Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 July 2025.

Canada delivers a joint statement on behalf of the UK and other OSCE participating States to mark World Refugee Day.

Madame Chair, I am delivering this statement on behalf of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Kingdom and my own country, Canada.

In marking World Refugee Day, we stand in solidarity with millions of refugees and renew our commitment to addressing their humanitarian needs, addressing the root causes of forced displacement and finding lasting solutions.

According to UNHCR’s Global Trends report, global displacement has nearly doubled over the past decade. Persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, and natural disasters have forcibly displaced more than 123 million people. Within the OSCE region alone, nearly 25 million people are either forcibly displaced or stateless.

The Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine remains the main driver of mass displacement in the OSCE region, resulting in the largest cross-border movement of people in Europe since the Second World War. UNHCR’s May report notes that nearly 5.6 million individuals have fled Ukraine, with over 3.7 million internally displaced.  Continued large-scale attacks, including strikes on energy infrastructure and continued aerial assaults on residential areas are fuelling urgent humanitarian needs and preventing Ukrainians from returning to their homes and families.  Women and children make up the majority of the refugee  population who have fled the conflict, with 63 per cent being women and girls, and 33 per cent being children. This demographic profile raises specific protection concerns, particularly around gender-based violence, trafficking, and exploitation.

In the 1999 Istanbul Document, participating States reaffirmed our commitment to respect the right to seek asylum and to ensure the international protection of refugees as set out in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons in dignity and safety.

In times of uncertainty, we must continue to uphold these commitments.

In addressing forcible displacement, we must strive to reach the most in need and the most vulnerable, including women and girls, LGBTQI+ people, religious minorities and others directly affected by conflict or displacement.  We must also confront parallel risks and challenges, including trafficking, exploitation, discrimination, and intolerance.

We must also remember that inclusive societies are secure societies and recognize the positive impact that newcomers have on our societies and economies.

As we mark World Refugee Day, we honour the strength and resilience of refugees and we recognize their valuable contributions to the communities that welcome them.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 July 2025.

UK Chargé d’Affaires, Deputy Ambassador James Ford, underlines the UK’s full support for Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic integration and welcomes the Mission’s work in support of the government’s national strategic objectives.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Firstly, I would like to welcome Ambassador Haukaas to the Permanent Council for the first time as Head of Mission. Thank you, Ambassador, for the work of your team over the last year, and for this report.

Madam Chair, the United Kingdom continues to fully support Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic integration. We recognise the progress on legislative reforms approved by Montenegro’s parliament during the reporting period, and the positive interim benchmark assessment from the European Commission. The UK continues to strongly support Montenegro’s reform agenda. This was something UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans Dame Karen Pierce underlined during her recent visit to Podgorica, which included signing a Strategic Partnership with Foreign Minister Ibrahimovic, enhancing UK-Montenegro cooperation on priority issues.

The UK positively notes the Mission’s work in support of the government’s national strategic objectives, in line with the Mission’s mandate and OSCE commitments and principles. The Mission’s focus also combines well with the UK’s own engagement in support of reforms in Montenegro.

In particular, we commend the Mission’s continued cooperation with Montenegro’s parliament on strengthening institutional capacity and the skills of parliamentary staff. We support your continued focus on electoral reform, including on voter education ahead of elections in April. And we welcome the Mission’s ongoing engagement in combatting serious and organised crime and corruption, including through training to law enforcement agencies on specialised investigative methods and forensics.

Ambassador Haukaas, we also particularly commend the Mission’s continued focus on gender, including your support to the Gender Equality Committee in drafting a new gender action plan for Montenegro’s Parliament.

Madam Chair, OSCE field operations continue to deliver excellent work despite increasingly constrained funding. It is vital for the work of all OSCE structures that participating States agree a Unified Budget for 2025 and beyond. The continued non-agreement of budgets makes it hugely challenging for field missions to deliver their mandates. We urge all participating States to engage constructively with budget proposals and ensure all OSCE structures are adequately funded.

Thank you again, Ambassador Haukaas, for your leadership of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, and I wish you continued success in the role.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 July 2025.

Ms Kathy Leach has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia in succession to Mr Paul Brummell CMG, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Leach will take up her appointment during August 2025.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Kathy Leach

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 July 2025.

The vulnerability of Cameroon’s rich plant biodiversity, with over 850 endangered species is highlighted in the book “Important Plant Areas of Cameroon”.

In a powerful moment for conservation, the book “Important Plant Areas of Cameroon” was officially launched on 18 June during UK – Cameroon Climate Week. This groundbreaking publication reveals a stunning yet sobering reality: over 850 endangered plant species are spread across 49 critical biodiversity hotspots in Cameroon.

Co-authored by experts from Cameroon’s Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) National Herbarium, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the book positions Cameroon as Africa’s most tropically diverse nation. From lush rainforests to arid deserts, the country’s ecosystems are as varied as they are vital. Yet, this rich biodiversity faces mounting threats. 10% of Cameroon’s plant species are now endangered, and the country holds the highest number of threatened trees on the continent.

The culprits? Expanding mining operations, aggressive logging, and the relentless spread of palm oil plantations are rapidly eroding Cameroon’s forests. These activities not only endanger plant life but also jeopardize the ecological balance of the entire Congo Basin.

British High Commissioner Matt Woods used the book’s launch to spotlight Cameroon’s critical role in global climate discussions. He urged the international community to amplify Cameroon’s voice at major forums like COP30 and called for stronger global support to safeguard the Congo Basin’s irreplaceable biodiversity.

Speaking during the book launch, the representative of Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, Prof. Philip Stevenson said:

It’s been a fantastic week of new collaboration. We’ve been working with IRAD National Herbarium and developing opportunities to extend our reach and do more work here in Cameroon.

This book is more than a catalogue of rare plants; it is a call to action. As the world grapples with climate change and biodiversity loss, Cameroon’s green treasures remind us of what’s at stake and what we still have the power to protect.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 July 2025.

UK Chargé d’Affaires, Deputy Ambassador James Ford, condemns Russia’s intensification of attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including its largest aerial assault of the war. This and inflammatory comments that run counter to Russia’s international commitments are further evidence that Moscow is still not serious about peace.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It is now nearly four months since Ukraine agreed to the US proposal for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. By contrast, Russia has not only refused to accept the proposal but has continued to intensify its attacks against Ukraine.

In fact, since direct talks began on 16 May, Russia has launched its biggest aerial attacks of the war.  It broke its shameful records again at the start of this week, when it launched more than 500 aerial weapons at Ukraine.

As well as being the most intense aerial attacks of the war, these recent assaults have also been among the most deadly for Ukraine’s innocent civilians. The attack on the Dnipro region on 24 June killed 20 civilians, left more than 270 others wounded and damaged schools and hospitals. And the horrific attack against Kyiv on 16-17 June, which destroyed a civilian residential building, killed 30 civilians and left a further 172 people injured. This was the second deadliest attack on Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began. So far in 2025, Russian attacks have killed more than 1000 civilians in Ukraine.

These are not the actions of a government that is serious about peace. They are the actions of those who believe they can take advantage while the world is distracted by events elsewhere. It is our collective responsibility here to dispel this notion, to remind them that the world is watching and to ensure that Moscow understands that there will be a cost for frustrating peace and attacking innocent civilians.

Madam Chair, when it comes to peace, we have learnt to assess Russia’s actions rather than Russian rhetoric. But if we needed further evidence that Moscow is not currently serious about compromise or ending the war, we can look at the recent comments made by the President of the Russian Federation, as our Ukrainian colleague also highlighted.

On 18 June he said that, if Ukraine did not agree to Russia’s terms, “we will achieve our goals by military means.” On 20 June he said that “the Russian and Ukrainian peoples are essentially one people. In that sense, we see Ukraine as ours.” He also described as a long-standing principle that “wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps is Russian land.”

Clearly, such statements run directly counter to the Helsinki commitments to which we have all agreed. And, alongside the escalation in attacks against Ukrainian civilians, they underline Moscow’s lack of seriousness about peace talks.

Madam Chair, as the UK – along with the vast majority of participating States here at the OSCE – we continue to call on Russia to agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire to create the space for negotiations on a framework for a just and lasting peace. Regrettably, we see no evidence that Russia will engage meaningfully without further pressure to do so. We are therefore ready to act with partners to introduce new sanctions if Moscow continues to ignore these widespread calls for a ceasefire. Thank you.