Madam Chair,

I want to begin my statement by addressing the situation in Ukraine.

Russia’s assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign democratic state.

The UK and our international partners stand united in condemning the Russian government’s reprehensible actions, which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Russia’s actions should concern everyone at the Commission on the Status of Women. This war of choice will set back human rights and gender equality. As UN Women have said, we know the conflict will affect women and girls differently and disproportionately. A majority of the already 1.5 million refugees are women and girls. Women and girls will be more exposed to the risk of violence, particularly sexual and gender-based violence. We acknowledge the vital work of civil society organisations on the ground in Ukraine; and I am proud that on International Women’s Day, we launched new funding for women’s rights organisations and civil society actors working to support the critical needs of women and children both inside and displaced outside of Ukraine.

The UK is committed to preventing sexual violence in conflict, and we are exploring options for strengthening the international consensus on tackling this vital issue.

Madam Chair

Please, allow me to make three points on this year’s priority theme.

First, the UK remains steadfast in our commitment to using our COP Presidency to advance gender equality and social inclusion in climate action and finance. This means strengthening implementation of the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan, in line with the Glasgow Climate Pact; and supporting the climate leadership of women, girls and marginalised people, while building their resilience to climate impacts. We were delighted that so many governments and other actors came forward – in the run-up to COP26 and at COP26 itself – with commitments to deliver gender-responsive climate policies, programmes and actions. We continue to call on others to do the same.

Second, as we recover from the pandemic, we must reflect on both the new and existing challenges that women and girls have faced.

It is the responsibility of governments, like mine, to take steps to provide the support that women need to recover – in terms of their health, their economic situation and their well-being.

We have launched a range of programmes to support women to build back better, and I am pleased that I have been able to speak about these initiatives during CSW.

My government’s priorities include going further still on pay transparency, increasing our support for women entrepreneurs, and identifying ways to get more women into STEM careers.

And third, we look forward to achieving consensus on an ambitious and progressive outcome document that truly delivers for women and girls. We will approach negotiations positively and constructively, with a view to agreeing a text that clearly sets out the issues that climate change causes for women and girls, and the steps that we must all take to tackle it.

We call on all member states to do the same.

We stand ready to work with you.

The United Kingdom reaffirms its strong support for the work of the Special Representative, as we celebrate 25 years of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate.

The UK remains deeply concerned about the sustained and alarming number of grave violations committed against children.

In Ukraine, Russia’s unprovoked and brutal assault has already resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties and deaths, including children. Continued attacks on schools, as well as other civilian infrastructure, demonstrate why we advocate for universal endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration.

We fully endorse the statement by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, demanding Russia immediately cease its aggression and military actions. This is the only way to ensure the protection of children in Ukraine.

Moreover, persistently high levels of sexual violence against children globally remains concerning, which is why in November 2021, we launched the Call to Action to ensure the rights of children born of sexual violence in conflict.

It is critical the voices of young people are heard and that they shape policy decisions. Our Minister for Africa is hosting a roundtable with young people this month to do just that.

Madam Special Representative,

Could you provide an update on the situation in Ukraine and the work your office is doing to support children and monitor alleged violations?

Under Project Vermeer, the Royal Air Force has enhanced their ground-breaking work in using sustainable aviation fuel by successfully flying a four-meter drone with synthetic fuel.

Synthetic kerosene is entirely fossil fuel-free, made by mixing raw materials with high sugar levels, such as food waste, with bacteria to create an oil substance that is then converted into aviation fuel using chemicals and heat.

As the process does not require large-scale infrastructure, synthetic kerosene can be made anywhere, making it an attractive option for military deployments around the world.

The breakthrough signifies the RAF’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future as it can be used across all platforms from remotely piloted air systems to fighter jets, with a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional fossil-based fuels.

Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin said:

“This is an exciting moment for the RAF and British industry as they continue to develop pioneering solutions to help address climate change. These new approaches will maintain our world-class fighting forces whilst reducing our carbon footprint.”

Air Vice Marshal Lincoln Taylor said:

“The RAF needs to ensure that we are at the forefront of technology to safeguard our own resilience and operational capability, whilst minimising our damage to the environment. Fuel scarcity and cost will only ever increase in its impact on our operations and synthetic fuels for our aircraft are one potential solution to this situation as we look to secure the objectives of the next generation RAF of tomorrow.”

Working with British company C3 Biotechnologies Ltd and the US Navy, the initial trial created 15 litres of fuel in laboratory conditions. Following successful engine testing, the fixed-wing drone completed a 20-minute test flight in Wiltshire, providing valuable data that indicates the fuel performs consistently to a high standard.

Chief of US Naval Research Rear Adm Lorin C. Selby said:

“It is exciting and game-changing to work with our allies in the UK to develop a more efficient synthetic aviation fuel.

“The U.S. Navy is committed to finding innovative solutions to operational challenges, and the ability to manufacture this fuel without large infrastructure requirements would be ground-breaking for deployed forces.”

The RAF and partners are continuing with the next phase of the project, with work underway to refine the process and develop deployable manufacturing facilities.

This is the second big win for the RAF as they secured a Guinness World Record four months ago with a successful flight on synthetic fuel.

Project Vermeer began in summer 2021 and demonstrates the RAF’s commitment to investing in emerging technology, as highlighted in the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper.