Last night, our country fell victim to a brutal terrorist attack once again. As a result I have just chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee and I want to update you with the latest information about the attack.

Shortly before 10:10 yesterday evening, the Metropolitan Police received reports that a white van had struck pedestrians on London Bridge. It continued to drive from London Bridge to Borough Market, where 3 terrorists left the van and attacked innocent and unarmed civilians with blades and knives.

All 3 were wearing what appeared to be explosive vests, but the police have established that this clothing was fake and worn only to spread panic and fear.

As so often in such serious situations, the police responded with great courage and great speed. Armed officers from the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police arrived at Borough Market within moments, and shot and killed the 3 suspects. The terrorists were confronted and shot by armed officers within 8 minutes of the police receiving the first emergency call.

Seven people have died as a result of the attack, in addition to the 3 suspects shot dead by the police. Forty-eight people are being treated in several hospitals across London. Many have life-threatening conditions.

On behalf of the people of London, and on behalf of the whole country, I want to thank and pay tribute to the professionalism and bravery of the police and the emergency services – and the courage of members of the public who defended themselves and others from the attackers. And our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and with their friends, families and loved ones.

This is, as we all know, the third terrorist attack Britain has experienced in the last 3 months. In March, a similar attack took place, just around the corner on Westminster Bridge. Two weeks ago, the Manchester Arena was attacked by a suicide bomber. And now London has been struck once more.

And at the same time, the security and intelligence agencies and police have disrupted 5 credible plots since the Westminster attack in March.

In terms of their planning and execution, the recent attacks are not connected. But we believe we are experiencing a new trend in the threat we face, as terrorism breeds terrorism, and perpetrators are inspired to attack not only on the basis of carefully-constructed plots after years of planning and training – and not even as lone attackers radicalised online – but by copying one another and often using the crudest of means of attack.

We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are. Things need to change, and they need to change in 4 important ways.

First, while the recent attacks are not connected by common networks, they are connected in one important sense. They are bound together by the single, evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division, and promotes sectarianism. It is an ideology that claims our Western values of freedom, democracy and human rights are incompatible with the religion of Islam. It is an ideology that is a perversion of Islam and a perversion of the truth.

Defeating this ideology is one of the great challenges of our time. But it cannot be defeated through military intervention alone. It will not be defeated through the maintenance of a permanent, defensive counter-terrorism operation, however skilful its leaders and practitioners. It will only be defeated when we turn people’s minds away from this violence – and make them understand that our values – pluralistic, British values – are superior to anything offered by the preachers and supporters of hate.

Second, we cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed. Yet that is precisely what the internet – and the big companies that provide internet-based services – provide. We need to work with allied, democratic governments to reach international agreements that regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremism and terrorist planning. And we need to do everything we can at home to reduce the risks of extremism online.

Third, while we need to deprive the extremists of their safe spaces online, we must not forget about the safe spaces that continue to exist in the real world. Yes, that means taking military action to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. But it also means taking action here at home. While we have made significant progress in recent years, there is – to be frank – far too much tolerance of extremism in our country.

So we need to become far more robust in identifying it and stamping it out – across the public sector and across society. That will require some difficult and often embarrassing conversations, but the whole of our country needs to come together to take on this extremism – and we need to live our lives not in a series of separated, segregated communities but as one truly United Kingdom.

Fourth, we have a robust counter-terrorism strategy that has proved successful over many years. But as the nature of the threat we face becomes more complex, more fragmented, more hidden, especially online, the strategy needs to keep up. So in light of what we are learning about the changing threat, we need to review Britain’s counter-terrorism strategy to make sure the police and security services have all the powers they need.

And if we need to increase the length of custodial sentences for terrorism-related offences, even apparently less serious offences, that is what we will do.

Since the emergence of the threat from Islamist-inspired terrorism, our country has made significant progress in disrupting plots and protecting the public. But it is time to say enough is enough. Everybody needs to go about their lives as they normally would. Our society should continue to function in accordance with our values. But when it comes to taking on extremism and terrorism, things need to change.

As a mark of respect the 2 political parties have suspended our national campaigns for today. But violence can never be allowed to disrupt the democratic process. So those campaigns will resume in full tomorrow. And the general election will go ahead as planned on Thursday.

As a country, our response must be as it has always been when we have been confronted by violence. We must come together, we must pull together, and united we will take on and defeat our enemies.

This was an horrific attack in the heart of our capital city, targeted at people enjoying their evening with friends and family. My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this incident.

As ever, in difficult and traumatic circumstances, I am extremely proud of and thankful to our police and emergency services who responded so swiftly and those who will work tirelessly as the investigation into this appalling act continues.

H5N8 avian flu has been confirmed in a small flock of chickens and geese at a premises near Diss, South Norfolk.

Thank you Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2356 today.

Through this resolution, and our unity, we have sent a clear message to the DPRK regime; faced with a sustained pattern of reckless, belligerent behaviour from Pyongyang, we, this Council, will act. Repeated missile launches threaten our allies and partners in the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the wider region.

With each and every launch and missile test, DPRK demonstrates a total disregard for international security. They put their destructive ambitions above the welfare of their own people. This simply cannot continue.

Multiple missiles have been fired this year alone. The regime’s actions and rhetoric shows clear intent to pursue its illegal weapons programme. We need to show that there are consequences, and that the whole of the international community stands in support of this Council in tackling this threat.

So for the third time in 18 months, this Council has had no choice but to take decisive action. Through this chapter 7 resolution, we will restrict the ability of key DPRK individuals and entities from assisting and financing the illegal weapons programmes, building on the analysis and recommendations from the UN Panel of Experts. We will blunt their ability to generate the revenue needed to prop up the regime’s illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Our signal is clear; we will not tolerate nor be distracted by DPRK’s wide range of cover activities that prop up their illegal programmes. The resolutions passed by this Council impose wide-ranging sanctions on DPRK and they have bite. Through them, tangible pressure is being brought to bear on a regime that has acted with impunity for far too long. Let me be clear, it is the DPRK that has a clear choice to make on the way forward – continue its destabilising, dangerous actions or change its behaviour and begin to build a future for its people.

Together, we the international community, must be steadfast when enforcing these new sanctions, as well as all previous measures adopted by this Council. All member states must do their part to fully implement the sanctions. We have a collective commitment to address DPRK’s behaviour; we must show our collective resolve to bring an end to these destabilising, illegal actions.

Thank you.

Thank you Mr President.

As this is our first public session in your Presidency, congratulations and very good luck. And I’d also like to thank Uruguay for its very efficient and very open Presidency last month.

I join others in thanking you, Special Representative Mindaoudou, for your briefing, for your tireless efforts over the last years and for your commitment to sustained peace. I also want to welcome you, Foreign Minister to the Council and we really look forward to hearing from you shortly.

We meet today at a significant moment for the Government and people of Cote d’Ivoire. By the end of the month the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire will close, after 13 years of service. In that time, Cote d’Ivoire has been transformed. A child born when the first UNOCI peacekeepers set foot in Cote d’Ivoire would’ve entered a world of uncertainty and insecurity; today they’re living in a country with real prospects, not just for peace, but for opportunity and prosperity.

I congratulate the Special Representative and all her team for all they have done to help make this a reality. UNOCI has been an exemplary operation; one that has enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Government and with civil society, and importantly, one that is now leaving harmoniously and at the right moment.

As their mission nears its end, we must never forget that such stability did not come without cost. One hundred and fifty military and civilian United Nations personnel have lost their lives in Cote d’Ivoire over the last 13 years. The legacy of their sacrifice, and of all their service, must be a sustained peace in Cote d’Ivoire.

With that in mind, I congratulate the Government for capitalising on the space that UNOCI has given them. The country now has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. We stand with you as you continue along this positive pathway, redoubling your efforts to ensure that all Ivoirians feel the benefits brought by peace through social development.

Progress in Cote d’Ivoire, Mr President, is not just limited to the economy. I also want to draw Council Members’ attention to the Secretary General’s recently published report on sexual violence in conflict – a topic that is of particular concern to the United Kingdom. With this report came the welcome news that the armed forces of Cote d’Ivoire had been de-listed.

That means that Cote d’Ivoire is now able to contribute to United Nations Peacekeeping missions, and it has recently sent a contingent to Mali. To move from a nation benefitting from a Peacekeeping Mission to one that now contributes to peacekeeping is yet another marker of success.

There can be no let up, Mr President; there are tests ahead for Cote d’Ivoire. The 2015 Presidential elections were peaceful, but of course UNOCI was present. The Presidential elections in 2020 and a smooth democratic transfer of power to a new President will be crucial to building a peaceful and prosperous future for Cote d’Ivoire. This needs continued efforts to build the independence, credibility and authority of the electoral commission over the next few years. The credibility and legitimacy of the institutions of government must continue to strengthen.

Mr President, as the recent unrest in the country illustrates, peace can be fragile if underlying issues are not resolved. I therefore encourage the Government of Cote d’Ivoire to make the most of this opportunity that they and the United Nations have worked so hard for.

In conclusion Mr President the story of Cote d’Ivoire is a positive one, with the end of a successful mission and an optimistic future for the country and its people. It’s also a positive story for the United Nations and specifically, for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. UNOCI shows how clear mandates, with a clear exit strategy, can create the space needed for the political process to progress. It is a model that we should seek to emulate elsewhere across the world. And I am delighted that this experience is something that Cote d’Ivoire will be able to share on a daily basis with this Council when it joins in 2018. Congratulations on your election this morning.

Thank you.