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The Prime Minister spoke to Chancellor Angela Merkel this morning.
They discussed Saturday’s attacks in Saudi Arabia and the need to work together, alongside international partners, to agree a collective response.
On the issue of Iran, they reaffirmed their commitment to a common approach and the importance of avoiding the further escalation of tensions in the region.
On Brexit, the Prime Minister reiterated that the UK and the EU have agreed to accelerate efforts to reach a deal without the backstop which the UK Parliament could support, and that we would work with energy and determination to achieve this ahead of Brexit on the 31 October.
The leaders looked forward to meeting to discuss these issues further at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York.
Published 17 September 2019
The UK reiterates its support for the important work of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria. We are grateful for the latest update and share the Commission’s deep concern about the human rights situation, particularly in Idlib, where 1000 civilians have been killed and 600,000 displaced as a result of the military offensive by the Asad regime and its backers.
The UK welcomes the UN Secretary General’s Board of Inquiry to investigate the appalling attacks, including those on medical facilities. Hostilities have had a particularly devastating impact on children, who make up over half of Idlib’s three million civilians. During the current offensive, 304 children have been killed and 55 schools have been struck. We join the Commission’s call for all sides to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and to protect civilians.
We welcome the UN’s efforts to negotiate sustained humanitarian access to Rukban camp. Any movement of camp residents should be safe, voluntary, and informed, in line with International Humanitarian Law. We are concerned by reports of violations, including arbitrary detention, against those who have relocated, and support a role for the UN in monitoring the relocation process.
Mr Pinheiro,
Given the continued reports of violations against former residents of the Rukban IDP camp, will the Commission consider investigating this further?
A consistently impressive safety performance over more than a decade has again earned LLW Repository Ltd (LLWR) recognition on the national stage at a ceremony in Glasgow.
The RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Awards offer organisations an opportunity to prove their ongoing commitment to raising health and safety standards, and three members of the LLWR workforce were on hand to collect the organisation’s fifth President’s Award, in recognition of receiving 14 consecutive Golds.
“We never take these awards for granted, they have to be earned every single year, which is why we consider it such an honour to be consistently recognised by RoSPA,” said Dave Rossiter, LLWR’s Head of Waste Management Services, who was joined at the event by colleagues Louise Steele, Waste Compliance Specialist, who is also a Safety Representative, and Andrew Murray, Nuclear Safety Case Senior Team Member.
“You can never allow safety standards to slip, which is why we constantly impart its importance to our workforce, who remain receptive to the message.”
LLWR has now gone more than 1.25 million person hours since suffering a Lost Time Accident and its Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) stands at zero.
Mr Moderator, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The United Kingdom fully aligns ourselves with the statements given by Sweden and just now by Finland on behalf of the EU and would like to add some comments in our national capacity.
We have two principal recommendations for participating States: first, to consider joining the Media Freedom Coalition by signing the Global Pledge; and second, to consider developing a national action plan that protects the safety of journalists.
The United Kingdom has long been committed to promoting media freedom and the safety of journalists as part of how we champion human rights globally. In 2018, together with Canada, we launched a Global Campaign for Media Freedom, with the aim of increasing the global spotlight on media freedom and raising the cost for those who restrict or abuse journalists for doing their jobs.
Our Global Conference for Media Freedom held in July, co-hosted with Canada, brought together over 60 ministers and 1500 delegates from over 100 countries. We were delighted that many across the OSCE region attended.
We were pleased that you, Mr Desir, and your team from the Office of the OSCE Representative on the Freedom of Media joined us there, and that we were able, in particular, to host the launch of the Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression, with your counterparts from the UN, Organisation of American States, African Union and civil society.
In response to your and the OSCE’s appeal for member states to develop national committees and action plans on the safety of journalists, the United Kingdom is now in the process of developing its own committee and plan. Through the Global Campaign we are encouraging all governments to develop national action plans. We are delighted that the OSCE is joining UNESCO to spearhead the international task force to support member states to do this and apply best practice.
OSCE participating states can send a strong signal that we have a shared goal and are committed to promoting media freedom and the fight against impunity. We encourage governments to consider joining the Media Freedom Coalition, which will be launched at the UN General Assembly in New York on 25 September, by signing the Global Pledge, and to contribute to the new Global Media Defence Fund. Together we can make a difference.
I look forward to discussing these issues further and to updating you all on the initiatives of the Global Campaign in the sessions on safety of journalists tomorrow.
Thank you