• The Foreign Secretary has travelled to Ukraine to underline the UK’s unwavering support for the country following devastating Russian attacks on critical national infrastructure
• During the visit he has announced a further £3m of support to the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine to rebuild vital local infrastructure
• Comes as he and the Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey announce that the UK is also committing £5 million for Ukraine-led initiative to ship grain to countries at risk of famine.

The Foreign Secretary has travelled to Ukraine as part of ongoing UK efforts to ensure the country has the crucial practical support it needs through the winter.

The visit comes as Russia tries to exploit the harsh winter in Ukraine by continuing its brutal attacks on the country’s civilian and energy infrastructure to exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

During a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, the Prime Minister announced a £50 million package of defensive military support, and the Foreign Secretary will use this visit to ensure that the UK is following through on other key commitments, including further support to help Ukraine through the winter, and to rebuild and recover in the longer term.

That includes providing an additional 35 emergency vehicles, including 24 ambulances and 6 armoured vehicles, which are to arrive in Ukraine from the UK, to support civilians caught in conflict. He will also announce that the UK will step up its support on demining, increasing its support from £2m this year.

While in Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary will meet President Zelenskyy, as well as Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and other key members of the Ukrainian government, including ministers involved in reconstruction efforts. He is also meeting members of civil society who are fighting to protect human rights, and the UK’s embassy staff in Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

As winter sets in, Russia is continuing to try and break Ukrainian resolve through its brutal attacks on civilians, hospitals and energy infrastructure. Russia will fail.

“The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. I have today announced a package of hands-on support for our Ukrainian friends in their fight, from ambulances to crucial support for survivors of the sexual violence carried out by the Russian military.

I’ve seen here first-hand how the UK’s efforts are helping brave citizens to resist and rebuild. Our support will continue for as long as it takes for this remarkable country to recover.

During the visit the Foreign Secretary has seen the scale of catastrophe wrought indiscriminately by Putin, and how the UK – with its international partners – is providing concrete support for recovery.

Through this fund the UK is supporting the Government of Ukraine, local officials and Ukrainian communities to rebuild vital local infrastructure. This is enabling people to return to normal life by clearing debris from Russian attacks, making areas safe and secure, and rebuilding schools and shelters in towns and villages. This new funding will be targeted to areas recently liberated from Russian control in southern Ukraine, including Kherson Oblast.

He is also visiting a school, which will re-open for 350 students in the next fortnight after being rebuilt by volunteers, including parents and teachers, with UK support. The Foreign Secretary will also visit an emergency housing complex run by the International Organisation for Migration and supported jointly by the UK, Ukraine and international partners.

Ahead of the UK hosted PSVI (Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative) conference next week, the Foreign Secretary will announce a further £3.45 million for the UN Population Fund to boost survivor centred gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health services, and ensure continued access to expert support for survivors of sexual assault.

The consequences of Putin’s war in Ukraine are also being felt across the world, and impacting some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. Today the Foreign Secretary, alongside the Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey also announced that the UK is committing £5 million to a Ukrainian led initiative, delivered through the UN World Food Programme, to supply grain to countries most at risk of famine, including Yemen and Sudan.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

I am pleased the UK government can support President Zelenskyy’s work to help Ukraine’s grain reach some of the poorest and most vulnerable nations in the world.

“Global food security is in all our interests – and helping Ukraine’s farmers and agricultural sector to continue producing and exporting food in these most difficult of circumstances is vital for that security.

I want Ukraine’s farmers to know that all British farmers stand shoulder to shoulder with you.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the British Embassy Manila, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, South East Asia Energy Transition Partnership and the United States Agency for International Development, hosted the second Energy Transition Council (ETC) National Dialogue on Tuesday, 22 November 2022.

The Philippines is one of the participating countries of the ETC, an initiative launched in 2020 as part of the UK COP26 Presidency. The ETC provides a platform for solutions-based discussions and coordination between countries that require support for their energy transition and major international donors and institutions that offer assistance. Since the first National Dialogue in March 2021, donor support for six priority TA projects relating to ancillary services, energy labelling, ocean and thermal energy, smart grid and energy storage system, and offshore wind have been mobilised through the Rapid Response Facility, ETC’s technical assistance coordination mechanism.

The 2022 National Dialogue focused on the country’s policy direction and priority investments in clean energy and emerging technologies, such as offshore wind, hydrogen, and energy storage systems, which are aligned with the administration’s push for increased use of indigenous and renewable energy sources. With thecountry’s abundant natural resources, there is vast potential to harness renewable energy. According to Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, “[The ETC] it is very important because it is the forum of all forums – it is the one that basically coordinates all of us, all the partnerships towards one goal in making sure that we comply with our obligations under UNFCCC.’’

Renewable energy solutions have become more widely available, cost-competitive and technologically proven, making them good business opportunities. Following the issuance of the Department of Justice’s opinion easing the 60:40 foreign equity limitation on renewable energy sources, DOE shared that they have amended the implementing rules and regulations of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to allow 100% foreign capital in RE projects, which is expected to attract foreign investments into the sector.

Senior government officials, representatives from the diplomatic community and donor institutions, CSOs and other key energy stakeholders attended the dialogue in support of the country’s power transition goals. In her opening remarks, British Ambassador Laure Beaufils said, ‘Today’s Energy Transition Council is all about bringing international community and private sector together to support the Philippines’s Renewable Energy transition. The ETC’s Rapid Response Facility (RRF) matches commercial, regulatory and policy assistance requirements arising from the ETC dialogues to be matched with existing programmes or additional technical assistance.”

The ETC also welcomed next year’s roster of ETC co-leads, namely the Royal Danish Embassy, GIZ (German Development Agency), and the World Bank to work closely with the DOE and ETC in identifying, coordinating and implementing targeted measures in specific energy sector areas, namely energy efficiency, clean energy and reliable energy systems respectively, to help accelerate the energy transition in the country. As co-lead of the energy efficiency working group, Danish Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin underscored that the Philippines has every opportunity to decouple future growth from energy consumption and highlighted energy efficiency as the first fuel to achieve energy security.

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The UN Migration Agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM), with support from the Government of the United Kingdom (UK), launched the project “Nexus of Transformative Solutions for Peace and Climate Adaptation”. The project aims to build evidence on the interlinkages between conflict and climate change from a human mobility lens and to directly engage communities from provinces across the BARMM in participatory action research. Furthermore, it seeks to strengthen the socioeconomic resiliency to climate change in conflict-prone communities, with Shariff Aguak and Mamasapano in Maguindanao del Sur and Marawi City in Lanao del Sur as pilot communities.

“This is a milestone for the UK and the Bangsamoro Government as our first initiative to integrate climate change and peacebuilding objectives into local climate action and resilience-building in a conflict-affected context,” said Alistair White, the Deputy Head of the Mission of the British Embassy in the Philippines. The project builds on the continuous collaboration between IOM and the Government of the UK, which has contributed to key initiatives for sustainable peace in BARMM.” Alistair continued, “We will give our full support to this valuable partnership.”

The BARMM is in a state of transition as part of the joint implementation of the peace agreement. It continues to face security challenges with sporadic violence and conflict, clan feuds (rido), and the presence of non-state armed groups which are often driven by the lack of socioeconomic opportunities in resource-dependent communities. Meanwhile, the region also experiences multiple natural hazards which can result in slow to sudden onset disasters. Most recently, the BARMM was devasted by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) where massive flooding and landslides affected over one million persons and displaced more than 280,000 in the region.

“The project brings together the knowledge and experience of local stakeholders, shedding light on the increasingly emerging risks that affect communities left behind in the BARMM,” said Tristan A. Burnett, IOM Chief of Mission in the Philippines. “IOM hopes that the evidence and best practices identified during this project will help guide the BARMM and conflict-affected communities to mainstream adaptation and mitigation strategies to climate change,” continued Burnett.

Some studies have shown that climate emergencies can increase security risks by exacerbating preexisting socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities. They can cause depletion in resources, intensify tensions and inequality, and drive unwanted migration – all of which may potentially contribute to conflict.

“Poverty reduction, economic development, and peace and community building efforts all face obstacles of both conflict and climate change. Fragile communities have particularly significant challenges and constraints from climate change, especially in managing the risks from crisis and supporting climate change adaptation” said Hon. Ahod B. Ebrahim, the BARMM’s Chief Minister, emphasizing the need for better understanding of long-term approaches to address the potential effects of climate change on instability and conflicts in the region.

Through the video message, Hon. Ahod B. Ebrahim, further expressed his gratitude to the Government of the UK and IOM. Echoing his message, Engr. Mohajahirin T. Ali, MNSA. Director General of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority, shared his message of appreciation and highlighted the project’s “contribution to BARMM during the crucial transition period” and in supporting efforts for sustainable peace and development in the region.

As part of its commitment to deliver the Chagossian Support Package, the UK government has announced a programme of financial support for individuals of Chagossian descent who wish to study at Middlesex University Mauritius.

Middlesex University Mauritius is part of Middlesex University, and offers highly regarded qualifications underpinned by the British education system. The university campus is located on the west coast of the island of Mauritius. The university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in accounting, advertising, business, computing, and law, as well as an international foundation programme. Learn more about the university on the Middlesex University Mauritius website.

As a bursary recipient, you will benefit from full fee waivers, free university accommodation, and a contribution toward living costs, for a period of 1 year. Bursary awards for subsequent years of study will depend on availability of UK government funding and are not guaranteed.

To be eligible, you will need to prove that you were born on the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)/Chagos Archipelago, or are descended from someone who was.

If you are not a Mauritian citizen, you can still apply for a bursary, but you will need to pay for your own travel costs to Mauritius and obtain a student visa from the Mauritian government.

The number of initial bursaries available is limited. If more applications are received than the number of bursaries available, bursary recipients will be selected by Middlesex University Mauritius on  the basis of academic merit.

If you are interested in applying for a bursary, complete the Middlesex University Mauritius’ online form and someone from the university will be in touch with you.

Courses start in February 2023 and September 2023. If you would like to apply for a bursary for a course starting in February 2023, you must register your interest using the online form by 10 January 2023 at the latest.

If you have any general queries about the bursary scheme or studying at Middlesex University Mauritius, contact Vanessa Ramchandar at v.ramchandar@mdx.ac.mu.