Tag: Press Release

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

Joint Statement from the Leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom on the Middle East.

We, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, welcome the tireless work of our partners in Qatar, Egypt and the United States towards an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages. We endorse the joint statement of HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, President Sisi and President Biden calling for the immediate resumption of negotiations. We agree that there can be no further delay. We have been working with all parties to prevent escalation and will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability. The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released. The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid.

We are deeply concerned by the heightened tensions in the region, and united in our commitment to de-escalation and regional stability. In this context, and in particular, we call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages. They will bear responsibility for actions that jeopardise this opportunity for peace and stability. No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East.

President Emmanuel Macron of France

Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom

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

Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on enhancing Africa’s effective representation in the UN Security Council.

It is a privilege to join you today as the United Kingdom’s new Minister for Africa and the United Nations.

I am grateful to President Bio for putting this vital issue on the agenda. It is important that we have this discussion today – we are running out of time.

The challenges we face today do not respect borders and they are sorely testing the international order the United Nations has championed.

The highest number of conflicts since the Second World War, a worsening climate crisis, widespread economic hardship and desperate humanitarian need. This is all fuelling a pervasive sense of insecurity and we must find truly global solutions to these problems.

Let me take this opportunity to underscore the United Kingdom’s belief that multilateral institutions remain indispensable here. But they are struggling under the strain of new global challenges.

For these institutions to represent the world of today, they must be as effective as they can be. So, we will work tirelessly with our allies and partners to strengthen them.
For this Council, that means expanding our membership in both categories, to include permanent African representation as a matter of urgency.

We have seen how much African members bring to this chamber through their experience and expertise, particularly as we’ve heard, in terms of responding to conflicts and promoting peace and security. As Ms Mbete said, they are vital agents for change and progress and they must be heard. The UK is proud to be working alongside our African partners on issues that are at the forefront of the Council’s agenda.

This includes on Sudan, where we seek a political solution to end the devastating manmade crisis which has now resulted in famine in the country. Or Somalia, where the Council is working closely with the African Union and Somali authorities to support security transition and counter Al Shabaab.

President, Your Excellency, your own country’s experience of transitioning from war to peace, in partnership with the UN, provides us with valuable lessons.
Of course, I recognise that the obstacles to reform are significant, but the United Kingdom is determined, absolutely determined, to overcome them.

Thank you, Mr President.

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

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian this evening.

The Prime Minister said that he was deeply concerned by the situation in the region and called on all parties to de-escalate and avoid further regional confrontation.

There was a serious risk of miscalculation and now was the time for calm and careful consideration, the Prime Minister said.

He called on Iran to refrain from attacking Israel, adding that war was not in anyone’s interests.

The Prime Minister underlined his commitment to an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza. He added the focus should be on diplomatic negotiations, to achieve those outcomes.

The Prime Minister also raised the cases of foreign detainees in Iran, adding that it was vital that they received the necessary medical care.

The leaders agreed that a constructive dialogue between the UK and Iran was in both countries’ interests. The Prime Minister added that could only be furthered if Iran ceased its destabilising actions including threats against individuals in the UK and did not further aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 August 2024.

UK statement following Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of 8 Norwegian diplomats.

An FCDO spokesperson said:

We are deeply concerned by Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of 8 Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Palestinian Authority. Norway has long played a unique and valued role in supporting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. We urge Israel to reconsider.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 August 2024.

The United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union have released a joint statement on the 4th anniversary of the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus.

Joint statement from the Governments of the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom, and the European Union:

Four years on from the fraudulent 2020 presidential election and the appalling human rights crackdown in Belarus, the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union stand in solidarity with the people of Belarus who, in spite of continued repression by the Lukashenko regime, have peacefully and courageously pressed for democratic change, respect for human rights, and the release of all political prisoners. We affirm that the sanctions we have recently announced represent a coordinated, multilateral effort to advance accountability for the Lukashenko regime.

We call on Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the almost 1,400 political prisoners being held in Belarusian prisons. We will continue to consider our options, including additional sanctions, to hold accountable those who enable the Lukashenko regime’s suppression of democracy in Belarus. We will also continue to take meaningful steps to expose and cut off the flow of crucial support and components through Belarus that fuel Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, while maintaining our support for the Belarusian people.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 August 2024.

• UK sanctions 4 individuals and 3 entities from Belarus in coordinated action with international partners, in response to human rights violations and ongoing facilitation of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine
• today marks 4 years since the deeply flawed presidential election and start of the crackdown on civil society
• UK announces £2.5 million of planned funding to support the survival of Belarusian human rights and civil society causes in the face of continued political pressure

The UK has today (9 August) sanctioned a further 7 individuals and entities on the fourth anniversary of the deeply flawed 2020 presidential elections in Belarus in coordinated action with international partners, taking the total number of sanctions against Belarus to over 200.

The conduct of the election, which was widely condemned by the international community, sparked widespread peaceful protests across the country. These were met by a brutal campaign of repression and a purging of civil society, independent media and the democratic opposition at the hands of the Lukashenko regime, with political prisoners detained in penal colonies. Commanding officers of 4 of these penal colonies, who have contributed to human rights violations and the repression of civil society, have been hit with UK sanctions today.

Belarus has also provided instrumental support for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine since it began in 2022. It has allowed the use of its territory and airspace to launch attacks and provided kit and logistical support, with three Belarusian entities in the defence and military industrial sector being added to the UK’s sanction list, preventing them from doing business with UK companies.

Following the designations, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

Four years on from the brutal scenes we witnessed in Belarus, Lukashenko’s relentless crackdown on civil society has shown no signs of abating: over 40,000 citizens arrested on trumped up political charges, civil society and independent media trampled and a regime with no regard for democracy or human rights.

We stand with the people of Belarus and their pursuit of freedom and democracy and call on the regime to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.

The individuals and entities sanctioned today are:

All 4 individuals are, or have been, responsible for, engaging in, providing support for and promoting the commission of a serious human rights violation, repression of civil society and democratic opposition and actions and activities that undermine democracy and rule of law in Belarus.

Alongside sanctions, the UK is announcing planned funding of £2.5 million this financial year to supporting Belarusian human rights and civil society causes, including further funding to the International Accountability Platform Belarus – a coalition that collect, verify, and preserve evidence of gross human rights violations constituting crimes under international law allegedly committed by Belarusian authorities.

Since August 2020, the Belarusian authorities have made over 40,000 politically motivated arrests and pursued at least 12,000 politically motivated criminal cases. According to the Viasna Human Rights Centre, a Belarusian non-governmental organisation, 1389 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Belarus, including human rights defenders, journalists, members of the democratic opposition and trade unionists.

At least 6 political prisoners have died in detention since 2021, while many others remain held in appalling conditions, subject to violence, deprived of medical attention and starved of contact with the outside world.