Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2025.

• Foreign Secretary will co-host a reception with the Embassy of Israel in the Foreign Office today
• David Lammy will meet Holocaust survivor Janine Webber, who survived Nazi persecution in occupied Poland
• senior UK delegation including HMTK will join world leaders at Auschwitz-Birkenau commemoration ceremony in Poland

The Foreign Secretary will today co-host a reception with Her Excellency the Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Prior to the commemoration, the Foreign Secretary will meet Holocaust survivor Janine Webber BEM, who survived the Holocaust as child in occupied Poland, enduring the tragic loss of her parents and brother at the hands of the Nazis.

The commemoration will showcase innovative approaches to Holocaust education. These include Testimony 360, a virtual reality programme preserving survivor testimonies for future generations, and ‘In Their Footsteps’, a powerful exhibition featuring 3D-printed shoes that symbolise Holocaust remembrance.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to say:

‘Never again’ is a solemn promise, which we owe to the victims, but also which we must uphold for our own sake and for the sake of future generations.

We need Holocaust remembrance. Holocaust education. Action against antisemitism.

It is how we build a better future for all.

A high-level UK delegation, including senior government officials, His Majesty The King and Holocaust survivors, will join world leaders today at the Auschwitz-Birkenau commemoration ceremony in Poland.

As part of the UK’s commitment to Holocaust remembrance, the Prime Minister pledged at least £2.2 million in September to continue to fund the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project, enabling UK students to visit Auschwitz and learn about the history of the Holocaust.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2025.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio today.

The Foreign Secretary congratulated Secretary Rubio on his appointment as Secretary of State and the pair discussed their shared links to the Caribbean, with the Foreign Secretary’s family ties to Guyana and Secretary Rubio’s family links to Cuba.

They both welcomed the opportunity for the UK and the US to work together in alignment to address shared challenges including the situation in the Middle East, Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, the challenges posed by China and the need for Indo-Pacific security.

The pair said they looked forward to working together and to meeting in person soon.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 January 2025.

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

Thank you, Mr President.

We welcome Italy’s commitment to human rights, including its candidacy for the Human Rights Council.

We commend Italy’s efforts to implement its National Action Plan against Trafficking and Serious Exploitation of Human Beings, and welcome the adoption of the Strategic Plan on Male Violence Against Women.

However, we note the persistence of racial and discriminatory attitudes in society. We encourage greater protections for LGBT+ individuals, including tackling discrimination against same-sex couples and families.

We recommend that Italy:

1. Implement the recommendations of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, particularly around prevention and prosecution.
2. Implement the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance recommendation to set up an independent equality body.
3. Follow up on recommendations in the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, to ensure continued progress to stop violence against women and girls.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 January 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on UNDOF and UNIFIL.

After over a year of conflict and suffering across the Middle East, we now stand at a moment of hope for the people of the region.

With the Syrian people free from Assad’s tyranny, political progress in Lebanon, and news that a ceasefire and hostage release deal have been finalised for Gaza.

The UK will continue to work tirelessly to ensure we seize this opportunity and deliver much-needed peace.

The past year has seen continuous and devasting violence across the Blue Line.

We strongly believe that a ceasefire and lasting political solution are the only viable route to peace, stability and security for the Lebanese and Israeli people.

As we approach the end of the 60-day ceasefire period, every effort must be made to continue the progress and avoid a return to conflict.

Violations of the agreement will only bring us back to the brink, and we call on parties to uphold the commitments they agreed to.

Against this backdrop, the UK commends UNIFIL for maintaining its visibility and operational activities in difficult circumstances.

The UK will continue to support UNIFIL’s essential role in maintaining calm along the Blue Line and enabling the enhanced Lebanese Armed Forces deployment to southern Lebanon, consistent with the ceasefire agreement and UNSCR 1701.

We have consistently condemned attacks on UN Peacekeepers.

They must never be targeted.

All parties have an obligation under international law to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeeping personnel and premises.

Turning to UNDOF, the UN Disengagement of Forces Agreement remains vital for stability at this pivotal moment for Syria and the wider region.

Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.

This is more important than ever as Syria embarks on a political transition in pursuit of a more secure and peaceful future.

The UK is clear that we expect Israel to adhere to their commitment that their presence in the Area of Separation is both limited and temporary.

We call on Israel to lay out timelines for their withdrawal from the Area of Separation.

Let me, once again, reiterate the UK’s long-standing position that the Golan Heights are occupied territory, and we do not recognise Israel’s annexation.

Finally, after months of despair, news of the agreement between Israel and Hamas offers much-needed hope.

The hostages and their families have endured unimaginable agony and the level of suffering in Gaza defies belief.

This deal is the basis for progress.

To bring the hostages home.

Bring relief, reconstruction and hope to long-suffering civilians.

And to achieve a long-awaited two-state solution with Palestinians and Israelis living in peace and security.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 January 2025.

The British Ambassador and Minister of Environment discussed opportunities to deepen the longstanding climate partnership between the UK and Guatemala.

Ambassador Juliana Correa visited Patricia Orantes, Minister of Environment, on 16 January to discuss this year’s top priorities on our shared environmental agenda, including the preservation of forests, protection of biodiversity and tackling climate change.

To help with these objectives, Ambassador Correa announced that the UK has made available more than US$30 million for 40 countries, including Guatemala, to support governments in raising climate ambition, alongside funding for NDC implementation, technical advisory support and cross-ministerial coordination. The World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will mange these funds allocated to the NDC Partnership.

In addition, the Ambassador stressed that the UK continues to implement in Guatemala and Mesoamerica the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, which will invest more than US$7 million from 2023 to 2029 in the Mayan Jungle in Peten and a forest reserve in Trifinio (Chiquimula), with the aim of protect biodiversity, improve communities’ livelihoods and tackle the impacts of climate change.

Finally, Ambassador Correa and Minister Orantes agreed to explore the opportunities that environmentally friendly investments pose for the county, including on clean energies or waste management; that would create jobs while deepening the economic relationship between Guatemala and the UK.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 January 2025.

Minister Stephen Doughty will travel to Madrid and Lisbon to meet with counterparts and senior representatives from top European businesses.

• Minister Stephen Doughty to visit Spain and Portugal to reset relationships and advance opportunities for investment and growth with European partners
• trip to Madrid and Lisbon includes talks with world-leading companies Iberdrola and Avincis to explore further opportunities to deliver UK jobs and growth
• demonstrates how government is leveraging international engagement to deliver its Plan for Change and make Britain better off

Today (Thursday 16 January) as part of the government’s priority to kickstart economic growth, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty will travel to Madrid and Lisbon to meet with counterparts and senior representatives from top European businesses to foster closer ties and explore opportunities for investment and jobs in the UK.

With a trading relationship worth £63 billion annually, the UK is the number one European destination for Spanish investment. To build on this the minister will visit Iberdrola Innovation Centre in Madrid – one of the biggest energy companies in Europe – to tour the training campus and see demonstrations from chief engineers of the main technologies driving the clean energy transition.

Iberdrola has invested over £30 billion in the UK since 2007, and through Scottish Power employs over 6,000 UK staff. In 2023 the company successfully completed their biggest ever recruitment drive to fill 1,000 new green jobs. The shared ambitions of the government and Iberdrola in industrial development and jobs have led the company to announce they will double their investment in the UK over the next 4 years to reach up to £24 billion, in a clear vote of confidence in the UK’s policy direction and stable regulatory frameworks.

Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty said:

Through our Plan for Change, this government is taking a laser focus on driving economic growth, and a powerful lever for this will be showcasing what the UK has to offer overseas investors – including our friends in Europe.

Both Spain and Portugal will be an essential part of this commitment, and I will be speaking to key businesses that are supporting British jobs, investing in our economy and helping us become a clean energy superpower.

During his time in Madrid, Minister Stephen Doughty will also meet Spanish counterparts, to discuss cooperation on European security.

The minister will also travel to Lisbon where he will spend time at the headquarters of Avincis Helicopter Services, provider of lifesaving emergency air services owned by London-based Ancala Partners. With UK exports in services to Portugal having increased by more than 10% in 2024 compared with the previous year, the minister will discuss how the UK government’s support is helping the company to grow and continue their vital work across Europe, and the further opportunities to work together to create prosperity and opportunity.

With the historic Anglo-Portuguese Alliance dating back to 1373, the UK and Portugal share close links, from foreign and defence policy to people-to-people ties. Minister Stephen Doughty will see Inês Domingos, Portugal’s Secretary of State for European Affairs, following Portugal’s donation of €52 million for drones for the International Fund for Ukraine which will make a vital difference on the battlefield for Ukraine.

Background

• total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Spain was £63 billion in the 4 quarters to the end of Q2 2024. Read more in the Department for Business and Trade’s Spain trade and investment factsheet
• Avincis is owned by the London-based Ancala Partners. In early 2023 Ancala Partners announced the acquisition of Babcock International’s aerial emergency services in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Finland, renaming the company Avincis

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 January 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN General Assembly briefing by the UN Secretary-General on his 2025 priorities.

Effective multilateralism remains the key to effective global leadership, to peace and development.

But around the world, we see conflict exacting a terrible toll in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond; we see rights being rolled back, climate changing and development stalling.

As my Prime Minister said in this hall in September, we should not accept this slide into greater conflict, instability and injustice. And we will do all we can to work together for peace, human rights and development.

As we approach the 80th anniversary of the UN, with the world in turmoil, we must come together and deliver.

For the UK there are three core elements to this:

First, we recognise the opportunity this year presents to turbocharge practical and tangible action as we mark other significant milestones, including the UN Ocean Conference, the 30th climate COP, a decade since the Paris Agreement, and the Social Development Summit.

At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development we want to work in genuine partnership to unlock the finance, reforms and impact needed to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.

2025 is also a critical year for advancing women’s rights. As we mark Beijing+30 and the 25th anniversary of the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, we reaffirm the need for women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in peace processes and decision-making.

Second, we take our responsibility as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council seriously.

We will continue to work hard to ensure that the Council delivers on this crucial mandate.

This includes efforts to secure lasting peace for the people of the Middle East towards an inclusive political transition in Syria, an enduring ceasefire and political stability in Lebanon and of course, bringing to an end the awful conflict in Gaza, returning the hostages home, injecting aid and delivering a two-state solution.

Finally, we must also turn our attention to the UN’s potential for the decades ahead and ensure the organisation is fit for the future.

We need to make the system more representative and more responsive to those who need it most.

When we come together and when there is political will for change, we can make a difference.

Adopting the Pact for the Future by consensus at the Summit of the Future last year was a prime example of this.

Now we must implement the commitments we made in the Pact and its Annexes.

We renew our commitment to General Assembly revitalisation and to Security Council reform to ensure these bodies can continue to deliver on their mandates, as outlined in the UN Charter.

Mr President, 2025 should be a year of progress and reform.

It is in this spirit, that we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to work with all UN members in the service of the rule of law, cooperation and peace.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 January 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen.

First, we welcome the visits and continuing efforts of both WHO Director-General Tedros and Special Envoy Grundberg to secure the release of detainees.

We are deeply concerned about claims of Houthis further arbitrary and unlawful detentions of Yemeni citizens.

We call on this Council to unite in condemning Houthi detentions in the strongest terms and demand that the Houthis immediately and unconditionally release all those detained, enabling a safe operating environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those most in need.

This is more important than ever with nearly 20 million Yemenis now in need of assistance, as Ms Msuya spelled out so starkly for us.

Second, the UK will continue to support Freedom of Navigation including in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and we look forward to the extension later today of the mandate of UNSCR 2722.

The UK condemns the ongoing and reckless Houthi attacks against Israeli population centres.

We are clear on Israel’s right to self-defence against these attacks.

But this must be done in compliance with Israel’s international humanitarian law obligations, including the need to avoid damage to critical civilian infrastructure such as Hodeidah port, the main entry point for food and humanitarian supplies into Yemen.

Third, the UK is resolute in our support to the Government of Yemen and that is why we are co-hosting an event this month to galvanise international support for the Government as the legitimate representatives of the Yemeni people, and in order to promote stability and stable governance.

Yemen can only truly prosper, when all Yemenis are able to play their role in building a better future for their country.

Finally, President, on the occasion of General Beary’s final briefing to this Council I would like to commend his efforts in support of UNMHA and the Yemeni people in Hodeidah Governorate. I thank him for his service.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 January 2025.

Mr Kumar Iyer CMG has been appointed the United Kingdom’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation and other International Organisations based in Geneva, in succession to Mr Simon Manley CMG who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Iyer will take up his appointment during July 2025.

The UK’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative oversees the work of the UK Mission in Geneva and represents the United Kingdom in its engagement with over 35 international organisations, agencies and offices based in the city.  These include the UN Human Rights Council, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Intellectual Property Office, the Conference on Disarmament, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, CERN, and the World Economic Forum.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Kumar Sabapathy Iyer

Date	Role
2024	Clifford Chance LLP, London, Senior Adviser to the Board & Global Partnership
2020 to 2023	FCDO, Director General Economics, Science & Technology
2020	No 10, Prime Minister’s Covid Taskforce, Director General Policy & Analysis
2019 to 2020	FCO, Chief Economist
2017 to 2019	Oliver Wyman, London & International, Partner; & Oxford University, Hertford College, Academic Visitor
2013 to 2017	Mumbai, Deputy High Commissioner & HM Trade Commissioner to India
2012 to 2013	HM Treasury, Financial Sector Interventions, Deputy Director
2010 to 2012	HM Treasury, Strategy, Planning & Budget, Deputy Director
2008 to 2010	No 10, Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, Deputy Director
2004 to 2008	Boston Consulting Group, London & International, Management Consultant
2003 to 2004	Harvard University, Kennedy Scholar & Teaching Fellow
2000 to 2003	Oliver Wyman, London & International, Management Consultant
1999 to 2000	Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, Economics Supervisor
1998 to 2000	Bank of England, Postgraduate & Undergraduate S

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 January 2025.

The FCDO has released a statement following ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 14 January.

An FCDO spokesperson said:

DPRK’s ballistic missile launches on 14 January are another breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs).

Unlawful ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

The UK strongly urges the DPRK to stop such provocations and return to dialogue.