Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 July 2024.

Ambassador Holland expresses concern at the mounting evidence of Russia’s violations of international law and demands answers on whether Russia stands by its OSCE commitments.

Thank you, Mister Chair.

On Monday 22 July, ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) released their fifth interim report on reported violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law in Ukraine.

The findings were disturbing but sadly not a surprise; they are consistent with findings by other international organisations. They are also consistent with the serious concerns that we and colleagues have repeatedly raised in this room.

For example, the report noted an intensification of attacks by Russian Federation forces since December 2023, resulting in increased civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, including critical energy infrastructure. It notes a continued disregard for the principles of distinction and proportionality. We have heard similar points in this Council almost every week.

The report covered patterns of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances of civilians in the territories Russia temporarily controls and “widespread and systematic torture, including sexual torture against civilian detainees.”

It cites evidence of the widespread use of torture and poor conditions of detention for prisoners of wars.

There was also further information in ODIHR’s report on Russia’s intensified efforts “to alter the status and character of the occupied territories in violation of IHL”.

Mister Chair, there are many more examples. The point is that ODIHR’s interim report is the latest contribution to the growing body of evidence detailing how Russia has executed this illegal war. It is right that the OSCE and its autonomous institutions should play a role in documenting these crimes and holding Russia to account.  It is also right that we – participating States – continue to use this meeting to confront Russia with the uncomfortable truth and highlight violations of OSCE principles which we all agreed to honour.

In this spirit, on 6 June I asked the Russian delegation whether they considered Russia’s actions in Ukraine to be in conformity with this first Helsinki principle and if so, whether they could explain how? Their response was to give an example – from 25 years ago – where they believed that others had failed to comply with the principle.  That did not answer my question. So I ask again – does the Russian Federation stand by its commitment to the first Helsinki principle on sovereignty?

On 11 July, we asked how Russia’s preconditions for negotiations with Ukraine conformed to several principles from the Decalogue. We did not get a direct response to this either. The speech by the Russian President called for Ukraine to withdraw completely from four oblasts that fall within Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders. So could Russia confirm that they still stand by their commitments in Article 3 which prohibit the demand for and seizure of part of the territory of another state? Could we also get a proper answer on how the invasion of Ukraine complies with Article 4 which prohibits making the territory of a fellow state an object of military occupation? Does Russia still stand by that commitment? And finally, could we also get a direct answer to whether Russia still abides by its Article 2 commitments on the non-use of force in the light of the invasion?

Mister Chair, we should all be deeply concerned at how seriously Russia treats its commitments when those commitments become inconvenient. If they are allowed to discard OSCE principles and the UN Charter on this occasion, how could any of us have faith that they would comply with their commitments, here or elsewhere, in the future? I think those of us who share the Helsinki commitments and a common geographic home deserve straight answers. Because these principles were designed to keep us secure and if we compromise on them, we undermine all of our collective security.  Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 July 2024.

Statement by UK Spokesperson to the UN Mungo Woodifield at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

Colleagues, on 24 February 2022 many of us were sitting in this Council when we learned the terrible news that Russia had launched an illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. On that day, and on every one of the 882 days since, Ukraine has been bravely exercising its right to self-defence under the UN Charter. Ukraine has defended its sovereign land and it has rejected Russia’s vision for a world where states can change borders by force. It has stood up for the principles at the very heart of the UN Charter. The UK’s commitment to support Ukraine is ironclad.

I would like to use my remarks today to make three points. First, we must never lose sight of the terrible human cost of the war in Ukraine, Putin’s war of choice. Just a few weeks ago, we met after a Russian missile reduced a children’s hospital in Kyiv to rubble. This was the latest example of the horrific attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, which have resulted in over 34 thousand civilians confirmed killed and injured since the invasion began, and which have left over 14.6 million Ukrainians in need of humanitarian assistance. The Russian people are also experiencing the terrible consequences of the invasion. Nearly 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the last 60 days alone, adding to the more than half a million Russian troops killed or wounded since the start of the invasion.

Second, Russia has become increasingly desperate to procure weapons to sustain its attacks on Ukraine. Russia has received hundreds of drones from Iran and significant quantities of weapons from the DPRK. It is absurd, but frankly no longer surprising, that Russia criticises legitimate Western support for Ukraine’s self-defence while it procures weapons from the DPRK in flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions that it supported. We reiterate our call on all third parties immediately to cease material support for Russia’s war of aggression.

Third, the UK – together with our Allies and partners – will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. At the NATO Summit earlier this month the UK, alongside 22 other countries and the EU, signed up to the Ukraine Compact. This declared our enduring commitment to support Ukraine’s self-defence and to deter aggression. Our resolve will not waver.

The UK has committed to sustain current levels of military support to Ukraine for as long as it takes. And we will continue to support Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression until a just and lasting peace is secured, in line with the UN Charter. It is for Ukraine to determine its position in any negotiations. Just as it is for Ukraine to determine its democratic future. Ukraine is a sovereign country making sovereign decisions about the defence of its sovereign land and the sooner Russia understands this, the better.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 July 2024.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrives in Laos for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

• David Lammy will join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting this week to advance UK economic, climate and health partnerships
• the visit will strengthen ties with some of the world’s fastest growing economies
• this comes as part of the government’s mission to unlock economic growth and create jobs in the UK and across the Indo-Pacific region

The UK will bolster economic cooperation with Southeast Asian countries as the Foreign Secretary arrives in Laos today (25 July) for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

In Vientiane, the Foreign Secretary will position the UK as a key partner to the Indo-Pacific region by forging closer collaboration on areas including trade, climate change and health security. Marking his first official visit to the region, the summit will highlight this government’s plan to strengthen Britain’s influence with the global powers of tomorrow.

With a combined population of almost 700 million people and the ASEAN economy set to be the fourth largest in the world by 2030, the Foreign Secretary will use his visit to drive forward the UK’s economic cooperation with ASEAN and its member states. Britain is a proud trading nation – forging closer ties with this region is vital for opening opportunities for British businesses to tap into dynamic markets which are growing at pace. This all forms part of the government’s mission to boost prosperity and deliver more jobs at home to help achieve the highest sustained​ growth in the G7.

As part of the government’s mission to regain the UK’s leadership on development, the Foreign Secretary will announce a £25 million UK-ASEAN partnership to tackle the world’s most pressing global health challenges. The fund will help detect and prevent future diseases and boost health security within the region and also at home.

The meeting is also an opportunity to reaffirm the UK’s position as a climate leader, with a new UK-ASEAN Green Transition Fund worth up to £40 million to help boost green growth and leverage UK expertise to support countries at the forefront of the climate crisis. The funding will help unlock green growth for ASEAN businesses and in turn provide opportunities for green investments from the UK.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

ASEAN is home to almost 700 million people and will be the fourth largest economy by 2030. Boosting our cooperation with the Indo-Pacific is crucial for Britain’s future economic success, creating more jobs and opportunity on both sides of the world.

We will secure prosperity for the British people in a way that drives growth at home, protects the environment and reinforces Britain’s standing on the global stage.

The Foreign Secretary’s visit also provides an opportunity to underscore the government’s commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific, and show that it stands steadfast with our ASEAN partners in protecting regional stability.

In the margins of the meeting, the Foreign Secretary will hold bilaterals with his counterparts from ASEAN’s member states, as well as other countries in the region such as Japan and New Zealand. He will use these opportunities to underline the UK’s commitment to working with them on a broad spectrum of issues including security, the economy, the climate crisis and education.

ASEAN follows a visit this week to India, where the Foreign Secretary agreed with counterparts to step up cooperation through a number of new joint schemes, including a UK-India Technology Security Initiative. This summer, the UK will launch a new Chevening ASEAN Scholarship Programme, further strengthening our education ties by bringing some of ASEANs best minds to the UK.

The UK became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 2021, which gave the UK a seat at the table to cooperate more closely with countries in the region. In 2022, the UK and ASEAN agreed a joint Plan of Action setting out a roadmap for cooperation on areas of joint interest.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 July 2024.

Mr James Hooley OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba in succession to Sir George Hollingbery KCMG. Mr Hooley will take up his appointment during March 2025.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: James David Hooley

2024 to present	Full-time language training (Spanish)
2022 to 2024	FCDO, Deputy Director, Protocol (Joint Head of Royal & Coronation Unit, later Head of Royal Unit)
2017 to 2022	Washington, Head of Political Section
2016	Home Office, Joint International Counter Terrorism Unit
2013 to 2015	FCO, Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
2012 to 2013	FCO, International Organisations Department, Head of Sanctions Section
2009 to 2012	Nairobi, Second Secretary (Somalia)
2008 to 2009	Home Office, UK Border Agency International Group (Political)
2007 to 2008	FCO, Counter Terrorism Department, Desk Officer
2007	Joined FCO

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

At the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC), Ambassador Neil Holland calls on Russia to end its war, withdraw all its forces from all of Ukraine and to re-engage in dialogue and risk-reduction.

Thank you, Mr Chair, dear Mario. I want to start by thanking you and your team for your stewardship of this Forum over the past trimester and for ensuring that this Forum has remained relevant and able to fulfil its mandate.

We fully support your efforts to keep this Forum focused on Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine. The invasion is in its third year and continues to violate the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles, including those on sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force. Under your stewardship, we have shown that these principles and this Forum continue to matter and that we will keep on defending both.

Mr Chair, we welcomed the focus of your Security Dialogues on different aspect of the war on Ukraine, particularly Humanitarian Mine Action and Women, Peace, and Security. It remains essential that we continue to champion women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in political and peace processes.

Since 24 February 2022, the Ukrainian people have continued to defend their homeland. As my Prime Minister said this month, we will support Ukraine with whatever it takes, for as long as it takes to uphold our shared values and our shared security.

Mr Chair, Russia’s invasion of another participating State has undermined the principles of this organisation and of international humanitarian law. Perhaps that is why Russia continues to do everything it can to avoid a discussion on these issues in this Forum. For a third trimester in a row, Russia blocked consensus on holding a formal FSC Security Dialogue. It has blocked standard sessions of the Forum too, while demanding exceptional treatment. Yet, it has been unable to articulate any issues with the mandated Agenda, let alone offer an alternative.

The Rules of Procedure remain clear. Under these, the Chair is mandated to ‘ensure the good order and smooth running of meetings’. The Rules remain clear that it is the Chair’s prerogative to set the agenda. And to select and invite guest speakers.

There remains another path. Russia claims that it wants peace. Peace is in its gift. If that wish for peace is genuine, it can end this war and withdraw all of its forces to outside of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders. It should do this. Russia claims that it is serious about dialogue and risk reduction. If that is true, it must re-engage with an FSC that meets, as mandated, weekly.

I wish to conclude by thanking Cyprus as it leaves the FSC Troika, and to welcome Spain. The incoming Chair, Denmark, can count on the UK’s full and continued support next trimester – including in its prerogative as FSC Chair. Thank you.

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

Foreign Secretary announces UK-India Technology Security Initiative in New Delhi.

• new UK-India Technology Security Initiative agreed delivering crucial collaboration on telecoms security and unlocking investment across emerging technologies
• the new initiative will refresh and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, focusing on boosting economic growth in both countries
• UK and India agree to closer collaboration on tackling climate change, accelerating our green energy partnership on off-shore wind and green hydrogen, and unlocking green growth opportunities

The Foreign Secretary has today announced the UK-India Technology Security Initiative during his first visit to India in his role where he met senior Indian Government officials including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as part of the government’s reset with the Global South.

The Initiative has been spearheaded and agreed by the National Security Advisors (NSAs) following negotiations between both countries to expand collaboration in critical and emerging technologies across priority sectors. It will set out a bold new approach for how the UK and India work together on the defining technologies of this decade – telecoms, critical minerals, AI, quantum, health/bio tech, advanced materials and semiconductors.

This first of its kind agreement – delivered by the Foreign Secretary on behalf of the Prime Minister – builds on a series of partnerships between the British and Indian government, industry and academia. The respective National Security Advisers will take this agreement forward to ensure the collective potential of UK-Indian critical technologies is harnessed.

The announcement is part of a wider package of announcements the Foreign Secretary agreed following bilateral meetings in New Delhi with Indian Prime Minister Modi and Minister for External Affairs Dr Jaishankar to refresh the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This will drive forward a bilateral partnership that is framed on boosting economic growth, deepening co-operation across key issues including trade, technology, education, culture and climate.

A new £7-million funding call for Future Telecoms research was also announced by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and India’s Department of Science and Technology, under the India-UK science, technology, and innovation partnership.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

This government will put growth at the heart of our foreign policy. That’s why 3 weeks into the job, I am in Delhi announcing a new Technology Security Initiative to deliver on the promise of the UK-India relationship.

This will mean real action together on the challenges of the future from AI to critical minerals. Together we can unlock mutual growth, boost innovation, jobs and investment.

We are also accelerating our joint work on the climate crisis – ensuring brighter, safer futures for Brits and Indians. This government is reconnecting Britain for our security and prosperity at home.

Secretary of State for Science Peter Kyle said:

The UK and India are recognised the world over as powerhouses for science, innovation and technology – and this new agreement will deliver growth and untold benefits for citizens across both nations.

From telecoms and semiconductors to biotechnology and AI, these generation-defining technologies will unlock countless new opportunities and innovations, so we can deliver for working people here and in India as we deepen our long-standing partnership.

The Foreign Secretary agreed with the Minister for External Affairs to deepen partnership on climate, including to mobilise finance and unlock new clean growth opportunities.

This includes strengthening our investment partnership, to unlock the potential of pioneering Indian enterprises working on climate and technology. These initiatives are specifically focussed on delivering green development while empowering women.

As well as work on off-shore-wind and green hydrogen, the UK and India agreed to deepen our partnership on forests and on building resilient cities of the future.

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

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds is in Rio de Janeiro for the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting.

• minister to set out how she will modernise the UK’s approach to international development
• the UK’s intention to join the Brazilian President’s Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty also set to be announced

The UK’s Minister for International Development Anneliese Dodds is in Rio de Janeiro representing the UK at the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting – on the first visit by a member of the new government to South America.

The government wants to modernise the UK’s approach to international development – with a focus on genuine respect and partnerships with other countries.

In meetings with Brazil and other key Global South partners, Minister Dodds is raising shared challenges and common interests, such as tackling global poverty, instability, and the climate and nature crisis, accelerating reform of the global financial system and unlocking economic development and growth.

Today Minister Dodds will also confirm the UK’s intention to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, an initiative created by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Minister for International Development, Women and Equalities, Anneliese Dodds said:

The new UK government’s mission is to create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet. To tackle global crises and deliver sustainable growth, we need to draw on the strength which comes from equal partnerships.

We want to build relationships based on genuine respect, such as Brazil’s Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty with its focus on action, sharing solutions, exchanging expertise and unlocking much-needed finance.

Poverty and a lack of opportunities are drivers of vulnerability, conflicts and uncontrolled migration, a vicious cycle which breeds more poverty and hunger. We cannot change the past, but we can change the future. That change starts now.

The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty builds on Brazil’s internationally renowned successes in tackling poverty and inequality through support to family farms, and through programmes like the Bolsa Família, which uses cash-based transfers to improve access to food, the health of mothers and children, and school attendance. It has benefited more than 55 million people in total so far.

The UK has contributed its own expertise to the work of the Global Alliance Taskforce and will offer further support to add momentum – including our readiness to join the Board of Champions and bringing in the UK’s global network of development, academic and civil society organisations.

During the 2-day visit, the minister has also visited a quilombo, a community set up by an Afro-Brazilian community which plays a key role in environmental preservation, reaffirming that gender and racial equality will be a domestic and international priority for the new UK government.

Background

• the Brazilian presidency of the G20 officially started on 1 December 2023, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as chair. The theme of the Brazilian presidency is ‘Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet’. The presidency will culminate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro later this year, on 18 to 19 November 2024

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

Foreign Secretary David Lammy makes his first visit to New Delhi to push the UK growth agenda.

• UK growth at the top of the agenda for the Foreign Secretary’s first visit to New Delhi
• David Lammy will highlight the importance of new partnership with India that focuses on economic, domestic and global security
• he will hold high level meetings with the Indian government as well as climate and business leaders

Economic, domestic and global security will be at the heart the Foreign Secretary’s first visit to India as he travels to New Delhi today (24 July) to unlock the full potential of the UK-India partnership.

On the visit, the Foreign Secretary will push for a reset of the UK-India partnership including through reinforcing the UK’s commitment to securing a Free Trade Agreement that will benefit both economies.

He will tell his Indian counterpart that he wants to drive forward greater growth for both countries.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations is the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham. We have shared interests on the green transition, new technologies, economic security and global security.

I am travelling to India in my first month as Foreign Secretary because resetting our relationship with the Global South is a key part of how this government will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home.

David Lammy will galvanise support for accelerated action on the climate crisis with India as an indispensable partner – driving forward the clean energy transition and creating opportunities for British and Indian businesses. He will discuss partnering on Indian-led global initiatives to build clean power access, climate resilience in the Global South and small island states.

The Foreign Secretary will underscore the importance of the ‘living bridge’ between the UK and India. It represents the 1.7 million people with Indian heritage that have made their home in the UK and make an exceptional contribution to British life.

In a visit to India’s third largest technology company, the Foreign Secretary will meet business leaders to highlight how the UK and India are working together on shared ambitions such as cutting-edge science to encourage innovation, boost trade, and improve the livelihoods of working people in both countries.

The Foreign Secretary will also hold high-level talks with members from the Indian government including Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister. He will reiterate the extraordinary contribution of British Indians, saying that they enrich the UK’s social and economic landscape and are the epitome of modern Britain.

He will say that we must harness this and unlock the potential of the new UK-India partnership, so we can deliver prosperity not just for the people of India and the UK but for the rest of the world.

The Foreign Secretary will travel on from India to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Laos where he will advance UK economic partnerships and unveil new cooperation on climate and health.

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

Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a new display has been unveiled in Parliament Square to honour the lives lost from the Ukrainian sporting community.

• a powerful display honouring the Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion has been unveiled today in Parliament Square
• more than 487 Ukrainian athletes have been killed, with the lives of former and aspiring Olympians, as well as the next generation of sporting talent, cut short
• display comes ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games later this week

Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a display has been unveiled in Parliament Square to honour the lives lost from within the Ukrainian sporting community and to highlight the devastating consequences of the war in Ukraine.

Since Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Ukrainians, including 487 athletes. More than 4,000 athletes are still actively supporting the war effort.

Unveiled today in Parliament Square, the new 3D display brings to life the harrowing ‘487’ figure – though the true number is likely to be even higher. Surrounding the display, sporting equipment representing the disciplines of some of the 487 fallen athletes offers a stark reminder of the war’s devastating toll.

With only 140 athletes from Ukraine competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, this marks the smallest representation ever in Ukraine’s summer Olympic history.

Among the athletes killed by Russian forces are Oleksandr Pielieshenko, who competed in weightlifting at the Rio 2016 Olympics and died defending his country in May this year. Other casualties include promising young athletes like 11-year-old rhythmic gymnast Kateryna Diachenko, whose life was cut short by a Russian attack on her hometown of Mariupol at the onset of the war on 12 March 2022.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

As the world gathers this summer to celebrate the very best of sporting talent, we must pause to remember the hundreds of Ukrainian athletes who are no longer with us or can no longer take part due to the war.

We are drawing attention to the harrowing real life stories behind the 487 statistic to pay tribute to the fallen athletes as a timely reminder of this government’s iron-clad support for Ukraine and its people. We must support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.

The defence of Europe begins in Ukraine and the outcome is down to our collective will. Now is the time to double down on our support so Ukraine not only wins the war, but can forge the bright and ambitious future that Ukrainians deserve.

Heorhii Tykhyi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said:

Every Ukrainian athlete at the Olympics represents the Ukrainian will to win, Volia. By acting swiftly and with united efforts, the prospect of a world where Ukrainian athletes and citizens are free from the threats posed by Russia will be a reality.

The display comes just days after the Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy at Downing Street last week after the European Political Community summit. President Zelenskyy also met the Defence and Business Secretaries where they discussed the need for more cooperation and the need to boost industrial production for Ukraine.

The UK’s commitment to support Ukraine to resist Russian aggression is iron-clad. The Prime Minister announced his commitment to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. In total, the UK has committed almost £12.7 billion in military, humanitarian, and economic support for Ukraine since February 2022.

Current and former Olympic athletes and coaches worldwide have also united in solidarity with Ukraine in light of the 487 figure, sharing their hopes for Ukraine to receive the support it needs to win.

This includes Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American Olympic figure skater, Oksana Masters, Ukrainian-American Paralympic athlete, German Biathlete Jens Steinigen and coach Wolfgang Pichler, and former Ukrainian Olympic wrestler Oksana Rakhra.

Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American figure skater, said:

I’ve always believed in the power of sport to unite and inspire. But today, I’m not just speaking as an athlete. I’m speaking as the daughter of a Ukrainian immigrant, my mother, Galina. I’ve grown up with stories of Ukraine, our culture, our people, and their resilience.

Today, I stand in awe of the Ukrainian athletes participating in the Olympics and think of those who we are missing and have been lost to the war. Their courage, strength and determination embodies the spirit of my mother’s homeland and I stand with them in solidarity.

Together, we can show the world the power of unity in sport.

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

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

First, we call on the Houthis to stop their escalatory behaviour that threatens the prospect of stability in Yemen and the region. We, once again, condemn the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv which saw an Israeli civilian killed and 10 other civilians wounded. We are deeply concerned about the risk and the consequences of escalation in the region and we call for all parties to exercise restraint.

We also remain deeply concerned by the Houthis’ detention of United Nations personnel, as well as the staff and former staff of non-governmental organisations and diplomatic missions. We echo the calls from Special Envoy Grundburg and Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya on the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release those held. As well as the personal distress for the individuals and their families, these detentions have also severely impeded the delivery of vital aid to those most in need and further constrained the humanitarian community working across Yemen. All humanitarian, UN, and diplomatic staff should be free to operate safely and securely throughout Yemen.

Second, the UK has been clear, that the continued flouting of the arms embargo under UNSCR 2216 is unacceptable and serves only to fuel further regional tensions. The increasing reports of ships entering Hodeidah without reporting to UNVIM for inspection is deeply worrying because the inspection of vessels is fundamental to stopping illicit arms entering Houthi controlled areas, while also ensuring the import of commercial goods. We must continue to provide unwavering support to UNVIM and ensure it has the necessary funding to stop the smuggling of illicit arms.

Finally,  we welcome the commitment of the parties to de-escalate economic tensions and to start convening meetings to discuss all economic and humanitarian issues based on the roadmap. The UK reaffirms that the only way to peace in Yemen is through dialogue and engagement with the Special Envoy. It is important that we remain unified in support of his efforts to secure an inclusive and sustainable peace in Yemen. We continue to urge all parties to de-escalate tensions and preserve space for negotiations.