UN Human Rights Council 43: Interactive Dialogue on Ukraine

Thank you Mr Vice-President,

The UK thanks the High Commissioner for her update and welcomes the 29th report of the OHCHR Monitoring Mission.

We are concerned by increased civilian casualties in eastern Ukraine. Russia-backed armed formations continue to disregard fundamental freedoms and restrict the work of OHCHR. Reports of systematic use of torture on detainees in non-government controlled areas are deeply troubling. Russia-backed proxies use Covid-19 as a pretext to impose further restrictions on international organisations.

Russia’s persistent restriction of fundamental freedoms in illegally annexed Crimea is deplorable. The systematic persecution of Crimean Tatars, suppression of freedom of religion or belief and forced conscription must stop.

Russia’s continued arbitrary arrests, detentions and crackdown on freedom of expression are aimed at intimidating the people of Crimea. At least 94 Ukrainian political prisoners remain unlawfully detained in Crimea and Russia – there are accounts of their torture, ill treatment and denial of medical care. We call on Russia to release all political prisoners immediately.

We are concerned by continuing restrictions on OHCHR access to eastern Ukraine and Crimea, and would welcome more reporting on the human rights situation there.

Madam Deputy,

What more can the international community do to ensure accountability for these human rights violations and abuses?

Thank you.



Work starts again to improve flood defences in Lower Bootham

Press release

Work is back on track to improve flood protection in a section of the York Flood Alleviation Scheme

Construction work is starting again to improve flood defences in the Lower Bootham area in a bid to help better protect 134 properties.

The area already has embankment defences in the grounds of St Olave’s and St Peter’s schools and a flood wall in the gardens of Almery Terrace but these are at risk of over-topping in the future and so the plan is to raise their standard of protection.

The flood alleviation work is being carried out in three phases and includes:-

  • Raising the existing embankment along St Peter’s and St Olave’s School playing fields
  • Extending the length of the existing embankment through St Peter’s playing field
  • Raising the height of the existing flood wall at the back of Almery Terrace using glass panels to reduce the visual impact of this wall and maintain views and natural light for the properties
  • Funding grants for Property Flood Resilience for homes at risk of flooding in Government House Road.

Last year the Environment Agency started on phase one of works – raising a section of the embankment in the grounds of St Peter’s School. However, due to adverse weather in November, this work was delayed but has now re-started by contractor BAM Nuttall.

A transition wall is being built to link the new housing development next to Almery Terrace and the new higher embankment. The plan is to complete improvements to defences in this area of the city by the end of the year.

The site compound is now up and running on fields belonging to St Peter’s School. To make sure that construction vehicles can easily access the site, parking restrictions will be in place during weekdays on Westminster Road to avoid congestion.

To complete the construction of the defences, some paths will need to be closed temporarily:-

  • The riverside path directly next to Almery Terrace will be closed during the construction of the embankment and whilst gates and glass panels are installed at properties. Closures will be from around early August until late October during working hours 8am – 5pm, but not every day.
  • The Almery steps footpath will also be closed whilst we increase the height of the adjacent wall and for some of the time we are working on the adjacent Network Rail land. This is estimated to be from early September to late October.
  • The footpath from the end of Westminster Road to the river will need to be closed whilst working is carried out to improve the flood embankment. This closure is currently estimated to be from the end of August.

David Morey, flood risk adviser with the Environment Agency, said:

Our aim is provide much better flood protection for this community by improving our defences from Coppins Farm to Scarborough Bridge.

We have been working hard to reschedule our work to ensure as much as possible can be carried out safely under the Government guidelines related to social distancing and that delays caused by the effects of this coronavirus pandemic are kept to an absolute minimum.

We will continue to keep residents up to date with progress on the scheme and any changes including necessary footpath closures. You can sign up to our regular electronic newsletters by emailing: yorkfloodplan@environment-agency.gov.uk.

For any questions about onsite issues contact community liaison officer, Rebecca Stone: Tel: 07900711136 or email: rebecca.stone@bamnuttall.co.uk To sign up for digital newsletters about the scheme email: yorkfloodplan@environment-agency.gov.uk For more information on the York Flood Alleviation Scheme, visit Or follow EnvAgencyYNE on Twitter, York Flood Alleviation Scheme on Facebook at @YorkFAS or YorkFloodPlan on Instagram.

Published 18 June 2020
Last updated 18 June 2020 + show all updates

  1. First published.



CMA Chairman Andrew Tyrie to step down

I want to thank all of those with whom I have worked, and the many friends that I have made, for their kindness and support over the last two years.  The CMA is an extremely hard-working institution, strongly committed to the public good.

On taking the role, I was asked by the Government to map out a route to a new type of competition authority, one better equipped to understand and respond to what most concerns ordinary consumers: penalties for loyal customers, price discrimination against vulnerable consumers, the difficulties faced by millions in getting good deals online, among them.

I was also asked to suggest ways in which the CMA could become more agile, less legally encumbered, and also with closer international ties, reflecting both the increasingly global and often digital nature of consumer detriment, and the CMA’s enhanced post-Brexit role.

We’ve all, particularly the most senior executive team and the Board, worked hard at the CMA to do that.

The CMA submitted proposals for wide-ranging legislative changes to the government last year.

It has taken forward important work to protect consumers, and it has imposed tougher penalties on those who break competition law.

And in our response to the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve reoriented the organisation to listen and act on consumer concerns more quickly and effectively. In responding, the CMA has shown a remarkable and unprecedented capacity to develop an emergency role.

I am delighted to have played some part in these achievements.

The Government asked me to take this work forward at great pace. I have done so. I now want to make the case more forcefully for legislative and other reform – in Parliament and beyond – than is possible within the inherent limits of my position as CMA Chairman.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will now commence the process for recruiting a new Chair of the CMA.



PM call with PM Morrison: 18 June 2020

Press release

Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with PM Morrison of Australia today.

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The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Morrison of Australia today, and welcomed the launch of free trade negotiations between our countries.

The leaders discussed the coronavirus pandemic and agreed on the need for an independent investigation through the World Health Organization into the origins of the outbreak. They committed to coordinate closely on this issue in the weeks and months ahead.

On Hong Kong, the Prime Minister said that the proposed national security legislation China is seeking to impose goes against the letter and the spirit of the Joint Declaration. He underlined the UK’s visa offer to British National (Overseas) citizens in Hong Kong.

Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Morrison for Australia’s support for the UK’s Global Vaccine Summit earlier this month, and the leaders agreed to continue working together on issues of national and global importance.

Published 18 June 2020



Home Secretary chairs virtual ‘Five Eyes’ security summit

Ministers from the ‘Five Eyes’ partnership all agreed to work together to tackle the increasing global threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in a virtual meeting co-chaired by Home Secretary Priti Patel today (Wednesday 17 June).

At the meeting of Home Affairs, Interior and Security Ministers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US, they discussed a range of threats including the increased risk of online child sexual abuse, disinformation and hostile state activity.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

These are unprecedented times and now more than ever it is important we continue to work with our closest allies to protect our citizens.

I was pleased to speak with my ‘Five Eyes’ colleagues yesterday to discuss the shared threats we are facing and how we will work together to tackle them.

Ministers raised the persistent threat of hostile state activity as well as the spread of disinformation during the pandemic which is putting lives at risk. The nations agreed to share best practice and work together to counter these threats and ensure that the public can access reliable information to protect themselves.

The Home Secretary raised concerns about the increased risk to children online during the pandemic and welcomed the recent announcement by the Tech Coalition on tackling online child abuse. This builds on the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, the landmark blueprint to keeping children safe online.

But the Five Country partners were clear that technology companies need to work quickly and go further to address the issues that continue to leave children vulnerable to predators online.

The Home Secretary said the threat of online child abuse and terrorism would increase if companies like Facebook continued with plans for end-to-end encryption across their platforms. Ministers agreed that tech companies should work closely with governments to ensure their plans do not damage efforts to keep the public safe.

Ministers also raised the issue of cyber criminals exploiting the pandemic through ransomware, malware and phishing attacks. Ministers agreed on the need to share intelligence around these kinds of scams and work closely to stop them.

Ministers of the ‘Five Eyes’ nations agreed to continue to keep in regular contact during the pandemic and to meet in person for the next Five Country Ministerial event in New Zealand when possible.

Ministers in attendance were:

  • Home Secretary Priti Patel (co-chair)
  • New Zealand’s Minister for Justice Andrew Little (co-chair)
  • Australian Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton
  • Canadian Minister for Public Safety Bill Blair
  • US Attorney General William Barr
  • US Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli