Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 July 2026.

UK and India total trade, worth £48 billion in 2025, is set for an immediate boost with consumers now enjoying cheaper, quicker, and easier access to the best of British and Indian products and services across both countries.

To celebrate this historic occasion, a special package of select British goods arrived at the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai on the morning of 15 July aboard a British Airways flight. This package was unveiled by Harjinder Kang, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia, and David Wright, British Airways’ General Manager in India to signal the arrival of new opportunities unlocked under the agreement for both countries.

The package contained goods from the UK benefitting from reduced tariffs, including cosmetics, food products, and alcoholic beverages.

Harjinder Kang, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, said:

This is a watershed moment for the UK-India partnership. As the landmark trade deal comes into force, what better than having select British products arriving in one of the very first UK flights into India this morning – with thanks to support from British Airways. Our landmark trade deal is designed to benefit businesses and consumers from day one with cheaper, quicker and easier trade. We are all excited to take full advantage of it.

David Wright, British Airways’ General Manager in India, said:

India is one of British Airways’ most important markets and we have a long history of connecting people, businesses, and cultures across the UK and India. With 63 flights each week going up to 70 by the end of summer, we play an important role in strengthening economic and cultural ties between our two countries.

The UK-India Free Trade Agreement marks a significant milestone in the relationship between the UK and India and reinforces the long-term potential of one of the world’s most dynamic international corridors. We are proud to support this landmark agreement and the opportunities it will create for trade, investment and tourism.

As the UK’s flag carrier, we look forward to deepening our links with India and connecting customers and communities across our global network for years to come.

Starting 15 July, 99% of Indian goods entering the UK and 90% of UK goods entering India will either be duty free or reduced in tariffs. It will benefit a wide range of sectors on both sides including automotive, manufacturing, consumer goods, creative industries, and medical technology as it marks the biggest milestone in the bilateral economic partnership.

To mark this major milestone, a number of celebratory events and activations will be hosted by the UK Government across India and the UK including business receptions in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and at Lancaster House in London.

In the long run, the deal is expected to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, Indian GDP by £5.1billion, and UK GDP by £4.8billion every year.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2026.

UK General Comment on the draft resolution on women in humanitarian settings. Delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President.

We join others in taking this opportunity to pay tribute to Colombia’s role as penholder in these difficult circumstances and wish to honour once again the memory of Ambassador Gustavo Gallon.

The United Kingdom is pleased to join consensus on this important resolution and thanks the Core Group for its leadership throughout the negotiations. 

As humanitarian needs continue to grow in scale and complexity, women and girls remain disproportionately affected by conflict, displacement, disasters and other crises. This resolution places the protection, participation and leadership of women and girls at the centre of humanitarian responses and reinforces the need for a comprehensive, human rights-based approach.

We particularly welcome the references to preventing and responding to gender-based violence. Indeed, conflict-related sexual violence continues to have devastating consequences for survivors, families and communities. Preventing these crimes, supporting survivors, and ensuring perpetrators are held to account must remain a central part of efforts to build sustainable peace and security.

The resolution also highlights the importance of ensuring uninterrupted and non-discriminatory access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services, maternal healthcare, and mental health and psychosocial support. These services are essential to safeguarding the dignity, health and wellbeing of women and girls in crisis situations.

Equally important is its emphasis on the meaningful participation and leadership of women and girls, including women-led organisations, in humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery. Women and girls must be able to shape the decisions that affect their lives and communities.

The United Kingdom is proud to support this resolution.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2026.

UK Explanation of Position on the draft resolution on human rights and climate change. Delivered at the 62nd Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Mr President,

The UK thanks the Core Group, led by the Philippines, for their hard work this session.  We appreciate their engagement with us.

The UK particularly welcomes the focus of this year’s resolution on the needs and interests of future generations. It is entirely appropriate to that theme that this resolution underscores the importance of efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 Degrees Celsius.

The need and urgency for greater mitigation action and ambition is clear.  So, we are firmly of the view that mitigation should be more prominent in this resolution and we are disappointed that it is not. A just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels is integral to mitigation efforts, as the cross-regional General Comment has just set out.

There is no dispute from the UK that climate change can and does impact the enjoyment of human rights.  That is properly a matter for this Council.  However, the Human Rights Council should not be used as a forum to renegotiate the climate treaties or to misrepresent the independent legal nature of the Paris Agreement.  Accordingly, the UK does not support any text in this resolution that does not accurately reflect obligations under the Paris Agreement or the decisions taken under it, including those in paragraph 28 of the Global Stocktake.  Nor should the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities be applied in a manner inconsistent with that already agreed in UN climate negotiations, so we likewise do not support any such text that does so here.  

Whilst we appreciate the rationalisation of the text on loss and damage, we remain deeply concerned by this resolution’s framing of the provision of climate finance and loss and damage. The New Collective Quantified Goal, adopted at COP29 and which establishes the framework for climate finance through to 2035, represents a clear consensus on climate finance. It is simply unhelpful for this resolution to be inconsistent with that agreed outcome.  So, we do not support the parts of this resolution that elide obligatory and voluntary actions and introduce new terms that are not used in the UNFCCC and Paris framework.

The UK remains strongly committed to international climate action. So, we would welcome the Core Group and others working closely with us on the scope, focus and framing of the next iteration of this resolution over the coming year.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2026.

UK General Comment on the draft resolution on independence and impartiality of the judiciary. Delivered at the 62nd Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Mr President,

The UK is proud to cosponsor Resolution L.15 on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, jurors and assessors, and the independence of lawyers: the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. 

All legal professionals should be able to discharge their professional duties without fear of reprisals.  An independent legal profession and an independent and impartial judiciary are at the heart of the rule of law.  They play a vital role in promoting and protecting human rights.  That role is only enhanced by the balanced representation of men and women at all levels of the legal profession and the UK was proud to cosponsor a side event on “Women in Law” this Session.

We welcome this resolution’s focus on robust judicial selection and appointment processes and the UK was a proud cosponsor of a side event on that topic this Session too.  Rigorous judicial selection and appointment contributes to public trust in the judiciary as an organ of the State, thereby enhancing the rule of law and helping to discharge human rights obligations effectively.  We consider these principles are equally important at the international level, including in the selection of judges to bodies such as the International Court of Justice, where independence, impartiality and expertise are essential. That standard underpins the UK’s support for Professor Dapo Akande’s candidacy.

Finally, we welcome the rationalisation efforts made by the core groups to merge and streamline these two resolutions. 

Happily, this resolution already benefits from wide cosponsorship and we hope it will pass by consensus, as has happened in the past.  We thank Hungary and the Core Group for their leadership on this important issue.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2026.

UK General Comment on the draft resolution on freedom of expression. Delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President

The UK is pleased to join consensus on this important resolution and thanks the Core Group for its leadership throughout the negotiations. Freedom of opinion and expression is a cornerstone of democratic societies, accountability, and the protection of all human rights.

At a time when journalists, media workers, human rights defenders, and civil society actors face growing threats, this resolution sends a clear signal that they must be able to carry out their work freely and safely. The strengthened  language on safety of journalists, combating impunity, transnational repression, and strategic lawsuits against public participation is welcome.

We particularly welcome the resolution’s strong recognition of the barriers that women and girls continue to face in exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression. The strengthened language on technology-facilitated gender-based violence, digital inequalities, and the importance of women’s and girls’ full, equal, meaningful and safe participation online and offline is especially important.

We welcome the resolution’s focus on digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and information integrity. Responses to disinformation must remain rooted in international human rights law while promoting transparency, accountability, and access to reliable information.

As co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition alongside Finland, the UK remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom worldwide and is proud once again to support this resolution.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2026.

UK General Comment on the draft resolution on disinformation. Delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President,

The UK is pleased to be member of the core group and thanks Ukraine, as penholder, for its leadership and constructive engagement throughout the negotiations. This resolution addresses and recognises disinformation as a growing challenge to the enjoyment of human rights and democratic participation.

We have seen first-hand the harmful impact of disinformation, including foreign information manipulation and interference, both in the UK and internationally. Such activity seeks to undermine trust in democratic institutions, distort public debate and, in some cases, exacerbate conflict and human rights violations.
 

We therefore particularly welcome updates to the text that reflect the evolving information environment, including references to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), synthetic media, information integrity, and the human rights implications of artificial intelligence. These additions strengthen the resolution’s relevance and underscore the need for rights-respecting responses to emerging threats.  

We encourage all delegations to support the draft.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2026.

UK Explanation of Position on the draft resolution on Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. Delivered by UK Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim to Myanmar, Andrew Jackson.

Thank you Mr President, 

The UK would like to thank the OIC for presenting Resolution L.20 on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. 

As we have heard repeatedly throughout this Council, including from the High Commissioner and Special Rapporteur, the Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar continue to suffer from appalling human rights violations and abuses at the hands of the Military and other armed groups.  

The High Commissioner’s latest report highlights the continued deterioration of the situation in Myanmar, including at least 702 civilian deaths during the reporting period, of which 476 resulted from airstrikes. Behind these stark figures are lives lost, families torn apart and communities living in fear every day. The UK condemns the Military’s continued use of violence, which is inflicting immense suffering on civilians and deepening an already devastating humanitarian crisis. 

The Rohingya continue to face persecution, discrimination, statelessness, and restrictions on freedom of movement. Ongoing violence in Rakhine State has further exacerbated their vulnerability, alongside other minority communities, exposing many to sexual and gender-based violence and forcing thousands more to flee their homes in search of safety.

The UK recognises the important role played by Bangladesh in hosting over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees and acknowledges the immense challenges it faces, including pressures on infrastructure and security in the camps. Greater self-reliance for refugees and improved safety and security are vital to supporting the wellbeing of the Rohingya, and in creating the conditions for eventual safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified returns. 

This resolution rightly maintains the Council’s attention on the plight of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. We welcome its strong focus on accountability including through ongoing international processes and mechanisms. Ending impunity is essential to breaking cycles of violence and ensuring justice for victims and survivors. 

Mr President, 

While we will join consensus on this resolution, we wish to place on record the UK’s position that though we continue to address human rights violations and abuses, wherever they occur in Myanmar, we must be clear that the military bears primary responsibility for systematic violations against the Rohingya and other civilian populations. 

The situation in Myanmar deserves sustained collective attention and resolve of this Council. The United Kingdom remains committed to working with the OIC and international partners to address the root causes of the crisis, support accountability, and advance the rights and dignity of the Rohingya and all people of Myanmar. 

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 July 2026.

UK Explanation of Vote on the draft resolution on the human rights situation in Eritrea. Delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Mr President,

The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Eritrea. The system of indefinite national service has a suffocating impact on the lives of Eritreans, especially young people, and has contributed to mass emigration including to the UK. It requires urgent reform.  

We welcome areas of progress that have been made in Eritrea; including relating to essential health services and education. In particular, and as recognised in this draft resolution, we are pleased to see the release of some arbitrarily detained persons held for political or religious reasons. We encourage the Eritrean government to extend these releases to the many more that remain arbitrarily detained. 

It is clear that the Special Rapporteur’s efforts to report on the human rights situation in Eritrea continues to be needed. As such, the UK supports the draft resolution on the human rights situation in Eritrea and its outcome to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.

We thank the core group behind this resolution for  constructive and transparent engagement with the Council and support the adoption of this resolution by consensus.

If a vote is called, we will vote YES and encourage others to do the same.

Thank you.