Updated: Link to consultation outcome added.
Natural England is seeking views on proposals that will restrict public access to open access land at this site.
Madam President,
I thank the Prosecutor for her very clear and concise fifteenth report and her briefing to the Security Council today. The work and focus of the International Criminal Court on Libya is extremely important in tackling impunity and making accountable those responsible for serious crimes of international concern, and the Court’s work has the full support of the United Kingdom.
The Prosecutor’s latest report makes clear why the situation in Libya remains deeply troubling. The continued political divisions in Libya have only benefitted certain armed groups intent on criminality, groups which have created an environment of lawlessness, intimidation and fear. This situation underscores the urgent need to break the political deadlock and to bring peace to Libya and its people. It is vital that all parties engage in good faith with the United Nations-led political process.
Madam President,
We must ensure that those who have committed, and are still committing, human rights violations and abuses in Libya, including unlawful killings, do not evade justice for their crimes. The UK has strongly supported resolutions at the Human Rights Council aimed at increasing accountability, and we fully endorse the ICC’s efforts in parallel. The UK also reiterates our call for all parties to cooperate with the ICC in relation to the arrest warrant for Mahmoud al-Werfalli, and for all those- committing acts amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity to be investigated and held accountable, no matter which side they are on.
The current cycle of violence and impunity must be stopped.
The recent Mission by the Office of the Prosecutor to Libya is an important step, strengthening the focus of scrutiny on those who have acted with impunity. In this regard, we welcome the co-operation of UNSMIL and the Office of the Prosecutor-General in Tripoli with the visiting OTP Mission. We also welcome the Office of the Prosecutor’s work with Member States, national authorities and judiciaries, interested European institutions and the Libyan Prosecutor-General’s Office, following the reports of the appalling mistreatment – and even enslavement – of migrants, to investigate and prosecute these crimes. At the same time, we appreciate the resource constraints under which they are operating in relation to these investigations.
We are grateful for the Prosecutor’s update on the cases against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Abdullah Al-Senussi and Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled. We fully support the Court’s call for cooperation from members of the Council, Libya and all states, on the individuals who remain at large for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Libya in 2011.
It is crucial that Member States and relevant international organisations work to assist the Libyan authorities in their efforts to build the rule of law in Libya. We, along with our international partners, will continue to work with Libya to provide it with the support it needs to meet the challenges it faces. At the same time, the United Kingdom, as a strong principled supporter of the ICC, will continue to provide our full support to the Prosecutor and her team.
I thank you Madam President.
Good morning everyone and thank you for joining us for the launch of the new iteration of UK policy towards the Arctic.
I’m sure it will be an absolute best seller.
This country’s long history of exploration and endeavour in the Polar Regions is the stuff of legends.
With any luck that means you will not mind if I say a few words about ‘Beyond the Ice’.
All of us understand that the Arctic region is of fundamental importance, not only to the people who live and work there but also to the health of the planet.
It is now 20 years since the UK became one of four original observers to the newly formed Arctic Council.
We remain as committed as ever to the Arctic States and the indigenous peoples of the Arctic and to securing a sustainable future for them that benefits us all.
That is what this new Policy Framework is all about.
It is five years since the last one, and as we are all too well aware, a great deal has changed in the Arctic region in that time – most significantly, the unprecedented decline in sea-ice cover and thickness, and the steady rise in average temperatures.
These rapid changes have drawn greater attention to the Arctic – in ways that can present both opportunities and challenges.
The UK takes seriously our responsibility to ensure the security and stability of the region and to work collaboratively to address them.
In ‘Beyond the Ice’, we set out the UK’s three main commitments to the region.
The first is to bring our world-class science to bear in helping to understand the changing Arctic and to find solutions to the challenges that presents to us.
That means supporting our top scientists and their international collaboration on the Arctic – particularly as the new Agreement on Enhancing Scientific Cooperation in the Arctic is implemented.
Already, nearly two-thirds of the UK Arctic research papers have international co-authors. We think this is the right approach, and want to encourage more of it.
The UK Government is investing both manpower and finance in pioneering Arctic research.
Man and woman power in the form of our Science and Innovation Officers in our eight Arctic State Embassies and the Arctic Science Office.
Finance in the shape of £16 million in the 5-year Changing Arctic Ocean Programme and a further £2.3 million for UK-based scientists to take part in MOSAiC, which many of you will know, is a truly international study of the Arctic climate.
The second commitment we make in ‘Beyond the Ice’ is to help protect the fragile environment of the Arctic for the people who live and visit there.
The UK is already a global leader on addressing global climate change and tackling the accumulation of pollutants in the world’s oceans.
Our commitment to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals is underpinned by our Clean Growth Strategy and we have consistently been at the forefront of international regulatory changes to reduce global greenhouse emissions on land and at sea.
We are also taking great strides to reduce the accumulation of plastic waste in the world’s oceans, including through our 25-year Environmental Plan, which commits us to achieve zero avoidable plastic waste by the end of 2042.
Given that the nearly all of the litter found in the Arctic comes from elsewhere, it is essential that we all take action to stop it.
We will gain further insights into the impacts of climate and environmental change on the Arctic when the report ‘Polar Oceans: status and change’ – which was jointly commissioned by the UK and Norway – is published later this year.
Our third commitment in ‘Beyond the Ice’ is to support responsible and sustainable development of the region, and ensure that its people are the first to benefit from the increase in prosperity that a changing Arctic may bring.
Changes in the Arctic also present economic opportunities for the UK. Shrinking summer sea-ice could cut the travel time between Asia and Europe by 10 days, bringing benefits in terms of reduced costs, lower fuel consumption and less pollution.
However these potential benefits do not give us – or anyone else – the right to run roughshod over the needs of the region and its people.
That is why our priority will be to encourage development that is both sustainable and responsible.
To sum up, the UK remains a global leader in supporting environmental protection, international cooperation and the rules-based system. We are home to world-leading research scientists and cutting edge business investment. ‘Beyond the Ice’ demonstrates our continued determination to harness and share these assets and to work together to understand, protect and improve the Arctic, for the benefit of all, for generations to come.
Speaking at today’s (Wednesday 9 May) UK Trade and Export Finance Forum, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, Baroness Fairhead set out the government’s plans to put a world-class export finance offer at the heart of UK trade through UK Export Finance (UKEF).
Ahead of the publication of the Export Strategy, which will outline the government’s vision to boost UK exports, Baroness Fairhead pledged to help more UK businesses access UKEF-backed finance, particularly SMEs and companies that supply to exporters but do not yet export themselves, in order to grow their business.
Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, said:
In UKEF, the UK’s exporters have a world-class export credit agency that can provide innovative, flexible finance and insurance to help them realise their full exporting potential.
Our Export Strategy will specifically aim to make more businesses aware of UKEF’s products and services, helping them to access new opportunities overseas and grow their businesses through exporting.
Baroness Fairhead also announced the government’s ambitions to generate more business for UK companies through UKEF. Using the draw of UKEF support for major international projects, the government will significantly increase the contribution of UK goods and services suppliers to major projects around the world – an approach that is already creating hundreds of millions of pounds of opportunities for UK exporters.
Baroness Fairhead committed to a review of UKEF’s product suite, to ensure UKEF’s support remains comprehensive and relevant to market needs.
Baroness Fairhead said:
That’s my call to you today. We want to build our Export Strategy with you; and together with you, we can build a nation of exporters.
Baroness Fairhead spoke at the day-long forum, following a speech from International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox MP, who earlier announced an agreement between UKEF and Atkins International, a world-leader in international project management and engineering projects, to grow its UK supply chain and boost UK exports, as well as UKEF support for the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The event included talks and panel discussions from John Mahon, the newly-appointed Director General for Exports at the Department for International Trade; Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Trade; Louis Taylor, CEO of UK Export Finance; Baroness Northover, HM Trade Envoy for Angola and Zambia; and Baroness Nicholson, HM Trade Envoy for Iraq, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; senior representatives from multinational companies General Electric and Bechtel; and the CEO of Scottish bus manufacturer and major UK exporter Alexander Dennis.
The Export Strategy will build on the government’s Industrial Strategy, published last November, which set out a long-term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK.
This year UKEF has increased – and in many cases, doubled – its financial capacity to support exports to over 100 markets around the world, as the UK seeks to enforce its position as a leading player in the global market, and make world-leading UK expertise, products and services accessible to buyers around the world.
In 2017, UKEF was awarded ‘best export credit agency’ by Global Trade Review and Trade Finance magazines.
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