The United Kingdom thanks the Commission for their critical work to promote truth and accountability in South Sudan. We commend the Government of South Sudan for their continued cooperation with the Commission.

The Commission’s work remains incredibly important. Despite progress made in the September 2018 peace deal, civilians continue to be killed and raped, children are recruited as combatants, and communities are forcibly displaced communities. All this takes place without fear of punishment. The Government must address this culture of impunity, and parties to the peace agreement must ensure they implement Chapter V.

The Government must also investigate sexual violence and abuse; support survivors; and to take action to prevent further attacks. In this regard, we welcome the Commission’s reporting on the root causes of sexual and gender-based violence, and encourage the Government of South Sudan to implement their recommendations.

We note with concern the Commission’s reporting on the securitisation of the State, including arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances. We call for accountability for the disappearances of Dong Samuel Luak and Aggrey Ezbon Idris. Moreover, restrictions on freedom of expression remain and we are deeply concerned by the lack of investigation or accountability regarding the 2017 death of journalist Christopher Allen.

We would like to ask the Commissioner what institutional steps need to be taken by the Government of South Sudan to ensure that human rights are prioritised as the revitalised peace agreement transitions to the next phase?

Thank you very much, Mr President. Thank you to our briefers, the Special Envoy and the Humanitarian Coordinator.

Let me start, Mr President, by joining the UN’s condemnation, unequivocal condemnation of the attacks on Aramco Oil facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 14 September. These were reckless. They were despicable. They are totally unjustifiable. It is only sheer luck that no one was killed and not by any design of the perpetrators. Threatening civilian areas and commercial infrastructure is a violation of international law, as well as being dangerous and provocative. And I’m sure that all members of the Council will want to join in condemning these attacks today as a clear threat to regional and international peace and security, but also as an effort to disrupt global oil supplies. At the moment, we’re still assessing what happened and who is responsible for the attacks. Once this has been established, we will discuss with our partners how to proceed in a responsible manner. We hope for united, international response to these awful attacks.

Turning to the situation in Yemen, Mr President, I note with great sadness and trouble that it’s not getting any better. What we heard today from the Humanitarian Coordinator and the Special Envoy show that we are in grave danger of letting the situation slide backwards despite everybody’s efforts. We’ve been gravely worried about the escalation of violence in the south. And we condemn the use of force by the Southern Transitional Council to seize state institutions.

The Saudi-led talks in Jeddah need our full backing and all parties need to cease hostilities and engage in these talks. We support Saudi Arabia’s efforts. We hope that she can broker a deal which brings southern representatives into the Yemeni government and makes the Yemeni government more representative. Inclusivity is a key pillar of stability, as we have seen in so many conflicts around the world, and for the United Kingdom’s part, we stand ready to assist in any way we can. And we support what the Under-Secretary-General said about safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian responses and commercial supplies. Goods need to be able to move freely through Aden Port, across the south and from Aden to the north of the country. And we call on the parties to ensure the continued functionality of institutions and the protection of civilians from human rights abuses.

Mr President, the Special Envoy rightly spent a chunk of his briefing on the broader, inclusive political process. And we remain strong supporters of efforts to that end. They are given renewed momentum by the events over the weekend and in the south of Yemen last month.

In its Presidential Statement of 28th of August, the Security Council gave its full backing to the Special Envoy and his efforts to work with the parties to pave the way for the resumption of comprehensive negotiations without delay on the security and political arrangements necessary to end the conflict and resume a peaceful transition in Yemen. We look to such negotiations to engage all parties in an inclusive dialogue, to resolve differences and address the legitimate concerns of all Yemenis – including those in the South – in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.

Turning to Stockholm and Hodeidah implementation, we too welcome the appointment of Lieutenant General Guha and look forward to working with him. I wanted to welcome the recent meeting of the Redeployment Coordination Committee on 8 and 9 September and urged the parties to engage constructively with this process and finalise outstanding negotiations to allow for the implementation of Phases 1 and 2 of the Hodeidah agreement.

Mr. President, we heard from the Under-Secretary-General about the very dire situation of attacks and violence and violations of international humanitarian law. I thought what he said about the operating environment and the 300 incidents affecting nearly 5 million people was particularly shocking and something the Council should deal with. We also echo his calls on handling the tanker incident. And I wonder just why we have so many bureaucratic impediments from Ansar Allah. And I wonder what lies behind that. But we look to all parties to work with the UN and other humanitarian agencies to get support to people who so desperately need it.

The one bright spot, as Mr Lowcock also said, is this pledge from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for $500 million dollars to be made on the 25th of September during High Level Week. This is extremely welcome news and I think we join others in thanking the Saudi Arabian authorities for this step. I think all donors should now consider whether they can provide additional funding this year to ensure that the $4.2 billion humanitarian appeal is fully funded. For our part, we have already disbursed 87 percent of our funding and we are assessing whether we can provide more.

And finally, Mr President, though I would like to say more when we get to closed consultations, I’d like to end by echoing what the Under-Secretary-General said about the economy. We’re also very worried about the backlog of fuel vessels outside Hodeidah. We hope the government of Yemen will engage constructively with importers on the effective implementation of Decree 49 and that the revenues can be used for the regular payment of public salaries in all areas of the country. It’s vital that fuel continues to enter the Red Sea ports, reducing the risk of pump prices increasing, which would further worsen the humanitarian situation.

Thank you.

• Landmark review underway to support biodiversity and economy
• Sir David Attenborough agrees to be review’s ambassador
• Experts and business urged to come forward with evidence to help balance both priorities

A review into the economics of biodiversity took a step forward today (16 September 2019), as Sir David Attenborough was unveiled as its ambassador.

The Chancellor Sajid Javid addressed the expert panel’s inaugural meeting at HM Treasury this morning – underlining the importance of this work to help preserve the planet, while protecting the UK and global economy.

Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta is leading the independent global review, which seeks to:

• assess the economic benefits of biodiversity globally
• assess the economic costs and risks of biodiversity loss
• and identify a range of actions that can enhance biodiversity while delivering economic prosperity

The review, commissioned by HM Treasury in March 2019, further demonstrates the UK’s position at the forefront of environmental protection and comes just months after it became the first nation to legally commit to net-zero emissions by 2050. It will report ahead of the UN’s biodiversity conference (15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity) taking place in October 2020, in China.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, said:

We’re determined to leave the environment in a better state than we found it for future generations.

Protecting nature’s biodiversity has both environmental and economic benefits.

That’s why we asked Professor Dasgupta to carry out the first review of its kind into this area, and I’m delighted Sir David Attenborough has agreed to be an Ambassador.

Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, leading the review, said:

Biodiversity is at the heart of our way of life – therefore it is vital we preserve it for generations to come. By placing an economic value on the benefits of biodiversity we will be able to prevent its demise – which is a win-win for our future generations and economies.

I look forward to working with this esteemed panel of experts who bring valued insights and challenge to help meet our objectives in this review.

This follows the Prime Minister’s message at the G7 Summit, in August, that biodiversity and climate change must be addressed in tandem to protect the planet. Ministers are expected to attend various sessions on combating climate change and protecting biodiversity and the environment at the UN General Assembly next week.

Additional information

The natural environment is said to be worth trillions of pounds to the global economy, including through pollination, natural flood defences, water resources and clean air. But without the necessary evidence-base it is difficult for governments across the world to design policies that take this into account. This review will seek to address that.

The Review will be based on a thorough consideration of robust, relevant, up-to-date evidence and a Call for Evidence was launched on 14 August 2019. The Call for Evidence will run until 6 November 2019. Responses to any, or all, of the questions can be sent to: biodiversityreview@hmtreasury.gov.uk.

The Review will report to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ahead of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in October 2020 in China.

Advisory panel members:

• Simon Clarke MP (Panel Chair) – Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
• Inger Anderson – Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
• Juan Pablo Bonilla – Manager of the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector, Inter-American Development Bank
• Sir Ian Cheshire – Chair, Barclays Bank UK PLC
• Dominic Christian – Global Chairman for Reinsurance Solutions, Aon
• Sir Roger Gifford – Chair, Green Finance Taskforce
• Professor Cameron Hepburn – Professor of Environmental Economics, Oxford Martin School
• Professor Justin Lin – Director of New Structural Economics, National School of Development, Peking University
• Professor Georgina Mace – Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystems, University College London
• Professor Henrietta Moore – Director of the Institute for Global Prosperity and Chair in Culture, Philosophy and Design, University College London
• Professor Cosmas Ochieng – Director, African Development Bank
• Sonia Phippard* – Director General for Environment, Rural and Marine, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Dame Fiona Reynolds – Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge University
• Charles Roxburgh* – Second Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury
• Lord Nicholas Stern – Professor Economics and Government, and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics
• Kristian Teleki – Director of Sustainable Ocean Initiative, World Resources Initiative
• Professor Sir Robert Watson – Director of Strategic Development, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia
• Kate Wylie – Global Vice President of Sustainability, Mars

*Ex Officio

Published 7 December 2015
Last updated 16 September 2019 + show all updates

• Company has now exported cars to 37 different countries worldwide following support from the Department for International Trade
• International Trade Secretary Liz Truss hails firm for putting “innovation from the Northern Powerhouse on the map.”

Liverpool-based supercar manufacturer Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has secured new export wins to the United States and Hong Kong to the value of £20 million, following support from the Department for International Trade (DIT).

The company manufactures the world’s only road-legal, single-seat supercar, the BAC Mono, and launched a higher-powered, lighter, next-generation model – the BAC Mono R – in July 2019 to global acclaim.

Founded in 2009 by brothers Neill and Ian Briggs, the company has grown and now employs 30 members of staff, with dealership agreements in place in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Sweden and Mexico. In January 2017, DIT awarded BAC Export Champion status.

BAC strategically targeted the United States – the number one luxury goods market in the world – approaching potential dealers across the country. In 2019, the company signed two new dealership agreements with Manhattan Motorcars in New York and Tactical Fleet in Dallas.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the hugely successful BAC Hong Kong contract was renewed with further Monos exported to the region and a number of Mono R supercars to follow.

I’m absolutely delighted that DIT has helped BAC to hit the accelerator on its exports. This is a wonderful example of a UK company that is putting manufacturing and innovation from the Northern Powerhouse on the map.

The UK’s heritage in automotive and motorsports is a huge asset, and my department is working to shift our exports up a gear in this exciting and fast moving industry.

These new export wins are a sign of how far we’ve come as a business in recent years and the immense work we’re doing with exports.

Our solid export strategy, fantastic team ethic, exemplary product and – of course – invaluable support from the DIT means we have the ultimate recipe for success overseas. We will continue to strive to put British manufacturing on the map for the foreseeable future.

Performance car manufacturing and motorsport contribute billions of pounds to the UK economy every year. According to research published by the Motorsport Industry Association, there are around 41,000 people employed in UK motorsport, of which 25,000 are engineers.

The sector is seeing rapid growth as global car manufacturers are increasingly turning to UK motorsports companies for help with the development of low carbon technology for road cars.

Motorsport Valley in the UK is the undisputed leader in global motorsport having a dominant role in Formula 1 and other international racing series. Home to some 4,500 design, precision and high-performance engineering companies, the motorsports sector is behind enormous levels of investment in R&D.

Over 25,000 highly skilled engineers work in Motorsport Valley, while 30 UK universities and over 140 colleges are now teaching about motorsport.