Tag: Press Release

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

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

President, I thank USG DiCarlo and High Commissioner Türk for their briefing today. This past year has seen continuous and devastating violence across the region. Civilians have suffered on a dreadful scale on both sides of the Blue Line.

The explosions in Lebanon this week and Israel’s strike in southern Beirut today are the latest in a deadly cycle of violence, and we are deeply concerned by civilian casualties resulting from those incidents. That children were among them is particularly distressing. Our condolences go to the families of the civilians killed.

My Foreign Secretary made our view clear last night: we need an immediate ceasefire on both sides. We are working in lockstep with our allies to de-escalate tensions and end this destructive cycle.

We want to see the implementation of a political plan, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which allows both Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes and live in peace and security. We are ready to play our role in a diplomatic process to achieve that.

President, let us be clear: Hizballah launched an unprovoked attack on Israel on 8 October 2023. Since then, Israel has faced a near-daily barrage of Hizballah rockets.

We are resolute in our support for Israel’s right to defend its citizens against such threats. However, in doing so, international humanitarian law must be fully respected, and all possible steps taken to avoid civilian casualties.

Lebanese Hizballah’s aggression has been fuelled by Iran and its continued destabilisation of the Middle East, including through its support to partners and proxies. Iran supplies advanced weaponry in contravention of multiple Security Council Resolutions, only prolonging the suffering of the Lebanese people.

While Hizballah and Iran continue to undermine Lebanon’s future, the UK is providing practical support to bolster its stability and security.

This includes funding and training to both the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, as well as humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities, including in the south of Lebanon.

President, now is the time for calm heads and an urgent focus on an immediate ceasefire to create the space for negotiations.

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

Interactive Dialogue with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. Delivered by the UK’s Ambassador to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you, Mr. President.

The playwright Tom Stoppard wrote that: “It’s not the voting that’s democracy, it’s the counting.” Just last week, we stood with 48 other nations in New York to call for the Venezuelan authorities to respect the people’s choice in the 28 July elections.

In the eight weeks since those elections, which the UN Panel of Experts stated “could not be considered democratic” we have seen thousands arbitrarily detained (including minors), the passports of human rights defenders annulled, the approval of the NGO law threatening civic space, and the persecution of the opposition candidate Edmundo González, who appears to have won the most votes in those elections by a significant margin.

We commend the continuing important and necessary work of the Fact-Finding Mission and the OHCHR, we strongly support the renewal of these critical mandates, and call on Venezuelan authorities to cooperate fully with both by granting them immediate, full and unfettered access to the country.

We stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and reaffirm our commitment to working towards a peaceful solution that respects each and every vote cast on 28 July.

Ms. Valiñas,

What more can be done to end the ongoing repression in Venezuela?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 September 2024.

Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Barbara Woodward, at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

The death toll in Gaza has reached over forty thousand. Water, sanitation and health infrastructure has been almost completely destroyed. Disease and the risk of famine pose further deadly threats.

And Israel continues to reckon with the appalling toll of October 7th with 101 hostages still held captive in Gaza, subject to unimaginable horror.

Elsewhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and across the region, tensions are escalating.

We need to see three things:

First, an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and ramping up of aid in Gaza. A deal is the best way to get the hostages home. Force will not provide a sustainable solution to the conflict. The ceasefire and hostage deal, driven by the commendable efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt, has to be finalised as a matter of urgency.

We call upon Hamas and Israel to agree the deal, and in the meantime for Hamas to grant the ICRC humanitarian access to the hostages whose ordeal continues. Our message to Hamas: let them go.

With winter fast approaching, we call on Israel to take swift action to allow the UN and humanitarian actors to do their job. By making de-confliction work, re-opening land routes for aid, and supporting preparations for winter by allowing a rapid increase in the volume of items for shelter and infrastructure repair.

Second, we must address the deteriorating situation in the West Bank. Expansion of settlements, in clear violation of international law, undermines prospects for peace and must cease immediately.

We have witnessed, with grave concern, how an increasing number of Israeli settlers have systemically used harassment, intimidation and violence to pressure Palestinian communities to leave their land. We call on Israel to hold those responsible to account.

We reiterate our clear position that any attempt to alter the geographic or demographic make-up of the Occupied Palestinian Territories through the use of force and outside of a negotiated solution is wholly unacceptable and illegal.

We also call for an end to the divisive and inflammatory rhetoric we have seen from some Israeli Ministers, which serve to fuel aggression towards Palestinians and humanitarian workers.

Finally, we need to galvanise a political process towards a two-state solution. As the ICJ has advised, Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Territories as rapidly as possible.

The UK is clear: this must be done through a negotiated solution, with reunification of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in line with 1967 borders and under the effective control of the Palestinian Authority. Peace must be premised upon a safe and secure Israel alongside a safe and secure Palestinian state.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 September 2024.

Ambassador Holland thanks Minister Valtonen from Finland for presenting priorities as incoming 2025 OSCE Chair-in-Office, and gives full UK support.

Thank you, Chair. Minister Valtonen, on behalf of the UK, a warm welcome to the Permanent Council. Thank you for outlining the priorities for Finland’s time as OSCE Chair-in-Office. Please be assured of the UK’s full support for the very focused agenda you have set out.

I’d like to pick up specifically on the three guiding principles you have outlined today. The first is to welcome your commitment to keeping support for Ukraine at the heart of the OSCE’s work. Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally shifted the landscape of European security and global stability. And it is becoming more complex, as Russia increases the intensity of its malign and reckless activities across many of the States in our region.

Each participating State of the OSCE has an equal right to security, and each day, Ukrainians are risking their lives to stand up for this right – not just for their own country, but for every one of us. Your commitment to focusing the OSCE’s work on Ukraine, as well as the security of all our citizens and our resilience to evolving threats, is therefore very welcome.

Secondly, as you have reminded us, next year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act: an important and symbolic milestone. That landmark agreement forms the bedrock of the OSCE, upon which we have built a unique institution through subsequent commitments and agreed principles. These commitments and principles have never been more important than they are today. They provide this institution with the tools it needs to pursue peace and security for our region. The OSCE continues to demonstrate its value every day. And those decades of experience supporting States to manage and resolve conflicts through the toolbox, Missions and instruments are of value to our entire region, and importantly, are already helping Ukraine with its current rebuilding and recovery efforts. We therefore welcome your ambition to make full use of the OSCE’s toolkit.

Lastly, in order to carry out its role effectively, we need an Organisation that is well-equipped. In the immediate term, this means we must get behind the Chair and agree new senior leadership appointments urgently. And more broadly, we welcome your commitment to prioritise inclusivity and strengthen the OSCE’s working methods and functionality, including through innovation. This simply cannot be done effectively without adequate funding. And we share your position that it is essential for the OSCE to have an agreed Unified Budget. We urge those obstructing agreement – to the Unified Budget itself as well as other important Draft Decisions on the organisation’s finances – to look beyond a narrow national focus, support the Chair-in-Office in good faith, and ensure all parts of the OSCE have the funding they need to effectively fulfil their mandates.

Your Excellency, we thank you for your open and consultative approach as you prepare for the task ahead of you. It will be challenging. You can rely on the strong support of the UK. We look forward to working with you and your dedicated team in Vienna, and wish you the best for your Chairpersonship.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 September 2024.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, together with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo, met in Brussels on Thursday 19 September.

This was the third meeting at political level and the first one in this format under the new UK government.

Building on significant progress of 12 April and 16 May, today’s discussions were constructive and productive, resulting in further progress on the complex issues of negotiations, namely in the area of people and goods.

The meeting reaffirmed their shared commitment to concluding an EU-UK Agreement to bring confidence, legal certainty, and stability to the people of the whole region, while safeguarding all parties’ legal positions.

They all agreed to remain in constant contact, with teams to work closely and intensely on outstanding areas.