Thank you, Madam Vice President.

Special Rapporteur,

Let me start by thanking you for your detailed and sobering update to this Council. It is a reminder to us all, on this first day of the fifty-first session of the Council, of how crucial your mandate is in providing a voice to millions of Afghans.

We share your grave concern about the, “staggering regression in women and girls’ enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights since the Taliban took power”. Indeed, in no other country have women and girls so rapidly disappeared from all spheres of public life, particularly secondary schools. We call on the Taliban to urgently reverse these policies and practices restricting the human rights of Afghan women and girls.

Special Rapporteur, we also welcome your efforts to shed light on the broader situation of human rights in Afghanistan. Religious and ethnic minorities continue to be targeted, including by terrorist groups. There are allegations of arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial killings at the hands of the Taliban. Media freedoms have been restricted and there are all too frequent reports of peaceful public dissent being violently repressed.

The UK remains committed to supporting the Afghan people. We urge the Taliban urgently to take steps to protect the rights of all Afghans. This includes ensuring inclusive dialogue, which truly reflects Afghan society.

Your role, Special Rapporteur, is vital to provide an independent voice for the Afghan people, including women and girls. We will do all we can to support you in your work and we encourage our fellow members of this Council to do the same.

Thank you.

Thank you Mr President,

Let me warmly thank colleagues for this morning’s silence for Hr late Majesty Elizabeth the second.

The UK continues to condemn the military coup in Myanmar, the violence against the people of Myanmar, and the unlawful detention and execution of figures in the deposed civilian government and civil society by the military.

Security forces continue to commit atrocities throughout the country, with credible reports of torture, burning of villages, sexual violence, violence against children, and mass killings. 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine state, where they face systemic discrimination; are denied their citizenship rights and access to education and healthcare.

The UK will continue to apply pressure through international fora, targeted sanctions and other means to respond to the junta’s actions. We have also announced our intention to intervene in the ICJ case brought by The Gambia for Myanmar’s alleged breach of the Genocide Convention. We welcome the Mechanism’s cooperation with the Court.

The international community must support the IIMM to collect and preserve incidents of human rights violations. The UK has provided 500,000 pounds sterling of core funding, and established the Myanmar Witness programme.

Mr Koumjian,

What actions can the international community take to improve evidence gathering for alleged crimes relating to gender and children?

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly begins his first overseas trip in his new role today (Tuesday) – arriving at the United Nations in New York for high-level talks as part of the 77th UN General Assembly (UNGA).

During his trip, alongside the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary will meet his global counterparts to take action on a series of global challenges, including Russia’s malign activity and building stability in the Middle East.

Ahead of arriving in New York, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

We live in an increasingly unstable, divided world. As Foreign Secretary, I will work to bring countries together to tackle aggression, overcome challenges and promote our democratic values. We will judge others on actions not words.

Every day the devastating consequences of Russia’s barbaric tactics become clearer. There must be no impunity for Putin’s hostility.

His main event of the week will be a special UN Security Council session on Thursday focusing on the situation in Ukraine and ensuring that Russia does not get away with its actions unpunished. The Foreign Secretary will give the UK’s intervention at the meeting, exposing Russian aggression and tactics as they seek to justify their illegal war.

Cleverly is due to have his first bilateral meeting in his new role with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later today (Tuesday).

He is also due to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Canada’s Melanie Joly tomorrow (Wednesday) and Australia’s Penny Wong on Thursday.

On arrival in New York, he is due to attend a global food security event hosted by the United States, European Union and African Union as 50 million people worldwide face being just one-step away from famine.

Also this week, the Foreign Secretary will join partners, including fellow G7 Foreign Ministers, for an event on nuclear safety, as concerns around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine continue to grow.

Stability in the Middle East will be a recurring theme on the agenda in New York, with discussions set to take place on Yemen, Syria and the Gulf.