Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 September 2024.

Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Myanmar. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you Deputy High Commissioner for your update. And we thank the High Commissioner for his report.

The humanitarian and human rights crisis in Myanmar continues to deepen. In August, more than 42,000 people were displaced, and the Myanmar military conducted more airstrikes than in any other month since the coup, targeting villages, schools and hospitals. At the same time, the military continues to obstruct aid, preventing vital supplies from reaching those in need.

We call on the Myanmar military, and all other actors, to allow safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to vulnerable communities. This is crucial as people suffer from the impacts of flooding, growing food insecurity and shortages of health and sanitation supplies. The UK will provide more than £40 million in assistance this financial year. We encourage other Member States to also consider what more they can do.

20,000 people remain arbitrarily detained, including journalists, healthcare workers and political prisoners. The IIMM (Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar) has found credible reports of widespread torture and deaths in detention, including physical abuse and sexual and gender-based violence of the most horrific kind, including against children. The military must release all those arbitrarily detained. We also call on Myanmar to comply with the UN Convention against Torture and respect the rights of detainees.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 September 2024.

British nationals should leave Lebanon immediately, ministers have warned, as the government bolsters its presence in the region.

• Brits warned to act now, and leave Lebanon as soon as possible
• military teams move to Cyprus as contingency planning is rolled out to support British nationals in Lebanon and the region
• ministers continue to call for a ceasefire immediately to end the cycle of violence, as more than 500 people killed in Lebanon in the past 24 hours

British nationals should leave Lebanon immediately, ministers have warned, as the government bolsters its presence in the region.

Around 700 UK troops will move to Cyprus in the coming hours, as the government continues to prepare its contingency plans following significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon in recent days.

The military teams will be supported by Border Force and FCDO officials.

The government continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon, as the situation continues to deteriorate rapidly, with devastating consequences.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

Events in the past hours and days have demonstrated how volatile this situation is, which is why our message is clear, British nationals should leave now.

We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life. Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British nationals should the situation deteriorate. I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism.

The UK already has a significant diplomatic and military footprint in the region, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and Royal Navy ships RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan, which have remained in the eastern Mediterranean to support British nationals and allies over the summer.

The Royal Air Force also have aircraft and transport helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary.

The call comes after the Defence Secretary held a meeting with ministers, intelligence chiefs and diplomats on Tuesday afternoon to test government planning.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 September 2024.

Statement by Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the UN Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy, the UK commends you not only for standing up for your people but for standing up for democracy.

Seeing you in Kyiv a few weeks ago with Secretary Blinken I saw ordinary people from all walks of life. The soldiers and the civilians. The firefighters and the first responders.

The mothers and the fathers working together in defence of freedom. Your bravery and courage is an inspiration to us all.

But Mr. President, I also want to speak directly to the Kremlin and its representative here today. And Vladimir Putin.

Russia sits on this Council. But its actions tear up the UN Charter.

Russia sits on this Council. But over the weekend we saw it put forward amendments designed to wreck the UN’s future.

Russia claims to stand for the Global South. But it runs roughshod over international law.

Vladimir Putin, when you fire missiles into Ukraine hospitals. We know who you are.

When you send mercenaries into African countries. We know who you are.

When you murder opponents in European cities. We know who you are.

Your invasion is in your own interests. Yours alone. To expand your mafia state into a mafia empire. An empire built on corruption.

Robbing from the Russian people as well as Ukraine. An empire built on crushing dissent. Courageous opponents like Navalny.

An empire built on lies. Spreading disinformation at home and abroad to sow disorder.

Mr President, I speak not only as a Briton, as a Londoner, and as a Foreign Secretary.

But I say to the Russian representative, on his phone as I speak, that I stand here also as a black man whose ancestors were taken in chains from Africa, at the barrel of a gun to be enslaved, whose ancestors rose up and fought in a great rebellion of the enslaved.

Imperialism. I know it when I see it. And I will call it out for what it is.

In this week, when I’m here talking to other partners around the world about our shared futures, and the future of the UN, Russia is trying to return us to a world of the past.

A world of imperialism. A world of redrawing borders by force. A world without the UN Charter.

We cannot allow this to happen. Ukraine’s fight matters to all of us. The UK will remain Ukraine’s staunchest supporter.

Because Mr. President these are the stakes.

If we let an imperialist redraw borders by force those will not be the last borders to be redrawn.

If we let an imperialist deny a nation its path Ukraine will not be the last state to be subjected. Maduro will take encouragement and go for Guyana next.

So let me be clear. We want peace in Ukraine. We want it for the Ukrainian people.

As President Zelenskyy has said, it must be a peace that respects the fundamental principles that underpin the United Nations.

The principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, as enshrined in this UN Charter. The Charter of the United Nations.  Putin’s Russia wants to unravel it. We want to uphold it. And we will.

As President Zelenskyy said, the UN Charter will prevail.

Slava Ukraini!

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 September 2024.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and the UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you, Commissioners, for your update which as ever is all the more shocking and compelling for its sobriety and precision

As you make clear, Russia continues to commit appalling atrocities against the Ukrainian people.

It’s indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets have intensified dramatically. August and July saw the highest number of civilian casualties in 2024.

Thousands of deported Ukrainian children remain in Russia.  We will not know the exact number or whereabouts of these children until Russia shares this information.

Your update only reinforces the already overwhelming evidence of the systematic and widespread use of torture against Ukrainian detainees, including sexual violence. We have also seen reports of POWs being executed in the most barbaric manner.

Three volunteers from the International Committee of the Red Cross were tragically killed in Donetsk this month.

Soon we will mark two years since Russia’s attempted annexation of four oblasts in eastern Ukraine. Those living under Russian occupation in these regions have endured violence, Russification, and the suppression of their Ukrainian identity.

Russia must be accountable both for specific atrocities and its act of aggression. From the battlefield to the courtroom, the UK stands with Ukraine.

Commissioners, what more can be done to protect communities in Ukraine ahead of a worsening humanitarian situation this Winter, exacerbated by Russia’s ongoing strikes to critical energy infrastructure?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 September 2024.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with group of Independent Experts on Belarus. Delivered at the 57th Human Rights Council in Geneva.

We are deeply concerned by brutal and systematic human rights violations in Belarus.  We condemn ongoing arbitrary arrests and widespread repression.

To mark the fourth anniversary of deeply flawed presidential elections in Belarus, we announced new sanctions on four commanding officers of penal colonies in response to ongoing human rights violations.

In addition, we announced £2.5 million support to Belarusian human rights defenders and civil society.

To the representatives of Belarus: while we welcome the recent release of some political prisoners, we urge you to immediately release the over 1,300 political prisoners who remain detained without reason.

Many face isolation, mistreatment, and a lack of medical care.

Six political prisoners are reported to have died since 2021.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 September 2024.

Mr Robert Tinline has been appointed British High Commissioner to Canada in succession to Ms Susannah Goshko CMG, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

Mr Tinline will take up his appointment during February 2025.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Robert Tinline

Year	Role
2022 to present	FCDO, Director Americas
2020 to 2022	FCDO, Director COVID
2017 to 2019	Joint Intelligence Committee, Chief of the Assessments Staff
2015 to 2017	Head of HMG Counter Proliferation and Arms Control Centre
2012 to 2015	UK Representation to the EU, Deputy Head of Mission
2011 to 2012	Madrid, Deputy Head of Mission
2010 to 2011	FCO, Head of Consular Assistance
2008 to 2010	FCO, Head of Near East Department
2007 to 2008	Basra, Deputy Consul General
2005 to 2007	FCO, Press Office
2003 to 2005	FCO, Counter Terrorism Department
1999 to 2002	Bogotá, Second Secretary
1997 to 1998	FCO, Security Policy Department
1997	Joined FCO

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 September 2024.

Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, as delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you, Madam Vice President.

We regret that due to timetabling problems, the Commissioners could not be here this morning. If they had been, I would have thanked them for their latest report, which clearly highlights the horrific violations and abuses Syrians continue to endure.

Of all the horrors of this conflict, one of the greatest tragedies is of those forcibly detained and missing. As the Commissioners report, over 100,000 Syrians remain missing yet Syrian authorities continue to obstruct families’ efforts to find their loved ones.

The UK firmly supports families, survivors and victims in their quest for the truth. So, we commend efforts to operationalise the Independent Institution on Missing Persons and call for the swift appointment of its Assistant Secretary-General, so that it can help clarify the fate of those missing Syrians and support their long-suffering families.

The Assad regime must address the issue of the missing and cease arbitrary detention. The Syrian people need assurances on their safety and security, if they are ever to return home.

This Council must not, will not, turn its back on the Syrian people, and those responsible for the abuses and violations of human rights must, will be held to account.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 September 2024.

Foreign Ministers of Australia, Jordan, Switzerland, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil and Colombia gave a joint statement on the protection of humanitarian personnel.

Statement by Foreign Ministers of Australia, Jordan, Switzerland, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil and Colombia:

Australia, Jordan, Switzerland, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil and Colombia, today announced the formation of a Ministerial Group for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, dedicated to upholding and championing international humanitarian law and driving action to protect humanitarian personnel in conflict zones.

International humanitarian law is the foundation for alleviating human suffering in wars. It limits the effects of armed conflict and regulates the conduct of hostilities. It provides for the protection of civilians, including the protection and respect of humanitarian personnel who assist and protect the victims of armed conflict, and notably provide the food, water and medical care that civilians in conflict zones need to survive.

But respect for international humanitarian law is severely undermined, with consequences for current and future conflicts. Calls for compliance are not being heard.

2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel, with 280 killed and hundreds more wounded and kidnapped. 2024 is on track to be even worse.

This year alone, we have seen humanitarian personnel killed in Sudan, South Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen and many other contexts. Gaza is the most dangerous place on earth to be an aid worker, with over 300 humanitarian personnel killed since the start of the war.

In forming this Ministerial Group, and in partnership with humanitarian organisations, we rededicate ourselves to the protection of humanitarian personnel. We stand together, seizing the momentum created by the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2730 in May 2024, to strengthen international commitment and translate it into action, to reverse current trends.

The Ministerial Group has decided to pursue a Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel.

The Declaration will be developed over the coming months, and will demonstrate the unity of the international community’s commitment to protect humanitarian personnel and to channel that commitment into action in all current and future conflicts. All countries will be invited to join the Declaration.

The Declaration will support the United Nations Secretary-General in his endeavours to improve the safety and security of humanitarian personnel, including in accordance with UNSCR 2730.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 September 2024.

Statement by the Governments of Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States on the announcement by South Sudan’s leaders of an extension of the country’s transitional period.

The Governments of Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States note with deep concern the announcement by South Sudan’s leaders of an extension of the country’s transitional period by two years.

This announcement demonstrates the persistent and collective failure of South Sudan’s leaders to create the conditions necessary to hold credible and peaceful elections in accordance with an established, publicly agreed-upon timeline.  Responsibility for this failure is shared by all parties in the transitional government.  As South Sudan’s leaders vie for power and fail to organise credible and peaceful elections, the people of South Sudan suffer the consequences. Millions face acute food insecurity year after year.

We acknowledge that elections cannot be credibly held as scheduled in December. This is because of South Sudanese leadership failures and lack of political will. Nevertheless, we cannot in good conscience endorse the extension of a status quo that prioritises the privileges of the elite over the welfare of the South Sudanese people.

We call on the transitional government to act with urgency to demonstrably create the conditions necessary for credible and peaceful elections. This includes expanded political and civic space to enable citizens to express their views without fear or repercussions, politically neutral security forces, funded and operationalized electoral institutions, and leaders’ public commitment to dialogue and the rejection of violence as a tool for political competition.

We urge South Sudan’s leaders to work toward sustainable peace, in particular through the Tumaini Initiative in Nairobi and broad-based leadership-level dialogue in Juba. It is also essential that the voices of women and youth are heard.

The Troika remains committed to the people of South Sudan in their journey towards a democratic future free from conflict.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 September 2024.

Statement by Fergus Eckersley, Minister Counsellor, at the Security Council meeting on Syria.

First, the United Kingdom is gravely concerned by ongoing conflict and devastation within Syria and the risks this presents for the stability of the entire region. It must not be forgotten.

The regime and its backers continue to exploit this instability for their own gain. In a single attack last week, regime forces injured three innocent children in eastern Aleppo. And since we heard a lot from our Russian colleagues about the west today, let me also say that this month marks nine years since the start of Russia’s military intervention in Syria.

Since then, Russia has continued to defend and support the perpetrators of terrible attacks against the Syrian people.

And President, that violence across Syria continues unabated. This summer has also witnessed a concerning increase in Daesh attacks across Syria, made possible by the ongoing instability of a country locked in a cycle of conflict, with no resolution in sight.

The United Kingdom is dedicated to countering Daesh’s resurgence as a core member of the Global Coalition. We stand for the safety and freedom of the Syrian people.

Second, as we usher in the start of a new academic year, thousands of Syrian children are living in active conflict without access to education, a basic human right. Over 2 million children are out of school, and 1.6 million more are at risk of dropping out.

These children are the future of Syria and they deserve access to an equitable education system. This is why the United Kingdom is supporting over 200 schools across North West Syria, through our flagship Syria Education Programme.

Third, despite the tireless efforts of the UN Special Envoy, the Constitutional Committee has not met since the Assad regime and its backers blocked the meetings in Geneva. The regime has stifled progress towards a sustainable and lasting resolution to this conflict and chosen instead a path that prolongs the suffering of millions.

We urgently need a political solution to bring stability to Syria and to the region. In this regard, the UK fully endorses the Special Envoy’s efforts to implement UNSCR 2254.