As part of the UK’s long-standing support of Colombia’s peace process, an additional £5 million will be provided through the Government’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). This will increase the UK’s contribution to peace in Colombia to over £36 million since 2015.

This extra support will include a new £4 million contribution to the United Nations Trust Fund supporting implementation of the peace agreement with the FARC. This makes the UK the trust fund’s largest international donor. £1 million will also be provided to the Organisation of American States’ Mission to Support the Peace Process (MAPP OAS), which plays a vital role in peace monitoring and coordination on the ground.

Sir Alan Duncan, Minister for Europe and the Americas, said:

The UK continues to support implementation of the historic peace agreement in Colombia. This latest announcement that the UK will provide an extra £5 million in funding over 2018 to 2019 is an important demonstration of our commitment to facilitating long-term stability in the country.

This additional funding along with other UK support will help the new Colombian Government deliver its commitment to implement the peace agreement by helping to stabilise vulnerable areas, support victims, assist transitional justice and accelerate the reintegration of ex-combatants.

Significant progress has been made in the short time since the signing of the peace agreement in 2016. The FARC has become a political party and this year’s elections were the safest in a generation.

However there is considerable work still to be done. Insecurity and the presence of illegal armed groups remain persistent challenges, along with attacks against human rights defenders and increasing deforestation in areas recovering from conflict.

The UK remains steadfast in helping Colombia build a peaceful, more prosperous future for all its citizens.

Further information

FCO Minister of State for the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, has announced an increase in financial support for Colombia’s peace process.

It wasn’t all that long ago that an HIV diagnosis would be spoken about in hushed tones.

But we’ve been on quite the journey since the “Don’t Die of Ignorance” public health campaign, which for those who don’t remember was tinged with an ominous tone, while warning of the risk of AIDS.

The campaign might have raised awareness, but it was symptomatic of an age when understanding was limited, treatments scarce and outlooks bleak. We now live in more hopeful times, where, thanks to medical and cultural advances, an HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence but a manageable long term condition.

This was illustrated poignantly last week with the release of figures showing that the UK has now become one of just a handful of countries to meet the United Nations’ HIV/AIDS 90-90-90 targets. That means more than 90 per cent of people with HIV have been diagnosed, 90 per cent of those with a diagnosis are treated and 90 per cent of those treated have their symptoms successfully managed.

This achievement is testament to the hard work of our amazing health and care professionals. We are very proud of our parliamentary colleague, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, who last week shared his diagnosis with the world. That he felt he could is progress; that it took huge courage to do so it shows that progress is not enough.

Globally, though, the battle is far from over, especially in poorer countries where stigma, lack of awareness and a scarcity of lifesaving medicines persists. AIDS is still the biggest killer of women of reproductive age around the world, and every week about 7,000 young women are infected with HIV.

That is why, through UK Aid Match, the government is joining forces with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and The Independent to double every pound the public generously donates to their AIDSfree appeal.

UK Aid Match means that every time the British public reach into their pockets and donate to a UK Aid Match charity, their generosity goes twice as far. In this case, it will directly change – and indeed save – the lives of people living with HIV in Nairobi and Maputo.

In London and the UK, we have demonstrated what is possible if the right services and support are in place. We passionately believe we can create an AIDS-free future for the world. Three decades on from the first major public awareness campaigns, that’s the scale of ambition we should have.

But it means making sure the anti-stigma message is heard just as loud in other major cities, and backed with the resources and expertise to give people the treatment they need to stay well.

This campaign, backed by the generosity of the public, will help us to make this a reality.

Money raised from public donations through the AIDSfree appeal will be used to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation projects in six key cities around the world (London, Nairobi, Atlanta, Kiev, Delhi and Maputo). Through UK Aid Match, the UK government will double public donations up to £2m to be spent across projects in Maputo and Nairobi.

The Environment Agency is recruiting members for flood committees in the Severn and Wye and the Trent catchments.

The committees have a vital role in shaping shape local flood management plans and influence the future of the environment.

Applicants do not need to be technical experts in flood risk management, but may have some understanding in areas such as:

• Community flood action groups
• finance
• engineering
• spatial planning
• marketing and communications

The Environment Agency is particularly interested to hear from people who could effectively represent conservation and wider environmental issues in the Trent catchment area.

The voluntary committee posts are appointed for a fixed term, and any expenses relating to the post will be paid. Appointed members will be expected to attend the four main committee meetings each year which are held in various locations around the catchments.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive committee and we welcome applicants from all walks of life.

Current Severn and Wye Committee member, Professor John Moverley, OBE, said:

Being a member of the Committee is a very important role and a way in which people can make a direct contribution to the important task of flood protection. The role can be challenging but it is also very satisfying.

If you are interested in being considered for the role of flood committee member, please provide a 250-word expression of interest highlighting your interest in the role and your understanding of the issues around flooding to: ESWRFCC@environment-agency.gov.uk by Friday 21 December 2018.

If you have any questions please also contact ESWRFCC@environment-agency.gov.uk