Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 December 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN General Assembly meeting on humanitarian aid.

Thank you, Mr President. Colleagues, every year we meet here to reflect on global humanitarian needs. Yet again, we are faced with a sobering picture. 258 million people do not know where their next meal is coming from. One in five children are living in or fleeing from conflict. One in 73 people are displaced, a number which has doubled in the last ten years. We are simultaneously witnessing dire humanitarian situations in Israel and Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and in Ukraine. Alongside many more across the world. The levels of need are overwhelming the humanitarian systems. Colleagues, we all have a role, and a stake, in reversing these worrying trends.

President, on 20 November our Prime Minister launched the UK’s International Development White Paper. This sets out our commitment to getting the Sustainable Development Goals back on track. And it includes a strong commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in the face of ever-growing needs driven by conflict and climate. We will focus on three key areas.

First, we will invest in an effective humanitarian system. We will contribute $1.2 billion to humanitarian assistance from 2024 to 2025. And we will also establish a UK Humanitarian Crisis Response Fund for specialist technical expertise, search and rescue, and emergency medical teams. We call on all Member States, including new and emerging donors and partners, to step up their support.

Second, we are shaping a system that is accountable to the people it serves. The UK is proud to have supported the START network from its inception to deliver rapid, early and locally-led humanitarian action around the world. We will invest more in local leadership on humanitarian action and will explore how our engagement, terminology, delivery, and approach can change to support local partnerships.

Third, we will build a system which can anticipate shocks and act early. This is proven to mitigate the impacts of disasters, save more lives and deliver value for money. We will continue to champion the CERF’s scale up of a system-wide approach to ‘Early Action’, including through our contribution of a further $65 million to the fund this year. Finally, colleagues, we must prevent today’s problems from turning into tomorrow’s crises.

This will need a whole of system response, in partnership with the UN, civil society, the International Financial Institutions, and, increasingly, the private sector. This is why, alongside our humanitarian efforts, we are supporting initiatives that will reduce need and prevent humanitarian caseloads.

We will scope a separate fund alongside our humanitarian funding, to build in climate resilience and adaptation alongside delivery of humanitarian relief. This will reduce the impact of future disasters and help communities to prepare and adapt for crises that we can anticipate.

And we will continue to advocate for compliance with international humanitarian law and for sustainable and inclusive ends to conflicts which remain the greatest blocker to development and prosperity. We look forward to working with you all to deliver this.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 December 2023.

Statement on Behalf of the United Kingdom: Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute 7 December, 2023.

Madam President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates. I welcome this opportunity to address the Assembly on behalf of the Government of the United Kingdom.

This anniversary year marks a significant milestone in the Court’s history.

The Rome Statute is a landmark treaty, given life through the collective determination of the international community to address impunity and ensure accountability for the most egregious crimes.

It is worth reflecting that twenty-five years ago there were those who thought the Court would be a symbolic but ultimately toothless body. Such pessimism has been proved wrong. The Court continues to grow – including with Armenia’s welcome ratification of the Rome Statute.

Madam President,

The United Kingdom would like to express its deep gratitude to President Hofmański, whose term as President of the Court expires next year.

We also offer our sincere thanks to you, Madam President. As a judge, President of the Court and now as Assembly of States Parties (ASP) President, you have been a loyal servant and champion of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its values.

And we thank outgoing ASP Vice Presidents Ambassadors Sequensová and Rae for their exemplary service to the Court.

Finally, we congratulate Mr Osvaldo Zavala Giler on his election as ICC Registrar, the incoming ASP President, Vice Presidents and newly elected judges. You can all count on the UK’s support in the execution of your important mandates.

Madam President,

We commend the Court for its work this year, demonstrating its capability to successfully run three parallel trials, including the conviction of Dominic Ongwen for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

We commend the work of the Trust Fund for Victims in ensuring that the interests of victims are central to the work of the Court.

We also commend the Office of the Prosecutor for its careful prioritisation and use of resources. Concluding the investigative phase of four situations since the last Assembly is part of an effective prosecutorial strategy to achieve better and more focussed results. An agile approach to the Court’s work is more important than ever given the growing pressures it faces on its limited resources.

Madam President,

It is a perhaps a reflection of the Court’s successes that we have seen increased attempts to intimidate the Court and undermine its work. The criminal proceedings initiated by Russia against six ICC Judges and the Prosecutor and the cyber-attack were both cynical responses from those who fear the Court’s ability to deliver accountability and justice. Now more than ever, the Court needs our support.  We stand in support of the principled stance of the Prosecutor.

Of course, such support need not be blinkered to the challenges the Court faces.

While we welcome the progress made to improve its performance, effectiveness and efficiency, there is more to be done. We congratulate the Review Mechanism and all stakeholders in the Independent Expert Review (IER) process on completing the assessment this year of almost all 384 IER recommendations.

Some of those recommendations have already been implemented, but the majority have not. It is vital that momentum is maintained to deliver the change that is needed.

The UK firmly believes that States must help the Court to meet its existing mandate before asking it to do even more. Great caution needs to be exercised by States considering adding more crimes to the Rome Statute, particularly where doing so risks division amongst States Parties.

And while we welcome the Court’s three courtrooms being in full use this year, we remain concerned by the lack of trials in the pipeline.

But of course the ICC does not exist or operate in a vacuum. When considering what more the ICC should do to meet the expectations of the States Parties, we should also consider what more we, the States Parties, can do for the ICC.

While States Parties rightly seek the Court to be more effective and efficient, to avoid judicial or prosecutorial overreach, and to respect complementarity, it must equally be properly resourced. The United Kingdom supports an increase to the Court’s budget this year to ensure that it has the resources to deliver what it is being asked to do.

The Court also needs States Parties to cooperate on fugitive tracking and execution of arrest warrants to ensure that, where necessary, individuals suspected of atrocity crimes are held accountable in The Hague. This will help ensure the pipeline of future trials.

Madam President,

Justice is a precursor to lasting peace. The intricate relationship between peace and justice underscores the indispensable role of the ICC in the pursuit of a more just and harmonious world.

The United Kingdom has been a steadfast supporter of the Court since its establishment, and we continue to stand with the court in its global fight against impunity.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 December 2023.

UK and allies have sanctioned human rights abusers 75 years after Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• UK, US and Canada lead coordinated action against human rights abusers and accessories to authoritarian governments around the world, 75 years after Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified
• UK targets forced labour operations in Southeast Asia, and government-linked officials in Belarus, Haiti, Iran, and Syria complicit in repressing individual freedoms
• these sanctions underline the UK’s continued commitment to deterring malign activity around the world

The UK, US and Canada are today announcing a sweeping package of sanctions targeting individuals linked to human rights abuses around the world, ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December.

Today the UK is announcing 46 sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, in 2 categories.

The first set targets 9 individuals and 5 entities for their involvement in trafficking people in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, forcing them to work for online ‘scam farms’ which enable large-scale fraud. Victims are promised well-paid jobs but are subject to torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The UN estimates at least 120,000 people in Myanmar alone are being forced to work for such schemes. The FCDO has helped a small number of British nationals return to the UK who had become victims.

The second is aimed at a number of individuals linked to the governments, judiciaries and prosecuting authorities of Belarus, Haiti, Iran, and Syria, for their involvement in the repression of citizens solely for exercising fundamental freedoms in those countries. This includes:

• 17 members of the Belarusian judiciary including judges, prosecutors and an investigator involved in politically-motivated cases against political activists, independent journalists and human rights defenders
• 5 individuals in the Iranian judiciary, security forces and Tehran public transport system for their involvement in imposing and enforcing the mandatory hijab law
• 8 individuals for complicity in atrocities against the Syrian people by Assad’s regime and
• 2 individuals in Haiti for their involvement in the 2018 La Saline attacks

The Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, said:

We will not tolerate criminals and repressive regimes trampling on the fundamental rights and freedoms of ordinary people around the world.

I am clear that 75 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UK and our allies will continue to relentlessly pursue those who would deny people their freedom.

The Home Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK is actively rooting out all facilitators of large-scale fraud, both nationally and internationally, to protect public welfare.

Today’s announcement sends a clear warning: anyone attempting to gain from human rights abuses will be brought to justice.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 December 2023.

The UK government and European Commission gave a joint statement following the 13th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights.

Joint statement from the UK government and European Commission following the thirteenth meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights on 4 December 2023:

The 13th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights was held on 4 December 2023 in London, co-chaired by officials from the UK Government and the European Commission. A number of representatives from EU Member States were also in attendance. The Committee was established by the Withdrawal Agreement to monitor the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Agreement, which protects EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, and their eligible family members.

The UK and the EU discussed the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement. The meeting also allowed both sides to take stock of outstanding issues, as well as progress made. Both parties agreed that the Specialised Committee should focus on the most serious implementation concerns which have not been possible to resolve at a technical level.

The UK raised concerns around equal treatment and the inability of UK nationals in several EU Member States to purchase property on an equal basis to EU nationals, welcoming recent steps taken by some Member States to resolve this issue and encouraging others to do the same. Whilst welcoming the usefulness of the European Commission’s annual report, the UK suggested more consistent data be provided on the operation of the residency schemes in some Member States.

The UK highlighted their ongoing concern for those UK nationals who are unable to access their rights due to the fact that they cannot evidence their declaratory right of permanent residence due to challenges obtaining the right residency card. Family reunification was also discussed, with the lack of available guidance on free visas for joining family members arriving from outside the UK and how joining family members can evidence their status being primary concerns. The EU set out a number of positive steps being taken by Member States and the Commission to provide additional information for joining family members.

The EU discussed the implementation of the UK High Court’s ruling on the upgrade from pre-settled status to settled status within the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme and expressed ongoing concerns about the UK Government’s current plans for implementing the judicial review. The EU nevertheless welcomed the reassurances received so far and the willingness of the UK’s competent authorities to engage collaboratively to seek practical solutions. The 2 sides agreed that correct implementation is crucial for the beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement, reiterating their determination to work jointly and constructively on these topics. All beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement need to fully enjoy their rights through the implementation of the Agreement, including as regards their permanent right of residence.

The EU reiterated their concerns regarding EU citizens in the UK who received a refusal decision on their application between 27 June 2021 and 19 April 2022 but whose digital status did not accurately reflect this until 18 January 2023, due to the operation of the EU Settlement Scheme. The EU enquired about the UK’s plans to communicate with EU citizens affected by recovery of costs of some services and benefits, requesting transparency as to the cause for the overpayment. The EU also raised the lack of legal clarity for EU citizens, who hold a new UK residence status, as to whether their rights are guaranteed by the Withdrawal Agreement or solely by domestic law, with the UK providing reassurance that within the scope of Part 2 of the Withdrawal Agreement, they will continue to treat those who derive their EUSS status from domestic law equally. Joint statement following the thirteenth meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights

The UK’s Independent Monitoring Authority, established under Article 159 (1) of the Withdrawal Agreement, and the European Commission presented their respective Annual Reports for 2022, adopted in accordance with Article 159 (2) of the Withdrawal Agreement.

A part of the meeting was dedicated to engagement with external representatives from civil society organisations, representing EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU, who asked questions about the implementation and application of Part 2 of the Withdrawal Agreement in the EU and the UK, in conformity with the rules of procedure of the Specialised Committee.

The UK and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to protecting citizens’ rights in accordance with the obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement and agreed to meet again in Spring 2024.