Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 October 2022.

Joint Statement by the Federative Republic of Brazil and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Cooperation to Promote Inclusive Economic Growth through Internationalisation of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The government of the Federative Republic of Brazil, represented by the Ministry of Economy (ME), and the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), have been cooperating since 2019 to promote inclusive economic growth in Brazil through the internationalisation of Brazilian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

This cooperation is a direct result of the 20 August 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign & Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (FCO) and the Ministry of Economy of the Federative Republic of Brazil (ME) on Prosperity Fund Cooperation on Trade Facilitation.

The main deliverable of this cooperation is the Global Trade Hub (GTH), or BRAEXP in its Brazilian brand name, a digital marketplace for export services focused on MSMEs and based on the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) Integrated Services for MSMEs in International Trade (ISMIT) concept, to be fully developed and transferred to Brazilian ownership and operation by March 2023.

An early outcome of this cooperation is the full digitisation and automation of the Brazilian National Plan of Export Culture (PNCE) export maturity self-assessment service, based on a benchmarked methodology originally developed by the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI). The PNCE service allows any Brazilian MSME from any region or sector and with access to the internet to self-assess its export maturity and receive, for free, a tailor-made internationalisation plan with the identification of the export services it needs to consume to access or expand its sales in international markets.

The PNCE service digitisation, automation, and technological transfer to ME was concluded in July 2022. While the service is already available to Brazilian MSMEs, it will be fully integrated into the GTH once the digital marketplace for export services is transferred to Brazilian ownership and operation and goes online.

The PNCE service and the GTH digital marketplace are based on open source, cloud-ready, and cutting-edge technology as well as on innovative international best practices. They place Brazil as a leader among emerging economies in the digitisation of foreign trade procedures and trade facilitation, as well as demonstrate the value of British Official Development Assistance (ODA) to foster inclusive economic growth and strengthen bilateral economic partnerships.

FCDO will continue to provide technical and financial support to the delivery of the GTH until March 2023 while ME will continue to lead negotiations with GTH stakeholders to secure a Technical Cooperation Agreement with a roadmap for the full implementation of the digital marketplace and the definition of its final legal and financial models. ME will also aim at adopting a new brand name for PNCE with a view to increasing MSMEs awareness and use of the service.

The Brazilian and British governments consider their cooperation on inclusive economic growth through the internationalisation of MSMEs as very successful and will continue cooperating with a view to concluding it by March 2023.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki to the UN Fifth Committee on the introduction of the proposed budget for 2023.

Thank you Mr Chair, Secretary-General, all

Member States have a responsibility to the UN and the people it serves to ensure the Organisation has the correct level of resource to carry out its mandates, in particular in support of the 2030 Agenda.

We will evaluate the Secretary-General’s budget proposals carefully. Programmes must use resources efficiently and effectively, to deliver results that make a real difference for those in greatest need. We will hold the Organisation to account for how it has used, and will use the resources we give it.

The United Kingdom welcomes the Secretary-General’s reforms, in particular the move to an annual budget cycle, which have contributed to a UN that is more results-orientated and better able to respond to fast changing challenges. While we see positive progress on results and responsiveness, there is always scope to go further.

We look to all programmes to ensure effective coordination and to collaborate across the UN system; to focus activities where they have comparative advantage and avoiding duplication; and to use innovation, evaluation and continuous improvement to enhance performance and mandate delivery. It is crucial that every dollar the United Nations spends has the greatest impact on the ground.

The UK notes a number of proposals to move activities previously funded through extra-budgetary contributions onto the regular budget. We support predictable and sustainable funding for UN work. But shifting more activity onto the regular budget is not always the solution, especially at a time when national budgets are under pressure. Nevertheless, we will consider such proposals on their individual merits.

Mr Chair,

Like others, we have serious concerns about certain ACABQ recommendations on the 2023 budget. Member States expect the ACABQ to provide clear, technical and evidence-based advice to inform our decision-making. But we have seen recommendations that seek to expand the ACABQ’s remit to extra-budgetary funded activities, to reopen long-standing GA resolutions. Most concerning, are recommendations that, if endorsed, could result in defunding human rights council mandates. We welcome the opportunity to engage with the ACABQ on these issues.

Finally Mr Chair, I would like to assure you and the Secretary-General of my delegation’s commitment to work constructively with all delegations to reach a good and timely outcome on the 2023 budget.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 October 2022.

The UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French, signed a joint statement alongside ten other European Human Rights Ambassadors on the human rights situation in Iran.

Human Rights Ambassadors from the UK, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Estonia, the Netherlands and Slovakia made the following joint statement following recent events in Iran:

“The violent death of 22‑year‑old “Zhina” Mahsa Amini as a result of mistreatment while in custody of the Iranian morality police brings home the dramatic human rights situation in Iran. It is a shocking reminder of the repression experienced by women, who face the threat of detention and physical violence simply for how they choose to dress. Over the past weeks, Iranians – both men and women – have bravely raised their voices against this violation of their freedom of expression. Protests have also called for freedom of the press and freedom of assembly, against the death penalty and extrajudicial executions, against torture, enforced disappearances and systematic impunity.

In short, the people of Iran are calling on their leaders to guarantee their fundamental rights. The Iranian security forces responded to the demonstrators with unjustifiable violence. The brutal response to the recent demonstrations at universities throughout the country is deeply concerning.

The international community must speak out clearly and unambiguously on the issue of repression and violence by the security forces and condemn these steps. We welcome the cross-regional statement at the UN Human Rights Council condemning the flagrant violation of women’s rights and calling on Iran to uphold the right to the freedom of expression and assembly.

Iran, as a signatory to the ICCPR, has a responsibility to put political and civil rights into practice. We call on the authorities to immediately stop its violent crackdown on protests, to immediately release demonstrators who have been unfairly detained, to cease the imprisonment of journalists who have been at the forefront of reporting on the protests, to restore reliable internet services across the country, and to guarantee human rights for all in Iran.”

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 October 2022.

Statement by UK Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on Yemen.

Thank you, Mr President. And let me thank Special Envoy Grundberg and ASG Msuya for their powerful briefings, and for the tireless work they and their teams are making on behalf of the Yemeni people.

After six months of relative peace, it is deeply disappointing that the truce in Yemen has not been extended.

The Houthi introduction of new maximalist demands in the final days of negotiations hindered the ability of the Special Envoy to broker agreement.

As we’ve heard today, this seriously jeopardises the tangible benefits that the truce has brought to the Yemeni people. In the past six months Yemenis have been able to live more safely and travel more freely than at any time since the war began, four times more oil has flowed into Hudaydah than the whole of last year, and tens of thousands of Yemenis have been able to fly out of Sana’a to visit loved ones and receive vital medical treatment. The protection of these measures must be a priority.

The United Kingdom calls on the parties to continue implementing these measures, and to return to the negotiating table to expand these benefits, as outlined in the UN’s proposal. This includes the payment of nurses, teachers and other civil servants their hard-earned salaries for the first time in years; the opening of roads around the country, including in Taiz; more commercial flights to more destinations; and further easing the flow of fuel into Hudaydah.

There is even more to lose. Refusal to extend the truce threatens to dismantle the foundation built for a negotiated peace settlement. A resolution to this terrible war depends on it.

But the door for an extended truce remains open. It is clear from Special Envoy Grundberg’s briefing that the UN is dedicated to achieving this outcome. The UK reiterates its full support to these efforts.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome ASG Msuya’s trip to the region. It is imperative that the international community learns lessons from the recent inter-agency humanitarian evaluation not just in Yemen, but globally. We praise the continued work of humanitarians to deliver lifesaving support. But only an end to the conflict will the deliver the lasting relief the Yemeni people need

At this fragile moment, it is encouraging that there has not yet been a return to war. We urge all parties to refrain from provocations. The costs of an end to the truce would be devastating.

Now is the time for the parties to show leadership, to act on behalf of the Yemeni people, and to continue on this path towards lasting peace.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 October 2022.

Ambassador Raphael Naegeli from Switzerland marks the 20th World Day against the Death Penalty at the OSCE, on behalf of the UK and other OSCE states.

Mr. Chair,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Kingdom and my own country Switzerland.

The 10th of October marked the 20th World Day against the Death Penalty. We welcome the fact that the global trend towards the abolition of capital punishment continues unabated in many parts of the world, including the OSCE region. At the launch of the World Day, twenty years ago, only 76 states had abolished the death penalty. Today, 110 states have done so. In this light, we commend Kazakhstan for the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. As of today, only two participating States continue to apply capital punishment: Belarus and the United States.

In the case of Belarus, we are deeply concerned by the extension of the application of the death penalty for what is deemed “attempted acts of terrorism”. This step is contrary to Belarus’ obligations under international law. We therefore call on the authorities of Belarus to reverse this decision.

Mr. Chair,

The use of the death penalty represents a violation of human rights, human dignity and personal integrity everywhere in the world and under all circumstances. It does not serve as a greater deterrence to potential offenders than other severe punishments, and hence has no impact on the prevention of crime, violence and violent extremism.

As we were reminded at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, it is crucial to continue involving civil society actors in the campaign towards the universal abolition of capital punishment. Their contribution has been instrumental in the progress achieved thus far.

Our countries remain committed to the universal abolition of the death penalty and call on all States, within the OSCE and beyond, to completely abolish capital punishment or, as a first step, establish a moratorium on its use. In this regard, we encourage all participating States to vote in favour of the UN resolution calling for a moratorium on capital punishment which is being negotiated at the UN General Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 October 2022.

Deputy Ambassador Brown voices strong UK support for the Geneva International Discussions (GID) as well as for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Thank you. The United Kingdom continues to strongly support the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and the work of the GID Co-Chairs. As the only international forum that brings together all sides from the conflict, the GID plays a vital role in trying to achieve a lasting resolution.

The UK reaffirms full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We call on the Russian Federation to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.

We also call upon the Russian Federation to immediately fulfil its obligation under the ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, fulfil its commitments to allow unfettered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and cease all borderization tactics.