Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement on the deteriorating situation in Myanmar.

Thank you, Mr President.

Thank you Special Rapporteur for your update yesterday afternoon.

We share your deep concern at the deteriorating human rights situation in Myanmar. I strongly condemn the junta’s human rights violations across the country. You, like others, have highlighted the truly horrific tactics, including mass killings, village burnings and indiscriminate airstrikes against civilians. The military’s recent attack on a school in Sagaing is utterly indefensible. There can be no justification for the killing of children and innocent civilians.

The regime’s executions of pro-democracy and opposition leaders in July were shameful acts that further demonstrate its casual disregard for human rights.

And we – like others – are concerned about the increased fighting in Rakhine State. Rohingya communities confined to camps and villages in Northern Rakhine risk being caught in the middle of the fighting.

Mr President, we stand with the brave people of Myanmar, and reiterate our call on the junta to end the violence now. Human rights violations and abuses must stop now. Civilians, including humanitarian workers, must be protected from violence by all parties. And we need unobstructed humanitarian access to reach Myanmar’s most vulnerable.

Special Rapporteur,

How can the international community better protect civilians in Myanmar?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

21 September 2022, Singapore – This week Singapore hosts a major delegation of 24 cutting-edge British companies exploring growth opportunities in Asia Pacific. They work on diverse projects including driverless vehicles, lawtech, cybersecurity and deeptech.

They are spending a week in Singapore hosted by the British High Commission and will engage with Singapore Government agencies including the Cyber Security Agency; Defence Science and Technology Agency; GovTech; the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Ministry of Law.

These activities form the first UK-Singapore Digital Economy Dialogue, a forum to promote the benefits of digital trade, deepen our partnerships at both the government and business levels, and ensure that regulation keeps up with the pace of innovation.

The visiting companies intend to use the all-new UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) to support their expansion into Asia Pacific.

The DEA is the most innovative trade agreement in the world, and is the first Digital Economy Agreement between a European nation and an Asian one. UK-Singapore trade is already worth over £17bn per year.

Tech Nation, the UK’s leading growth platform for tech companies, is co-leading this week by organising a delegation and creating a programme of 90 meetings with corporate partners and investors.

Lawtech: a bright spot for future growth

Ten lawtech companies are visiting Singapore from the UK to explore business opportunities in Asia Pacific.

‘Lawtech’ is commonly used to describe technologies that support, supplement or replace traditional methods for the delivery of legal services or legal transactions by law practice entities or lawyers.

The UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement is the first trade agreement in the world to contain specific commitments on lawtech. The UK’s lawtech sector is valued at £11.4bn, according to Tech Nation research. The UK has the largest legal services market in Europe – and is second globally only to the US.

The DEA brings together two leading nations on legal services, and will help firms identify collaboration opportunities in both markets more easily.

It has specific provisions that promote electronic contracts and signatures; secure international data flows; and ensure protection of key proprietary information.

The DEA gives businesses greater confidence and assurance about the rules of the road when it comes to trading digitally between the UK and Singapore, both now and in the future.

Kara Owen, British High Commissioner to Singapore said:

I am excited to host 24 UK tech companies at the British High Commission, Singapore. They are keen to use the all-new UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement to support their expansion into Singapore and the region.

The agreement is a marker of our ambition to break down trade barriers in areas including lawtech, data flows and cyber security. UK-Singapore trade is already worth over £17 billion per year, and this is only set to grow.

Natalie Black, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific said:

I am delighted to welcome a cohort of cutting-edge UK tech companies to Singapore to meet new partners, customers and investors and identify growth opportunities in the region.

Singapore is a gateway to the rest of Southeast Asia, which has a digital economy projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. The region has the demographics and openness that scaleups are looking for.

Our UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement will make the most of this opportunity – bringing together two high tech nations in a living agreement that keeps up with the pace of digital innovation.

Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary (Trade and Industry), Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Government, said:

We welcome the visit of UK tech startups to Singapore, in conjunction with the inaugural Digital Economy Dialogue under the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement. This is an opportunity to bring together industry stakeholders to explore how we can leverage this cutting-edge agreement and help our businesses, especially startups and SMEs, to seize new growth opportunities across our combined and growing digital markets.

Samantha Evans, Director of International at Tech Nation said:

Tech Nation are thrilled to be bringing the third cohort of leading UK tech companies on our International Growth Programme to Singapore. While here, the companies will be meeting with over 90 corporates and investors as they look for partnerships and opportunities to land and expand into this exciting market.

As part of the UK government’s Digital Trade Network, we have already supported over 300 UK tech scaleups derisk and accelerate their growth into Asia Pacific – with the majority looking to scale into Singapore first.

Given the demand from British tech to grow into this region, we look forward to continuing our work with the UK and Singaporean governments to support even more scaleups with their success here.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement on the issue of slavery.

Thank you very much, Mr Vice President,

Let me begin by thanking you Special Rapporteur, for your impressively thorough and well-evidenced report, and indeed for all your answers just now to some of the comments and questions that have been asked by colleagues in the room.

Your presence here today coincides with the sobering announcement from the ILO, that 10 million more people are in situations of modern slavery in the world. That means, 50 million people are living in modern slavery, 28 million people of whom are in situations of forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage. That is simply unacceptable in 2022.

That is why my country is partnering with Australia during this session of the Council to renew your mandate so that your crucial work can continue.

We welcome your recommendation that States should facilitate the full participation of survivors in developing forms of assistance as well as policies and programmes. We are committed to empowering and engaging survivors of modern slavery in our international policy and programming and we have commissioned independent research to inform our approach. We look forward to sharing the findings of this research with you and with other international partners.

Mr Special Rapporteur, in light of those figures from the ILO, how can we ensure SDG target 8.7 is indeed achieved?

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

Statement issued by the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Canada, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, USA and EU at the UN General Assembly in New York.

We, the ministers of Foreign Affairs of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and senior officials from Canada, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United States of America, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy wish to express our grave concern regarding the threats posed to the safety and security of nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes in Ukraine and their personnel, significantly raising the risk of a nuclear accident.

We wish to note the 2009 IAEA General Conference unanimous decision GC(53)/DEC/13 entitled “ Prohibition of armed attack or threat of attack against nuclear installations, during operation or under construction” which recognised the importance attached to safety, security and physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes as well as IAEA General Conference resolutions GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533 regarding armed attacks or threats against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes.

We underscore the importance of the IAEA Director General’s ”Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security”, outlined in his statement to the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on March 2-3, 2022.

These “Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security”, derived from existing IAEA nuclear safety standards and nuclear security guidance, are as follows:

1. The physical integrity of the nuclear facilities, whether it is reactors, fuel ponds, or radioactive waste stores, must be maintained;
2. All safety and security systems and equipment must be fully functional at all times;
3. The operating staff must be able to fulfil their respective safety and security duties, and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure;
4. There must be secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites;
5. There must be uninterrupted logistical supply chains and transportation to and from the sites;
6. There must be effective on-site and off-site radiation monitoring systems and emergency preparedness and response measures;
7. And finally, there must be reliable communications with the regulator and others.

We intend to continue to support the IAEA action in helping facilitate the implementation of these principles in Ukraine while fully respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, including through the IAEA nuclear safety and security assistance plan for Ukraine.

We welcome the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) and commend the Director General and his team for their courage and determination in performing this important mission. We support efforts to maintain a continued IAEA presence at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in order to support Ukraine, and stand ready to support the nuclear safety, security and safeguards objectives of the IAEA mission, as needed.

We emphasize that Russia’s seizure and militarization of the ZNPP is the root cause of the current threats in the field of nuclear safety and security. We recall that the heightened risks of a nuclear incident will remain dangerously high as long as Russia remains present on the site of ZNPP. The Russian Federation must immediately withdraw its troops from within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Should the Russian Federation conduct any sham referenda within occupied territories of Ukraine, we reiterate that these would have no legal and political effect, including on the status of the ZNPP.

We welcome the Director General’s work to follow up on his visit of September 1st and the proposals contained in his report. We reaffirm our support for resolution GOV/2022/58 adopted on September 15 by the IAEA Board of Governors.

We underline the importance of complying with international humanitarian law and renewing efforts aimed at the prompt reinforcing of the international framework relating to the protection of nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes including in armed conflicts.

As a first step, we stand ready to reaffirm the importance of these “Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security” in appropriate fora, in particular at the IAEA and at the United Nations as appropriate.

In due time, we are also ready to review the lessons learned in Ukraine in order to help the IAEA and the international community to prepare for and respond to future events and anticipate new threats, such as cyber-attacks.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 September 2022.

The Foreign Secretary is due to meet with his Russian counterpart for the first time today (22nd September) at the United Nations in New York – condemning his country’s aggression in Ukraine.

In a special Foreign Minister-level Security Council meeting on Ukraine, James Cleverly will reiterate, in front of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the UK’s full and unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

At the meeting, the Foreign Secretary, will commit to working with the international community to seek justice for the victims of this conflict, and hold those responsible to account, ensuring that Russia’s actions are not tolerated.

Speaking from the UK’s seat at the Security Council, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is expected to say:

Ukrainians’ resilience and spirit of defiance, in defence of their country, continues to inspire all free people and nations.

But every day, the devastating consequences of Russia’s invasion become more clear and evidence of Russian atrocities continues to mount…

… We can and must make clear to President Putin that his attacks on the sovereign will of the Ukrainian people – so clearly expressed as they fight for their homes – must stop. His assaults on the UN charter and international norms that protect us will not be tolerated and that he must withdraw from Ukraine to enable a return to regional and global stability.

The Foreign Secretary will expose how Moscow plans to fix the results of sham referendums across their temporarily controlled territories, in a move designed to provide false legitimacy for illegal land grabs.

After Vladimir Putin’s Presidential address this week, Cleverly will also reveal evidence of Russian tactics used to subvert Ukrainian democracy and rob Ukrainians of their homes and identity.

Following on from the Prime Minister’s speech to the UN General Assembly yesterday, the Foreign Secretary will set out the importance of a Ukrainian victory, saying that their fight for freedom is the world’s fight for freedom, because if Ukraine’s sovereignty and territory are not respected, no country is secure.

Later on Thursday, the Foreign Secretary will also attend a meeting on delivering justice for Ukraine and holding Russia to account for its egregious acts.

The meeting will feature Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, and the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who is leading the court’s investigation into the situation in Ukraine.