Author Archives: HM Government

The Prime Minister spoke to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia earlier this evening.

She welcomed the decision by the Saudi-led Coalition to reopen the Yemeni port of Hodeidah and noted the arrival of UK staff in the region to assist with the UN inspection process, helping to speed up the distribution of much needed humanitarian and commercial supplies.

The Prime Minister strongly condemned yesterday’s attempted missile attack on the Yamama Palace in Riyadh, and welcomed the restraint shown by Saudi Arabia in the face of unacceptable Houthi aggression.

She reiterated the UK’s ongoing commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and our determination to push for stronger action through the UN to expose and counter Iran’s destabilising activity in the region and to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen.

Finally, the Prime Minister looked forward to welcoming the Crown Prince to the UK in the New Year.

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Thank your Mr President for the floor and for holding this important debate. It gives us the opportunity both to reflect on the past year and to look ahead to the year ahead.

I want to thank the Secretary-General for his excellent briefing, which clearly demonstrates that these contemporary challenges are highly relevant, not just to the Security Council, or the rest of the United Nations, but indeed to the whole world.

The Security Council has engaged this year on a number of conventional threats to peace and security. North Korea‘s nuclear weapons programme, Da’esh in Syria, or Iraq.

These conventional threats have been fuelled by contemporary challenges that we all face. North Korea’s illegal missile programme is partly funded by modern slavery. Syrian terrorists spread their poisonous messages and plan transnational attacks using the internet.

In fact, it is hard to find a situation on our agenda where peace and security dynamics are not bound up with contemporary transnational challenges. The illicit trading of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The enslavement of migrants in Libya. Smuggling in the Sahel. Drugs flows in Colombia. Ecological and climate stress in the Lake Chad Basin. The list goes on.

So if we want to tackle these conventional threats effectively, the UN and its member states must also consider contemporary transnational challenges. These challenges don’t care about national borders. As our world becomes more connected, so too will the challenges that we face. So to succeed, we must confront them together.

To counter these challenges we must act at home, in partnership, and multilaterally. We cannot hope to prevent conflict, sustain peace or enable development otherwise.

I would like to illustrate the action that the United Kingdom is taking in each of these areas with three examples.

Firstly, at home, we are tackling illicit financial flows. Globally these are estimated to be up to $1.6 trillion a year. Our National Crime Agency believes that tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars are laundered through the United Kingdom. They include the proceeds of armed groups, terrorists, organised crime and corrupt officials in predatory states. These proceeds fuel further conflict and are a barrier to peace and stability. This year we passed the Criminal Finances Act which ensures that we are better able to tackle this illicit financing and consequentially promote peace.

Secondly, through our partnerships we are tackling climate change, recognised by the Security Council as a factor that can aggravate existing threats to international peace and security. We have partnered with others to improve their resilience to the impacts of climate change. In one project, we support 13 countries to integrate risk reduction and climate adaptation into government policies and institutions. This reduces their instability and safeguards our collective security.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we are acting multilaterally, including here at the United Nations. Consider the universal issues of modern slavery and human trafficking. We know that these appalling human rights abuses are most prevalent in conflict zones, and that they feed instability. We have sought to respond, and will continue to do so, through the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

Working through these multilateral organisations allows us to connect the dots and better address the complex and multi-faceted challenges that we are confronted with. We must all endeavour to do more, and do it better, here at the UN.

If the UN itself is to rise to the challenge we must support the Secretary-General in his ambitious reform programme to join the UN up so that it can act more effectively and more efficiently at the heart of a rules-based international system.

The risk of too much reform or too rapid reform is dwarfed by the risk of not enough reform or too slow reform. We need to get on with the reform to sustain peace better, to meet the sustainable development goals, and to protect the human rights that we cherish. Success in these interlinked areas depends on our ability to escape silos and tackle the challenges coherently.

Mr President, I have a simple wish for the year ahead. I hope that as member states deliberate over the Secretary-General’s reform proposals they remember that, as we sit and debate this important issue, millions of far less fortunate people confront insecurity, forced displacement, rights violations, hunger, and poverty as a single reality. They do not recognise them as isolated issues. Neither should we.

So let us take responsibility at home, build partnerships overseas and, most importantly, enable the UN to respond ever more effectively to these challenges so we can achieve a safer and more secure world for all.

Thank you.

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The following lists of standards were published by the European standardisation organisation, CEN, during the period September to November 2017, some of which are relevant to chemical measurement in support of regulation.

Fertilizers

EN 13368-2:2017 – Fertilizers – Determination of chelating agents in fertilizers by chromatography – Part 2: Determination of Fe chelated by [o,o] EDDHA, [o,o] EDDHMA and HBED, or the amount of chelating agents, by ion pair chromatography.

Plants can suffer from iron deficiency known as iron chlorosis (usually identified as a light yellow or green tint on new leaves), which inhibits their growth. This can occur despite iron being present in the soil because the iron is in an inaccessible form. The addition of fertilizers known as iron chelates, a water soluble product obtained by chemical reaction of iron with chelating agents, can be added to the soil to provide soluble iron that can then be taken up by the roots of the plant.

The production of fertilizers is controlled by EU Regulation 2003/2003 which specifies that an iron (Fe) chelate must have a minimum content of 5 % water soluble iron, of which the chelated fraction is at least 80 % and the iron chelated by each chelating agent with each fraction exceeding 2 % where there is a list of permitted chelating agents based on sodium, potassium or ammonium acid or salts of: ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and other chelating agents for micronutrients to be identified and quantified by European Standards EN 13368 part 1 and part 2.

EN 13368-2 describes a method using an ion-pair chromatography to identify and determine the total concentration of water soluble iron chelates formed by the individual ortho(hydroxy)-ortho(hydroxy) isomer of the chelating agents [o,o] ethylenediamine-di (o-hydroxyphenyl acetic) acid (EDDHA), [o,o] ethylenediamine-di (o-hydroxy-o-methylphenylacetic) acid (EDDHMA) and by (N,N’-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-ethylenediamine-N,N’-diacetic acid (HBED) in fertilisers containing one or more of these substances, except for [o,o] EDDHMA and HBED mixes.

EN 13368-2:2017 revises EN 13368-2:2012 to include the calculation of the mass fraction of the chelating agent, a new option for preparing Fe-[o,o] EDDHA solution from standards, the complete names of chelating agents and additional precision data from an inter-laboratory trial that took place in 2014.

Animal Feed

EN 17050:2017 – Animal feeding stuffs: Methods of sampling and analysis – Determination of iodine in animal feed by ICP-MS

Iodine is an essential trace element for humans and animals which is naturally present in some foods but can be added as a dietary supplement. Iodine is an essential component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid hormones regulate many important biochemical reactions, including protein synthesis and enzymatic activity, and are critical determinants of metabolic activity.

EN 17050 is based on EN 15111 which describes the determination of iodine in food. In both standards the iodine is extracted from the sample matrix using a strong alkaline solution of tetra methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) at high temperature over a specified period. The iodine in the extract is then determined by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry).

It is stated that the concentration range for method EN 17050 shown for the following types of animal feeds: seaweed meal, mineral premix, fish meal, plant based ingredient, marine based compound feed and a synthetic iodine solution is between 0.70 to 631 mg/kg.

EN 17050 has been developed in accordance with European Commission Mandate M/522 to prepare standards for methods of analysis in the field of animal nutrition part II, implementing the framework of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules.

EN ISO 12099:2017 – Animal feeding stuffs, cereals and milled cereal products – Guidelines for the application of near infrared spectrometry (ISO 12099:2017)

EN ISO 12099:2017 is an adopted ISO standard by CEN and provides guidance on the determination of moisture, fat, protein, starch and crude fibre in animal feeding stuffs, cereals and milled cereal products using spectrometric measurements in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region.

Food

CEN/TS 17061:2017 – Foodstuffs – Guidelines for the calibration and quantitative determination of pesticide residues and organic contaminants using chromatographic methods.

CEN/TS 17061 provides guidance on the calibration, determination and quantitative evaluation of pesticides and organic contaminants in residue analysis using chromatographic procedures. The technical specification describes the principles to be followed to enable the comparison of analytical results (even from different analytical procedures) and can form the basis for method validation and quality assurance within laboratories.

CEN/TS 17062:2017 – Foods of plant origin – Multi method for the determination of pesticide residues in vegetable oils by LC-MS/MS.

CEN/TS 17062 describes the analysis of pesticide residues present in plant oils (fat content > 90 %, water content < 5 %). The pesticide residues are removed from the plant oil using acrylonitrile solvent. The acrylonitrile solvent extract is then cleaned up using dispersive solid phase extraction. The solvent extract is acidified and then can be directly analysed using liquid chromatography coupled to two mass spectrometers in tandem (LC-MS/MS).

The method has been validated in an inter laboratory trial using olive oil and considered applicable to other similar types of oils including sunflower seed oil, sesame oil, flax seed oil, rape seed oil, grape seed oil, thistle oil and pumpkin seed oil

*A Technical Specification (TS) is an alternative normative document to a European Standard (EN) providing specifications for methodologies and/or evolving technologies.

Further information on food legislation can be found on the Government Chemist website:

Food and feed law: Compendium of UK food and feed legislation with associated context and changes during July to September 2017 – Government Chemist Programme Report

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The United Kingdom is concerned by Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) in Ukraine.

This decision risks severely undermining the Minsk peace process, in which the JCCC has a specific role to play. It will also have significant consequences for those in the area, including the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, as the JCCC has facilitated numerous local ceasefires in eastern Ukraine.

An FCO spokesperson said:

We are concerned by Russia’s withdrawal from the JCCC. The JCCC plays an important role in facilitating local ceasefires in eastern Ukraine.

Russia’s withdrawal casts doubt on their commitment to a lasting ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and to the safety and security of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. It also heightens the risk of ecological disaster in the Donbas given the JCCC’s role in facilitating repairs to critical civilian infrastructure such as the Donetsk Water Filtration Station, which houses large amounts of chlorine gas.

The humanitarian situation in the Donbas is growing ever bleaker and civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict. The UK calls on all parties to do all they can to alleviate humanitarian suffering and commit to a lasting peace.

Further information

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From the very beginning of the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union I have been consistently clear that protecting the rights of both EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU was my first priority. I know that the referendum result has caused considerable anxiety for many of you and your families.

That is why, at the beginning of the negotiating process, I made it clear that any deal guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK would be dependent on such an offer being reciprocated for our UK nationals in the remaining Member States.

So I am delighted to announce that in concluding the first phase of the negotiations that is exactly what we have achieved.

From speaking to my counterparts across Europe, I know that they hugely value the UK nationals living in their communities. We have worked hard to address the very complex and technical issues that needed working through before a formal agreement could be reached. The details are set out in the Joint Report agreed by the UK Government and the European Commission, as published Friday 8 December.

This agreement guarantees that your rights as residents in the EU will be protected in the Withdrawal Agreement, so you can have certainty that you will be able to receive healthcare rights, pension and other benefits provisions as you do today. You can also benefit from existing rules for past and future social security contributions.

Furthermore, we have agreed that close family members will be able to join you in the Member State where you live, after the UK has left. This includes existing spouses and civil partners, unmarried partners, children, dependent parents and grandparents, as well as children born or adopted outside of the UK after 29th March 2019.

While I hope this agreement will bring you some reassurance, I know there are a few important issues that have yet to be concluded. We raised these concerns, including the ability of UK nationals living in the EU to retain certain rights if they move within the EU, but the EU was not ready to discuss them in this phase of the negotiations. We will continue to raise these issues with the EU in the New Year.

I will continue to push for the best possible deal for our nationals across the EU, but in the meantime, please do sign up for the latest updates on gov.uk.

The constructive way in which these talks have been conducted gives me confidence that we will achieve a final deal that reflects the strong partnership between the UK and our European partners, and is in the mutual interest of citizens living across the continent.

I wish you and your families a great Christmas and a very happy New Year.

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