Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 November 2024.

Statement by Liz Page, First Secretary Cyber, Digital and Technology at the UN Third Committee on the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime.

Chair, the UK’s EOP at the conclusion of negotiations explained our basis for joining consensus on this Convention. Building on this, I will focus today on addressing views and interpretations expressed by stakeholders and some delegations.

Stakeholders are right to highlight the potential risks that this Convention could pose to human rights given its broad scope of international cooperation for the sharing of e-evidence and its intrusive procedural powers.

These risks led the UK, and many others, to insist on effective human rights safeguards in the final text. If applied properly and in good faith, these safeguards mean that human rights will be protected as the Convention is implemented. This is a legal obligation applicable to all State Parties.

Article 24, relating to the Convention’s procedural powers, is an example. Paragraph 1 of this Article says a Party’s domestic law shall provide for conditions and safeguards, which shall provide for the protection of human rights, in accordance with international human rights law.

While those conditions and safeguards will be provided for in a Party’s domestic law, the obligation to establish them is not optional. Nor is the obligation subservient to domestic law.

As is made clear by 24(4), these human rights obligations apply equally at the domestic level and when engaging in international cooperation.

It is concerning that a few Member States have already tried to deny or dodge them.

Chair, good faith adherence to safeguards is essential for building trust and unlocking the greater level of international cooperation most Member States aspire to. The UK will play close attention to the implementation of, and adherence to, the safeguards. The stakeholder community must also play an important role here.

The UK stands ready to cooperate with States who respect the letter and the spirit of the Convention, and support their efforts through capacity building.

To be clear – the UK will not cooperate with any country which does not comply with the safeguards required by this Convention.

Ultimately, while the commitments in the Convention are critical, it is how State Parties implement them in the real world which will determine whether this Convention makes a practical difference to efforts towards our common aim to prevent and combat cybercrime.

Finally, the UK appreciates Vietnam’s offer to host a signing ceremony – but expresses our strong concern at the unprecedented procedure by which this amendment has been introduced after the Ad Hoc Committee had concluded its work.

We accept this amendment on the basis that there are no PBIs and, noting the commitment Vietnam has expressed to an open dialogue with stakeholders, encourage Vietnam to maintain the inclusive spirit of the Ad Hoc Committee by enabling participation of stakeholders at the signing ceremony.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 November 2024.

Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

After eighteen months the conflict in Sudan has had a devastating impact on civilians.

Almost 19,000 people have been killed and 33,000 injured. These numbers, and the suffering they mask, are unacceptably high.

The UN reports that mass rape, torture, the destruction of livelihoods, ethnically-targeted killings have been perpetrated on a large scale.

I thank the Secretary-General for his recommendations on the protection of civilians, as requested by resolution 2736. The overarching message is clear – the most effective way to protect civilians is an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Efforts to secure this continue: we must offer our full support to the UN as they seek to mediate between the parties, and we call on the parties to engage in good faith with this process.

But the last eighteen months have also shown that we cannot just wait for a ceasefire.

We must act now, and these recommendations are a positive step towards more action to protect civilians. It is now for us as states, civil society and members of the UN family to consider how to use them.

To be successful, we must confront the context we face, rather than the one we would want or like to see.

I note the Secretary-General’s assessment that the conditions do not currently exist for the effective deployment of a UN force to protect civilians in Sudan.

We must keep this under review but also remember that the deployment of UN forces is only one lever amongst many.

We can all see that the warring parties have failed to uphold their commitments in the Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians and allow unfettered humanitarian access.

I urge them to establish a robust and transparent compliance mechanism to ensure their commitments bear tangible results on the ground.

They can achieve this, including with the support offered by the UN. Many civilians are suffering because of direct violence. But many more because they are starving, deliberately stopped by the warring parties from getting life-saving help.

I strongly support the Secretary-General’s recommendation that the parties agree to humanitarian pauses to allow the safe passage of civilians and facilitate the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.

The potential closure of the Adré border crossing looms large. Its closure would mean millions more civilians would be at risk.

The crisis demands adaptable approaches.

Ordinary people have stepped up and taken unimaginable risk to protect their communities, through the Emergency Response Rooms and other mutual aid groups.

The international community must listen to the Secretary-General’s call to consider how we can further support those local efforts. And this requires warring parties to back scalable, locally-negotiated ceasefires and violence reduction measures.

I urge all member states, civil society organisations, and stakeholders to be motivated by the Secretary-General’s recommendations, to step up coordinated, international action to protect the people of Sudan.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 November 2024.

Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Colleagues, Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with over 43,000 Palestinians killed, hospitals and roads destroyed and winter approaching.

We must see an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.

Ending the war is the best way to stop the suffering.

The humanitarian situation is intolerable and we need to act immediately to improve it. Aid deliveries last month were the lowest since the conflict began. And now, imminent famine looms over northern Gaza – while food and other lifesaving supplies are stuck at the border.

This is appalling.

It is completely unacceptable that trucks, humanitarian workers and medics, funded by the international community, are unable to travel the last few miles to reach civilians.

The Famine Review Committee has issued a shocking and urgent warning – one which Israel must heed, and act on today.

As the Committee put it, it is abundantly clear that a worst case scenario is now playing out in areas of northern Gaza, where starvation, malnutrition and deaths are believed to be rising fast.

Colleagues, time has run out, and urgent solutions are required now, to prevent the very worst from unfolding.

There is no excuse for the Israeli government’s ongoing restrictions on humanitarian assistance. They fly in the face of Israel’s public commitments. So let me be clear: my government condemns these restrictions in the strongest terms.

So, we are calling on Israel to finally, and immediately, make good on its commitment to flood Gaza with aid.

We want to see greater variety and quantity of essential items surging in, including food, water, fuel and medicine.

Israel must urgently enable safe and effective aid distribution. This includes repairing roads to deliver aid, and enabling continuous access to northern Gaza from southern Gaza.

Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. Evacuation orders should be rescinded as soon as possible so families can return home.

And humanitarians must be able to work safely and effectively.

The United Nations and its agencies must be able to fulfil their mandate.

UNRWA remains the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza and provides essential basic services.

The international community has been clear that Israel must not undermine its role and must meet all legal obligations as the Occupying Power.

Colleagues, we cannot allow famine to take hold – there is no time to waste. The international community must now act as one, and work with Israel to take every possible measure to prevent this disaster.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 November 2024.

• As the UK and Kuwait continue celebrations to mark 125 years of partnership, the Minister for the Middle East visited for key meetings with counterparts.
• His visit focused on defence, security and investment co-operation and reaffirms UK commitment to supporting de-escalation across the Middle East.
• Discussions also centred on the urgent humanitarian situation in both Gaza and Lebanon and efforts to uphold regional stability.

125 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Kuwait are being marked by a visit from UK Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer MP, in his first visit to Kuwait since taking office in July.

Reiterating the UK’s call for an immediate ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon, he discussed the deeply concerning situation in the Middle East and ways in which the UK and Kuwait, as close friends and partners, could work together to address this.

The Minister met senior Kuwaiti officials, including the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, alongside who he had co-chaired the 21st Kuwait-UK Joint Steering Group in London on 4 September; and the Managing Director of the Kuwait Investment Authority, Ghanem Al-Ghenaiman.

Reflecting on his visit, Minister Falconer said:

For over a century and a quarter, the UK and Kuwait have shared strong diplomatic relations. This landmark anniversary year has provided us with the opportunity to reflect on our shared history, whilst also strengthening current and future collaboration.

With a focus on ensuring regional stability, the UK is committed to working alongside Kuwait on de-escalating tensions across the Middle East and securing unimpeded aid access into Gaza.

Addressing a range of bilateral priorities, the Minister welcomed last month’s deal for the UK’s SRT Marine Systems to support the development of the Kuwait Coastguard’s capabilities, noting the defence and security co-operations between the two nations.

Turning to the UK government’s commitment to growth, the Minister also discussed plans to continue strengthening substantial trade and investment ties, highlighting the Sovereign Investment Partnership signed in August 2023 and positive progress of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council. In 2023, the GCC was equivalent to the UK’s 9th largest trading partner – with total trade worth £57 billion.

The Minister rounded off his visit by attending the first King’s Birthday Party to take place in Kuwait. While the theme was horticulture and heritage crafts – mutual interests of His Majesty the King and His Highness the Amir – Minister Falconer used his speech to stress the huge importance the UK places on its partnership with Kuwait, which spans a broad range of areas including trade and investment, defence and security, and culture and education.

The Minister is visiting Kuwait as part of a wider Gulf tour. He will also visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this week to discuss the importance of a ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon and de-escalation in the region.