Mr Chairman, Distinguished Ambassadors, Colleagues

I make this statement on behalf of Canada and the United Kingdom. Earlier this year, my Canadian colleague briefed the Permanent Council on the UK and Canada’s plans for the Global Conference on Media Freedom. I would like to share some highlights from the conference, which took place in London on 10-11 July 2019, and look ahead to the future.

Over 100 countries were represented at the conference, with 60 ministers and 1,500 delegates from all regions. Over the two days, there were 25 different panel discussions on a variety of issues around media freedom. In their keynote speeches the UK Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the Canadian Foreign Minister and former journalist, Chrystia Freeland, and Special Envoy on Media Freedom, Amal Clooney, set out the challenge to participants to champion media freedom. The conference also heard directly from journalists who face harassment, threats and legal pressure at home.

I am delighted that the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, and a team from his office joined us in London. Mr Désir took part in the launch of the Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression, with his counterparts from the UN, Organisation of American States, African Union and civil society. He also participated in a plenary discussion with the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Malta and Uzbekistan, and RFOM colleagues joined sessions on the Western Balkans. We are also pleased that the documentary, A Dark Place, on safety of female journalists online received its first London screening at the Conference.

We announced several initiatives at the conference:

• A Global Pledge for signature by Governments to commit to forming a new coalition to protect media freedom and – through a contact group of MFAs and diplomatic missions – to lobby on cases of attacks on journalists.

• Development of a UK National Committee and National Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists

• An international task force, involving multilateral organisations and civil society, which will provide support to countries drawing up National Action Plans.

• A new Global Media Defence Fund, to be administered by UNESCO to support journalists to access legal advice and training on safety and investigative journalism.

The conference hosted a first meeting of the independent High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, convened by Special Envoy Amal Clooney, and to be chaired by former UK Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger

Media freedom is essential for economic prosperity, social development and resilient democracies, for maintaining a free and open society and accountable systems of government and for safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms.

We are grateful to the many OSCE states that participated and made the conference such a success. The conference was just the start, not the culmination, of our joint campaign. We will continue to encourage states to support the media freedom coalition and pledge, and to contribute to the Global Media Defence Fund.

Thank you.

The risk of infection to UK residents travelling to the Middle East remains very low and PHE, NaTHNaC and the World Health Organization do not currently advise any travel restrictions to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in relation to MERS-CoV.  

We urge pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah to look out for these symptoms:

• fever
• coughing
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

If individuals experience these symptoms within 14 days of leaving the Middle East, they should call their GP immediately or NHS 111 and mention their travel history.

However, Saudi Arabia has reported over 150 cases across the country since January 2019, occurring mainly among KSA residents. There is growing evidence that camels can be a source of infection. MERS-CoV can also spread person-to-person if there is close contact. It is important to practise good personal, hand and respiratory hygiene including covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, using tissue or the upper sleeve, and washing your hands with soap and water regularly.

Dr Gavin Dabrera, lead for MERS-CoV at PHE said:

We strongly advise travellers to avoid contact with camels and consumption of camel products in the Middle East and to practise good hand hygiene.

Pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah with symptoms including fever and cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days of leaving the Middle East, should call their GP immediately or NHS 111 and mention their travel history.

Dr Dipti Patel, director of NaTHNaC, said:

Our information sheet for pilgrims includes information on health regulations, vaccine requirements and recommendations, and other general health advice for those planning to travel for Hajj and Umrah. Pilgrims are strongly advised to follow our specific guidance about staying safe and healthy when travelling.

1. The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), known as the Hajj, is due to take place between 19 to 24 August this year, with many pilgrims travelling from the UK
2. Umrah is a shorter, non-compulsory pilgrimage for Muslims that can be performed at any time. Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) in the KSA.
3. There have been 5 cases of MERS CoV in the UK since 2012.
4. General travel health advice for travellers going to Saudi Arabia is available from NaTHNaC’s website TravelHealthPro.
5. The requirements and recommendations for the 2019 Hajj season are now available on the KSA Ministry of Health website. We advise you to keep abreast of updates.
6. Health advice posters can be found here:

Following an open competition, Simon Dingemans has been appointed as the new Chair of the Financial Reporting Council, and will lead its transition to Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA)

Mr Dingemans will join at a crucial time for the audit regulator. ARGA, the new enhanced regulator, will build on the UK’s status as a great place to do business and will play an important role in strengthening public trust in businesses and the regulations that govern them.

Mr Dingemans said:

I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead this important process to reform the FRC and establish the ARGA as a very different regulator for the future, one that will bring more challenge, transparency and forward thinking.

I also intend the ARGA to be at the forefront of driving the reforms we need to rebuild confidence in the audit market and the reporting and governance standards that underpin trust in UK businesses.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

I would like to congratulate Simon on his appointment. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role in taking forward the transition to the new enhanced regulator, ARGA.

A strong and competitive audit market is crucial to UK business, and our package of reforms will ensure the UK continues to offer the highest standards.

Mr Dingemans was until recently the Chief Financial Officer and a member of the main board of GlaxoSmithKline plc. He stepped down in May 2019 after over 8 years with the company. During his time with GSK, he provided operational and financial leadership through a period of significant business transformation including extensive restructuring and the strategic re-shaping of the group and its 3 global businesses: Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare, which together employ nearly 100,000 people.

Mr Dingemans joined GSK in 2011 from Goldman Sachs International where he was a Managing Director and Partner.

He has been a Trustee of the Donmar Theatre since 2018 and also served as Chairman of the 100 Group of Finance Directors between 2014 and 2016. He has a Masters Degree in Geography from Oxford.

The application process involved a pre-appointment hearing with the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee which took place on 17 July. The Committee reported back to Greg Clark, the Business Secretary on Mr Dingemans’ suitability for the post and endorsed the appointment.

The British Embassy in Guatemala participated in this year’s 19th Annual Capital Pride Parade.

Published 22 July 2019 From: British Embassy Guatemala City

The parade celebrates the spirit of the local and national Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Guatemala.

The British Embassy joined other diplomatic missions in this celebration, which has continued to grow in Guatemala City since 2000. The popular parade included several contingents, vehicles, walkers and entertainment, as well as local businesses, politicians and community groups.

The UK government advocates that human rights are universal and should be equal for all. The UK’s commitment to promoting human rights is part of its foreign policy as an inclusive one.

The British Ambassador to Guatemala, Carolyn Davidson and members of the Embassy’s staff joined the parade to celebrate the diversity of the LGBT community in Guatemala.

Ambassador Carolyn Davidson said:

Everyone deserves a safe environment free from violence and harassment. Promoting equality is consistent with the international obligations of our governments. We encourage everyone to support and advance all human rights for all. An inclusive and diverse society based on equality, respect, and liberty benefits everyone.

UK manufacturers wanting to adopt the latest digital technologies will be able to bid for a new £30 million R&D competition.

Published 22 July 2019 From: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK Research and Innovation, and The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP

• Government launches £30 million R&D competition for projects aiming to radically boost the productivity and agility of UK manufacturing
• Competition forms part of the Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge, funded through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
• The Fund – a key part of Government’s modern Industrial Strategy – will support the application of new digital technologies, including AI and Virtual Reality, in manufacturing

UK manufacturers wanting to adopt the latest digital technologies will be able to bid for a new £30 million R&D competition open today (Monday 22 July) through the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

The R&D competition is part of the Manufacturing Made Smarter challenge to support the transformation of UK manufacturing by encouraging the development and integration of industrial digital technologies.

The Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge will:

• Provide a collaborative and cross-sector approach to digital technology R&D and innovation to boost UK manufacturing productivity and competitiveness;
• Encourage the cooperation of small, medium and large scale companies throughout the UK supply chain to develop new digital capabilities and knowledge to become the recognised global leader in the application of industrial digital technologies such as data analytics, immersive technologies, connected environments and the Internet of Things; and
• Provide the platform for digital technology companies to engage directly in manufacturing.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

We want to support companies of all sizes who want to develop new digital capabilities, and will support projects that will help ensure the UK remains at the forefront of technological developments.

Through Made Smarter and our modern Industrial Strategy we are committed to making sure manufacturers are best placed to take advantage of the opportunities being created by industrial digitalisation and help our leading advanced manufacturing sector continue to grow.

UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport said:

The Manufacturing Made Smarter challenge will boost the productivity of UK manufacturing by encouraging the adoption of digital technologies across a wide range of sectors. It will ensure the long-term prosperity of UK manufacturing and contribute to an increase in total productivity, making the UK a global leader of the 4th Industrial Revolution and delivering clean growth.

Juergen Maier CBE, Siemens UK CEO and Co-Chair of the Made Smarter Commission said:

This investment is an incredibly important step forward, helping our small manufacturers embrace the latest advanced and digital technologies at a very disruptive time for the industry. Through this challenge there is a real opportunity to boost national productivity and stimulate engineering entrepreneurship which will create the new high wage-high skilled jobs of the future.

The first competition of the Manufacturing Made Smarter challenge, which opens today, will fund projects that will help transform the productivity and agility of UK manufacturing, ready for a fast start and with the potential for rapid impact. Projects must be business led and collaborative, with all consortia involving at least one SME.

Notes to editors

This new funding is from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and aligns with the recommendations made by Juergen Maier in his review for the government of industrial digitalisation called Made Smarter, and the activities of the newly formed Made Smarter Commission.