UK-funded high-capacity diesel generators. 

A further 10 generators are expected to arrive over the next week to ensure the continuity of water supply and district heating in priority locations across Ukraine. 

Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty said: 

Russia’s savage tactics will not work - their relentless efforts to deny innocent Ukrainians basic necessities like heating, electricity and water in the brutal cold of winter will not break their resolve. 

Despite the efforts for peace by Ukraine – Putin is continuing to hit innocent women, men and children – even in the middle of a brutal winter.

The UK is proud to stand with Ukraine and continue this lifesaving work with UNICEF. 

The UK has provided over £1 billion in humanitarian and energy support since the start of the full-scale invasion,  which is helping to keep the lights on and Ukrainian homes warm when vulnerable civilians need it most.

Rapid on-the-ground assistance has been provided to hundreds of thousands of people across the country, including: 

• UK support to local authorities in Mykolaiv Oblast has funded the installation of independent heating systems for two schools, Mykolaiv Lyceum Vidrodzhennia and Oleksandrivskyi Lyceum. Solid fuel boilers now allow in-person education to continue for 780 students, meaning the schools can focus on providing vital learning and care for children. 
• In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, UK support is helping to install a new water unit to make heating services more resilient for around 42,000 residents, while elsewhere in Kherson City we have helped deliver valves and pipes to repair heating and power after a Russian attack in December left 40% of the city without heating. A nearby boiler house serving 8,000 people has been completely rehabilitated, with stabilised heating expected to be restored for a further 30,000 people this month. 
• Distribution of hygiene kits in Kharkiv City following Russian attacks in January  alongside  the delivery of pre-insulated pipes and cables to Kharkiv’s municipal heating company to restore heating services for the population. 
• Thermal insulation materials for the district heating networks rehabilitation for 89,000 village residents in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, improving efficiency and lowering fuel costs. 
• UNICEF water trucks that have delivered 75m³ of water to several large reservoirs within Odesa city, 25m³ of water to Kherson. 

In total, the UK is one of Ukraine’s leading bilateral donors and has committed over £577 million in humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and the region since the start of the full-scale invasion.  

This is alongside over £470 million of in-kind, grant and loan financing committed to the repair, protection and recovery of Ukraine’s energy sector and its long-term reconstruction and clean transition. This includes £153 million in contributions to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund for grid level repairs, protection and additional power generation. 

In addition to the humanitarian response, the UK has committed to delivering £3 billion of military aid to Ukraine every year until the end of the decade, for as long as it takes. Together with our ERA loan, we will provide Ukraine with £4.5bn in military aid this year – more than ever before. 

Despite the efforts of the UK and likeminded international partners in responding to Russia’s callous attacks, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine remains dire. It is more important than ever than Putin ceases to stall and delay, and engages meaningfully in discussions in Abu Dhabi to bring about a just and lasting peace and end the relentless suffering for the people of Ukraine. 

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 February 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on UN Peacekeeping Operations: Police Commissioners.

The United Kingdom pays tribute to the UN Police who bravely serve in peacekeeping missions around the world.

UN policing is fundamental to effective peacekeeping in many contexts. To sustain impact, it must continue to adapt.

To that end, technology, including new digital tools, should be used to enhance the effectiveness of UN policing, supported by strong digital competency within missions.

New technologies can make missions more effective by enhancing operational awareness and deepening community engagement, but only if peacekeepers have the right skills and training to use them.

Second, it is vital that, like all peacekeepers, UN police uphold and reinforce the highest human rights, conduct, and accountability standards.

These principles form the basis of trust with local populations and are critical for mission effectiveness.

Any form of misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse, is unacceptable.

This requires timely and transparent accountability processes, with consistent national follow-up and publicly accessible reporting on disciplinary results.

Third, we must be clear that the meaningful participation of women in UN policing is an operational necessity, not an optional extra.

As we have heard clearly today, women police strengthen community engagement, broaden access, and improve reporting of conflict-related sexual violence.

For our part, the United Kingdom remains committed to tackling barriers to women’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping, including through our long-standing support for the Elsie Initiative Fund, to which we have pledged a further $685,000 in 2025.

Together, these efforts will help ensure UN policing remains capable, trusted, and effective.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

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

We welcome Mauritania’s continued engagement with the UPR process, as well as: efforts to strengthen access to education (particularly for girls); measures to address slavery and human trafficking; and collaboration with humanitarian partners.  

We recommend that Mauritania:  

1. Continues advancing the rights of women and girls by implementing legislation on gender-based violence and ensuring access to justice and survivor-centred services. Legalisation on gender-based violence would reaffirm the Government’s commitment. 
2. Increases efforts to eradicate slavery and discrimination, including hereditary and descent-based slavery, by strengthening investigations, prosecutions and accountability, ensuring fair and equal access to descendants and providing effective support for victims.   
3. Strengthens judicial protection for migrants and asylum seekers by adhering to international frameworks, ensuring humane treatment, due process safeguards, access to asylum procedures and protection from refoulement.  

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

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

Thank you, Mr Vice President.

The UK values Nauru’s sustained commitment to the UPR process and welcomes its efforts to enact the last review’s recommendations, including legal and policy reforms to protect the rights of women and children and persons with disabilities. We also welcome Nauru’s commitment to protections against gender-based violence and improving its food security.

We urge Nauru to continue seeking support from international partners to address the financial, logistical, and climate-related challenges it faces as it advances its human rights.

We recommend that Nauru:

1. Adopts Cabinet resolutions and develops implementation plans for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by 2028.
2. Prioritises improving women’s access to safe water in the Nauru Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development Project by 2027.
3. Protects and upholds media freedom in Nauru, including by reviewing prohibitively high foreign journalist visa fees to enable foreign journalists to visit the country.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

Delivered at São Tomé and Príncipe’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Madam Vice President.

The United Kingdom recognises São Tomé and Príncipe’s efforts to protect human rights through its accession of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its continued engagement with international human rights mechanisms.

The UK commends São Tomé and Príncipe for the delivery of peaceful and inclusive elections in 2022. We encourage a free and transparent electoral process, in accordance with international human rights standards, for their 2026 Presidential elections.

We recommend that São Tomé and Príncipe:

1. Accelerates efforts to eliminate all forms of child labour, in line with the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, and through the full implementation of the National Action Plan.
2. Establishes a fully independent National Human Rights Institution in line with the Paris Principles, including by adopting the necessary legislation and ensuring adequate resources to enable effective monitoring and protection of human rights.
3. Ratifies the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

Delivered at St Kitts and Nevis’ Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr Vice-President.

The United Kingdom welcomes St Kitts and Nevis’ continued engagement with the Universal Periodic Review process and thanks the delegation for its constructive national report.

We welcome steps taken to strengthen legislative and institutional frameworks, including in social protection, criminal justice cooperation and environmental governance, and encourage continued progress in line with international human rights standards.

We recommend St Kitts and Nevis to:

Conduct a review of the legal framework governing freedom of expression and media freedom, including defamation, to ensure full consistency with international human rights standards.

Adopt and begin implementing a time-bound plan to improve detention conditions in line with international human rights law, in particular to ensure minimum guarantees of humane treatment for persons in their custodial care.

Take concrete steps towards the abolition of the death penalty, including maintaining the existing de facto moratorium and consider legislative reform.

Thank you,

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, at Australia’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr President,  

We express our deepest condolences following the tragic antisemitic terrorist attacks in Bondi. We stand with Australia against hatred and violence. 

We commend Australia’s strong commitment to human rights.

We welcomed the appointment of the inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People in 2022 and congratulate Australia’s leadership in reinforcing global humanitarian principles through the Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel.

We recommend Australia: 

1. Introduces a National Human Rights Framework, including a National Human Rights Act, that strengthens and embeds Australia’s commitment to human rights at a national level. 
2. Strengthens measures to combat hate crime through enhanced legal protections.

Thank you and happy Australia Day!

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

Sir Christian Turner KCMG has taken up the role of His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States of America.

Following his appointment by His Majesty The King on 18 December 2025, Sir Christian Turner KCMG has presented his credentials to the US State Department and taken up the role of His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States of America.  

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Christian Philip Hollier Turner