Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : UK reinforces support for Ukraine with £2.26 billion loan to bolster Ukrainian defence capabilities [March 2025]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 1 March 2025.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko will today (Saturday 1 March) sign the UK-Ukraine Bilateral agreement.
- The £2.26 billion loan will bolster Ukrainian military capability, and will be paid back using profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets.
- Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko will sign the formal loan agreement today (Saturday 1 March), with the first tranche of funding expected to reach Ukraine later next week.
- The loan demonstrates the UK’s commitment to Ukrainian defence. A strong Ukraine is vital to UK national security – the first duty of any government and central to the Plan for Change.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko will today (Saturday 1 March) sign the UK-Ukraine Bilateral agreement.

This agreement will deliver £2.26 billion in funding to Ukraine, which will be paid back using the extraordinary profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets held in the EU.

This is the UK’s contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme, through which G7 countries will collectively provide $50 billion to support Ukraine.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

A safe and secure Ukraine is a safe and secure United Kingdom. This funding will bolster Ukraine’s armed forces and will put Ukraine in the strongest possible position at a critical juncture in the war.

It comes as we have increased our defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, which will deliver the stability required to keep us safe and underpin economic growth.

The loan will be fully earmarked for military procurement to bolster Ukraine’s defences, with the first tranche of funding expected to be disbursed to Ukraine next week.

Russia’s obligation under international law to pay for the damage it has caused to Ukraine is clear and this G7 agreement, backed by the profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, is an important step to ensuring this happens.

The funding will be delivered in three equal annual payments of £752m.

The announcement of the loan agreement is on top of the £3 billion a year commitment by the UK to provide military aid for Ukraine. The Prime Minister has been clear that a strong Ukraine is vital to UK national security.

This loan follows the announcement by the Prime Minister committing the Government to increase UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with an ambition to spend 3% of GDP on defence in the next parliament as economic and fiscal conditions allow.

This represents the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, safeguarding our collective security and funding the capabilities, technology and industrial capacity needed to keep the UK and our allies safe for generations to come.

As set out in the Plan for Change, national security is the first duty of the government, and investment in defence will protect UK citizens from threats at home while also creating a secure and stable environment for economic growth.
19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine [March 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 March 2025.

The Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street this afternoon.

The Prime Minister reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine, adding that the UK will always stand with them, for as long as it takes.

The Prime Minister re-stated his determination to finding a path that ends Russia’s illegal war and ensures a just and lasting peace that secures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security.

The leaders looked forward to continuing these discussions at tomorrow’s leaders’ summit in London.

19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer call with President Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan [February 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 February 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke with the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this afternoon.

The Prime Minister reflected on his recent visit to the US and the importance of working with international partners to uphold European security.

Discussing the war in Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary to deter Russian aggression.

The Prime Minister went on to set out his aims for the Leaders’ Summit he is convening in London on Sunday and said he was looking forward to Türkiye’s Foreign Minister participating in these talks.

The leaders agreed to stay in touch.

19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : COP16 concludes in Rome with a landmark agreement to mobilise resources for people and nature [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 February 2025.

The UK welcomes the positive conclusion to negotiations at the resumed meeting of CBD COP16, which saw the international community make progress towards halting and reversing nature loss by 2030.
- The agreement sets out a strategy for global collaboration on raising finance from all sources
- A finalised Monitoring Framework will allow the international community to increase transparency on the global effort to address the nature crisis
The extended session of COP16 in Rome ended today (Friday 28 February), after participants landed on a significant new agreement to address the global nature crisis.

The deal will see global collaboration on raising finance for biodiversity, and details of the monitoring framework of the Global Biodiversity Framework targets finalised to accelerate nature recovery.

An agreement on resource mobilisation creates a clear strategy for global collaboration on raising finance from all sources to fund the work necessary to achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The finalisation of a Monitoring Framework and the global approach to reviewing progress in delivering the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, will ensure shared approach to tracking progress with transparency and accountability.

Ruth Davis, UK Special Representative for Nature, who was present at the negotiations in Rome said:

“This agreement is a significant step forward in the effort to tackle the nature crisis.

“As the need for action becomes ever more urgent, a moment of genuine progress like this is heartening to see. Now, we must build on the spirit of co-operation shown in Rome to mobilise the resources needed to restore nature.

“This is essential to help maintain food security, store carbon and tackle the impacts of floods and droughts.”

UK Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:

“Nature provides everything we need to live. Our prosperity at home and around the world relies on the health of the natural world.”

“The UK has been active in calling for an ambitious agreement to achieve our international targets to protect and restore the natural world.”

“This agreement follows through on that ambition, and we look forward to working with other nations to protect and restore nature across the globe.”

The UK played a key role in working with the parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to finalise complex discussions on nature finance, and to agree a monitoring framework which will enable all Parties to measure and report in a consistent manner the delivery of their national actions. This will significantly enhance the ability of the international community to monitor the global state of nature, as well as understanding how best to focus future interventions.

Negotiations in Rome saw the launch of the Cali Fund for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources. This is an important step to allow companies who utilise genetic databases derived from nature, such as the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biotech sectors, to direct funds on a voluntary basis towards the Indigenous Peoples and local communities who safeguard biodiversity.

The Government also published the UK National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP) during the resumed COP16, which commits to achieving all 23 targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework at home. It highlights the UK’s international leadership to halt and reverse nature loss as work continues to halt the decline of species by 2030.

This extended session follows the original meeting of COP16 in Cali, Colombia in November 2024. The UK will seek to build on the success of COP16 at the UNFCCC COP30 in Brazil later this year and CBD COP17 in Armenia in 2026
19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : Ministerial appointment [28 February 2025]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 February 2025.

The King has been pleased to approve the following appointment:
- Baroness Chapman of Darlington as a Minister of State (Minister for International Development) in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Baroness Chapman will attend Cabinet.
The Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP has left the Government.

Notes to editors:
- Baroness Chapman will also retain her existing portfolio responsibilities.
- Stephen Doughty MP will cover Official Development Assistance in the House of Commons.
- Hamish Falconer MP (previously unpaid) will be paid as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government launches working group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia definition [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 28 February 2025.

A new working group has been established to provide government with a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia.
- It is the first duty of government to keep its citizens safe
- New group set to deliver a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia within six months as incidents of anti-Muslim hatred reach the highest number on record in 2024
- The definition will provide guidance to government and other bodies to support further action on tackling religiously motivated hate, delivering on the Plan for Change safer streets mission
A new working group has been established to provide government with a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, supporting a wider stream of work to tackle the unacceptable incidents of anti-Muslim hatred.

It will advise government on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims.

With incidents of anti-Muslim hate crime at record high in England and Wales, the group’s work will support wider and ongoing government-led efforts to tackle religiously motivated hate crime – delivering on the government’s Plan for Change mission for safer streets.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, said:

The rise in anti-Muslim hate crime is unacceptable and has no place in our society.

That’s why we’ve committed to defining Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, as a crucial steps forward in tackling it and creating a society where everyone feels safe and welcome.

The group will be chaired by Dominic Grieve KC, bringing his years of legal and government expertise to the role.

Dominic Grieve KC said:

We know Islamophobia is as challenging to define as its existence is undoubted. We need to balance addressing the lived experience of those who are victims of it and the right of British Muslims to feel heard and protected as equal citizens of our country, with the unwavering requirement to maintain freedom of thought and expression under law for all.

I welcome the government’s decision to bring forward this needed work and I am hopeful that this commission will come up with principles in defining Islamophobia which are compatible with those requirements and can thus help support positive change in our country.

Alongside drawing on their own expertise, members will engage widely to ensure the definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of Muslim communities across the United Kingdom.

The group’s proposed definition will be non-statutory and will provide the government and other relevant bodies with an understanding of unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities.

The group’s proposed definition must be compatible with the unchanging right of British citizens to exercise freedom of speech and expression – which includes the right to criticise, express dislike of, or insult religions and/or the beliefs and practices of adherents.
19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 February 2025.

UK and French Interior Minister launch new police and enforcement plans including state of the art surveillance technology to disrupt smuggling gangs in France.

New measures to tackle people-smuggling gangs have been agreed by the UK and France, with over £7 million of existing funds redirected towards a stronger law enforcement response on migrant channel crossings, as ⁠Yvette Cooper meets with French Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, the first Home Secretary visit to Northern France in almost 5 years.

As part of the ongoing Sandhurst agreement and new joint working between the 2 governments, the ministers have agreed a series of new, stronger enforcement plans from spring, including:
- a new specialist intelligence and judicial police unit in Dunkirk to speed up the arrest and prosecution of people-smugglers
- a new Compagnie de Marche of specialist enforcement officers, similar to the arrangements that were put in place during the Paris Olympics which reduced crossings, supported by increased local policing
- training additional drone pilots to increase operations and intercept planned boats before they reach the sea
The Home Secretary and her French counterpart met in Calais on 27 February to agree new law enforcement action as part of their renewed partnership on tackling small boat crossings in the English Channel.

This builds on renewed efforts to tackle people smuggling from the two countries, which has seen the UK set up the new Border Security Command led by former Police Chief Martin Hewitt, and the French government appoint a new Special Representative on Migration, Patrick Stefanini.

More than €1.3 million in reallocated funds will provide 12 specialist intelligence officers as part of the judicial police unit, the Groupe d’Appui Operationnel, stationed in Dunkirk.

This highly specialised unit will focus on disrupting organised immigration crime activity and the flow of small boats equipment, with dual powers to investigate and prosecute people-smugglers, enabling more convictions at a faster rate and ensuring that those responsible face justice.

Another €2.67 million has been reallocated to mobilise a new policing unit, the Compagnie de Marche. Taking inspiration from the operational response during the Paris Olympics, the unit’s officers have elite public order powers to address increases in violence on French beaches. This will enable more dynamic patrols of the shoreline to apprehend smugglers, intercept crossings and prevent loss of life in the channel.

Additional French reservist officers have been deployed along the coastline since 1 January 2025, showing better co-operation and use of resource between UK and France under the Sandhurst Agreement, which was signed in 2018. In addition, the French Interior Minister has announced police and enforcement presence on transport routes towards the French coast, and €3,980,000 has been reallocated to further increase the number of deployed reservists.

As the Home Secretary has made clear, and as this new funding approach demonstrates, the UK government is determined to increase cooperation to go after the criminal gangs who are undermining border security and putting countless lives at risk.

While visiting Calais and Le Touquet, the first Home Secretary to do so since 2020, Yvette Cooper met with law enforcement officers and local officials to thank them for their work to prevent boat crossings and to deal with the growing disgraceful violence from criminal gangs against police officers along the coast.

As part of these enhanced measures, €326,500 funding will also be reallocated to supplying crucial safety of life at sea (SOLAS) equipment including surveillance cameras, drones and life jackets.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Criminal smuggler gangs are running an appalling and dangerous trade in people – undermining UK and French border security, causing huge damage and putting lives at risk. The gangs operate across borders, so law enforcement needs to operate across borders too. That is why our joint work with France is so important and we are strengthening our cooperation, with new specialist enforcement teams to go after these dangerous gangs.

These criminal networks operate right across Europe and beyond, and we are determined to increase our joint action working with other countries to stop the gangs and boats before they reach the French coast

I am grateful to my friend and colleague Minister Bruno Retailleau for the close cooperation between our teams and for his continued support and leadership in tackling organised immigration crime. The violence from criminal gangs against French police along the coast is a total disgrace, and I want to thank the French police and authorities for the work they are doing to respond to that violence, to prevent boat crossings and to save lives.

Between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, both illegal working visits and arrests have soared by around 38% compared to the same 12 months prior. During the same period, the Home Office issued a total of 1,090 civil penalty notices to those employing illegal workers. Employers could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if found liable.

In addition, nearly 19,000 foreign criminals and people with no right to be in the UK have now been removed since the government took office.

This renewed co-operation comes amid the introduction of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill under the government’s Plan for Change, which creates a framework of new, enhanced powers and offences to improve UK border security and to strengthen the asylum and immigration system.

It also comes ahead of the government’s Border Security Summit, due to take place in London on 31 March and 1 April, to which France and over 40 other countries are invited to discuss solutions to organised immigration crime.
19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 February 2025.

UK Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO & UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you Mr Vice President.

And thank you to the commission and the ASG for their poignant interventions today. Your ongoing work is vital to securing long-term peace and reconciliation in South Sudan.

We also welcome the presence of the Honourable Justice Minister of South Sudan.

Mr President, as this report makes clear, the human rights situation in South Sudan remains grave. Violence continues to escalate. Elections have been delayed. Media freedom is severely restricted. And journalists are being arbitrarily detained under the National Security Service Bill.

We are particularly concerned by appalling reports of conflict-related sexual violence. Victims being left without access to essential medical care or recourse to justice. The Anti-Gender-Based Violence Bill, drafted five years ago, must be put into full and immediate action.

What we’ve read and heard underlines why we need to maintain this Council’s attention on South Sudan, and why the work of the Commission must continue. It is essential to achieving the inclusive, democratic future promised to the people of South Sudan. The Commission’s robust scrutiny of South Sudan’s human rights situation must continue.

Commissioners, what more can the international community do to help South Sudan end this devastating cycle of conflict-related sexual violence?

Thank you.

19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – Core Group Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan [February 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 February 2025.

Core Group Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO & UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you, Mr President.

I am pleased to speak on behalf of the Item 2 core group for South Sudan – Albania, Norway, Ireland and the UK.

We thank the Commissioners for their important report. We also welcome South Sudan’s continued cooperation with the Commission and the Minister of Justice’s presence today.

The Commission’s report demonstrates the scale of ongoing human rights violations and abuses committed in South Sudan. Civic space and media freedom are severely restricted. Appalling acts of conflict-related sexual violence are being committed frequently, and with impunity, across the country.

While the recent passing of legislation on transitional justice institutions represents some progress, only fully resourced and operational institutions can deliver justice and accountability for the South Sudanese people.

During this extension period, the Revitalised Agreement must be fully implemented, including operationalising the Chapter Five transitional mechanisms and holding peaceful, inclusive and credible elections in 2026.

We remain committed to continuing our support to the people of South Sudan and their path to peace, reconciliation and accountability.

The Commission plays a vital role in supporting such efforts. Its mandate must therefore be extended in full in this Session, to ensure continued, robust scrutiny of the human rights situation.

We will continue to engage with South Sudan in the hope that this extension can be agreed by consensus.

19/03/2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement at the Special Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan [February 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 February 2025.

UK Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan. Delivered by UK Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr Vice President,

Special Rapporteur,

Thank you for your valiant efforts to shine a light on the dire human rights situation in Afghanistan. The UK Government fully supports your mandate.

As you have said, the Taliban continues to oppress women and girls, in particular denying them employment, freedom of movement and expression, and education. The latest ban on women accessing medical education is appalling. Courses in nursing, midwifery and dentistry were some of the few educational avenues left open to women in Afghanistan – their removal violates their human rights. The Taliban must reverse these inhumane restrictions to ensure a brighter future for all Afghans.

We, the international community, must maintain collective pressure and stay committed to the people of Afghanistan. The UK’s current £171 million aid programme provides lifesaving support, and access to assistance and services, to the most vulnerable. The UK will continue its unwavering commitment to Afghanistan and to promoting the human rights of all Afghans.

19/03/2025