Thank you, Madam President. Let me start by saying how proud I am that the United Kingdom has already met and exceeded United Nations’ targets set in 2015 for doubling female participation in peacekeeping by 2020. Women currently make up 7 percent of our contingent of peacekeeping troops and 18 percent of military observers and staff officers. This is not just a point of principle, nor about simply saying the right thing. It is about effectiveness. Just as in our countries, we suffer economically if we do not let all of our population participate in the workforce. So we suffer militarily if we exclude women from our armed forces and from promotion within that. We prevent ourselves getting the best people for the job by limiting the pool available and therefore we limit our fighting ability.

On the ground, aside from having the best available troops, we see real operational benefits from deploying more gender-balanced forces. We note, as others have, that deploying more peacekeepers enables missions to engage with a wider range of people in local communities, which, in turn, leads to better situational awareness. Asking peacekeepers to understand local conflict dynamics and risks without the ability to engage effectively with local women is like asking them to patrol with one eye closed. And having more female peacekeepers in missions can make it easier for women and girls who have survived sexual violence in conflict or sexual exploitation of abuse to come forward and speak about their experiences.

But we do recognise and share the challenges that most national militaries face in achieving gender parity. Women still make up only 10.5 percent of the United Kingdom’s regular armed forces – only 13 percent of our military officers. Examples set by trailblazing women such as Air Marshal Sue Gray, who became the first three-star female officer in the Royal Air Force this year, have yet to become the norm. So, although we are proud of the progress we have made in increasing female participation in the UK’s armed forces and, by extension, in our peacekeeping contributions, we know there is much more to do.

And having said earlier, Madam President that this is not about just saying the right thing. It’s about doing things. Let me set out a few things that we think can happen.

We need to keep changing mindsets, ensuring that expanding women’s participation is seen as an essential operational enabler, part of the core function of the mission indeed and not as a box ticking exercise.

We need to keep taking concrete action to ensure women have equal opportunities to participate in peacekeeping. That must include equal access to information about opportunities to deploy; equal opportunities to develop relevant skills and experience; and equal access to adequate accommodation, facilities, equipment and medical services in the field.

The UK supports innovative approaches to tackling these and other barriers to women’s meaningful participation. In peacekeeping, we are committed to focusing on practical action, sharing best practices and lessons learned and to keep ourselves learning from other troop and police contributing nations. To this end, as we announced in the margins of the Peacekeeping Ministerial, the UK is contributing $1.3 million to the newly launched Elsie Initiative Fund for uniformed women in peace operations. And we fully support the Elsie Fund’s focus on incentivising and assisting Member States to deploy more trained and qualified uniformed women and on maximising the impact of women’s participation.

Now, Madam President, it is important that we increase the number of women, the proportion of women in peacekeeping. But of course all peacekeepers, male and female, share a responsibility to conduct peacekeeping operations in a gender sensitive manner. We are determined to equip our peacekeepers with the skills, knowledge and understanding that this requires. Since November 2016, all UK military personnel deploying on major international operations have received training in preventing sexual violence in conflict and on the Women, Peace and Security agenda. And as a training partner, we are committed to ensuring that the training we offer personnel from other countries is gender sensitive. Incorporating gender perspectives in peacekeeping does not only concern women. Gender equality is everybody’s business. We all stand to gain from more effective, inclusive peacekeeping if we redouble our efforts towards achieving high ambition targets the women’s participation.

And flowing from that, Madam President I have a question for our briefers, which is simply to ask, in the spirit of doing: what are the most urgent interventions you would recommend the United Nations and Member States adopt to make mission environments more women friendly? And what are the best examples of best practice – the best example of best practices, if you like – that you’ve seen in use at national level to make this agenda really go forward?

Thank you, Madam President.

A de-registered Immigration Adviser who illegally gave immigration advice has received a suspended prison sentence.

Mrs Alina Dyer, 46, a businesswoman of Tersha Street, Richmond, was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Southwark Crown Court on 10 April 2019, after she was found guilty of one charge of providing unregulated immigration advice. Mrs Dyer was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation.

Alina Dyer was an OISC registered immigration adviser until she withdrew from regulation in May 2015. In court, Mrs Dyer stated that she set up a business in Cyprus providing immigration advice with her husband; he moved to Cyprus to manage the company while she remained in the UK.

Mrs Dyer gave immigration advice to the victim while in London, between August 2015 – January 2017, which as she was un-registered, was illegal.

In sentencing, HHJ Korner QC said, “You have been convicted on what in my view was overwhelming evidence that you were giving advice in respect of immigration matters. You told such obvious lies in the witness box that it was clear that you decided whatever happened you were not going to admit that you had been so advising.

“You utterly failed to tell her (the victim), and lied about that in the witness box, that you were not permitted to provide the services which in the past you had been so able to do and you knew that she was a vulnerable witness or person.

“You knew and simply didn’t care. That is in my view an aggravating feature of your behaviour. It was and you knew full well a fraudulent enterprise and criminal conduct in order to obtain money. This is far too serious a case for anything other than a sentence of imprisonment.”

Speaking about the decision, the Deputy Immigration Services Commissioner, Ian Leigh, said, “We have very clear standards outlining what we expect in terms of the fitness and competence of regulated advisers. Alina Dyer chose to operate outside these standards and outside the law. I am delighted with the outcome of this case, and I hope this sends a clear message to other people considering providing immigration advice – act within the law; or find yourself in court.”

Notes to the Editor

1. The OISC is an independent public body, established under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to regulate the provision of immigration advice and services in the UK.

2. The regulation concerning the provision of immigration advice only applies when it is given by a person in the UK

3. For further information contact Victoria Bovill-Lamb, Investigations and Intelligence Team Manager at the OISC on 0207 211 1571.

4. For media enquiries, please contact Cornelius Alexander, Corporate Communications Officer at the OISC on 0207 211 1617.

The Chancellor will urge global financial leaders to ensure sustainable growth and tackling climate change are at the core of their economies at the annual IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington.

Amidst the busy schedule of Parliament and the ongoing Brexit negotiations, the Chancellor will showcase the wealth of opportunities for greater cooperation between Global Britain and its international partners, to face up to the world’s most urgent challenges – such as climate change and slower growth.

He’ll highlight the UK’s success in reducing the amount of carbon it produces relative to GDP faster than any other country in the G20 and will encourage other countries to follow suit.

He will lead the way in the first ever global group of Finance Ministers dedicated to using economic levers to tackle climate change. Making the first intervention at the new Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, he will build on his previous warnings that calls led by younger generations to reverse the existing damage to the environment must be heeded if global economies are to continue to grow and capitalism is to continue to succeed.

He will highlight the benefits offered by clean economic policies – for example, the UK has 430,000 jobs in low carbon businesses – and alongside representatives from the world’s biggest economies, he will back new global guidelines with urgent actions that finance ministers must take to protect economies and societies from climate change.

Speaking before departing for the Spring Meetings, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

I will be in Washington this week to showcase our world-class expertise and experience in tackling some of the urgent challenges of our time, from climate change to trade and big data.

Global Britain is at a turning point and our future is bright. We must work together with our partners across the world to create a safer, more prosperous and more sustainable economy for future generations.

The Chancellor will also use the Spring Meetings to urge world leaders to pay their fair share towards the IMF, ensuring it is adequately resourced to support the world economy, amid slower global growth. As a founding member of the institution, the Chancellor will speak on behalf of the UK to defend the organisation’s vital role in guarding against economic crises and push for swift action to make sure it has sufficient firepower to reassure markets, as and when needed.

In December, the Financial Action Taskforce – the global standard-setter for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing – gave the UK its highest possible rating in its review of how the country tackles dirty money.

Continuing this fight, the Chancellor will attend the latest meeting of the Taskforce and sign up to a new global mandate encouraging greater cooperation to beat criminality. In a sign that the fight is growing in strength, this will be the first time FATF members have met at Ministerial level since 2012. It will be the final meeting presided by the Americans before the Chinese chair the Taskforce from July.

The Chancellor will also hold talks with Finance Ministers of the largest global economies including US Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, and the Chinese Minister of Finance, Liu Kun. They’ll discuss the future of trade, investment, and future closer cooperation post-Brexit.

He will also meet Larry Kudlow, Chair of the US National Economic Council, to discuss the US-UK economic relationship.

And finally, for the first time, he will meet the newly appointed Brazilian Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes. He’ll reaffirm the importance of UK-Brazilian economic cooperation and outline the UK’s priorities for future collaboration.

Further information

Climate Change

• The Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action is a new grouping of Finance Ministers committed to taking action on climate change, currently co-chaired by Finland and Chile. Its purpose is to build engagement between finance ministries on climate change, recognising that many of the levers for effective policy sit with finance ministries.

• Since 1990 the UK has cut its emissions by over 40 per cent while the economy has grown by over two thirds, and the UK continues to take ambitious action on climate change and the environment.

• At the Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced a package of green measures, including the introduction of the Future Homes Standard by 2025 which will ensure that new build homes are future-proofed with low carbon heating, helping to reduce the carbon footprint and energy bills of families across the UK.

Financial Action Taskforce

• The FATF recently found that the UK has some of the strongest controls in the world for combating illicit finance. Find out more here.

A man who carried out two robberies armed with a knife has today had his jail-time extended after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred the original sentence to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

In November 2018, Gary Boothe, 40, robbed over £3,000 from two betting shops in the Poole and Bournemouth areas.

During the first robbery he threatened the lone member of staff present with a 6 inch breadknife, climbing onto the counter and crawling towards the frightened member of staff, before taking over £700 in cash. Two days later he targeted another bookmaker, waiting until several other customers had left the premises before jumping over the counter and threatening the lone female member of staff present with the knife.

Boothe also carried out a number of thefts around the same time. He had a number of previous convictions, including for burglary and shoplifting, and was under the influence of drugs at the time.

Boothe was originally sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison, with a licence extension of 5 years, at Bournemouth Crown Court. The Court of Appeal has today increased Boothe’s sentence to a 13 year extended sentence, comprising of 8 years and six months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ extended licence.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“These robberies had a serious impact on the members of staff and I am pleased the Court decided to increase the prison sentence to reflect the incredibly frightening ordeal these people went through. I hope the result will bring some comfort to Boothe’s victims.”

A 31-year-old man has been successfully prosecuted by the Environment Agency after being found guilty of fishing without a licence in October 2018.

The case was brought to Northampton Magistrates Court on 1 April 2019 where Carl Beresford from Steven Crescent, Chapletown, Sheffield, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a total penalty of £611.47. An annual fishing licence would have cost just £30.

The penalty includes a fine of £440 plus costs of £127.47 and a victim surcharge of £44 after Beresford was found in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) on 2 October 2018 at A1 Fishery, South Muskham, Newark.

Following the verdict, Pete Haslock, Enforcement Team Leader for the Environment Agency in the East Midlands, said:

The case shows how seriously the courts take these offences and acts as a reminder to anglers of the importance of having a rod licence. We hope it will provide a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence.

We would also like to remind anglers who wish to buy their licence online of the importance of buying it directly from GOV.UK as they will receive a reference number allowing them to go fishing on the same day.

Customers who use third-party sites may be charged more and might not get added to the official database as quickly.

All of the money raised from rod licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will prosecute.

Every year across the country, thousands of anglers are prosecuted for not having a fishing licence. As well as cheating other anglers, fishing illegally can carry a hefty penalty. Getting caught without a licence could land a fine of up to £2,500.

All income from rod licence sales is used to fund Environment Agency work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, including improving habitats for fish and facilities for anglers, tackling illegal fishing and working with partners to encourage people to give fishing a go.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). They are free for those aged 13 to 16. Licences are available online or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.