Joint statement on the political situation in Libya

France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America take note of the statement of 2 March by the spokesperson of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and subsequent developments regarding the situation in Libya.

We echo the UN Secretary-General’s call on all actors to refrain from actions that could undermine stability in Libya and express our concern at recent reports of violence, threats of violence, intimidation and kidnappings.

We stress that any disagreement on the future of the political process must be resolved without resorting to violence, and we stand ready to hold to account those who threaten stability through violence or incitement. We recall that individuals or entities, inside or outside Libya, who obstruct or undermine Libya’s successful completion of its political transition, may be designated by the United Nations Security Council’s Libya Sanctions Committee in accordance with UNSC resolution 2571 (2021) and relevant resolutions.

In reaffirming our full respect for Libyan sovereignty and for the UN-facilitated, Libyan-led and owned political process, we reiterate our support for UN mediation efforts through the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser and UNSMIL to sustain the country’s peaceful transition, to facilitate dialogue among political, security and economic actors, and to maintain their focus on holding credible, transparent and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible in order to fulfil the democratic aspirations of the Libyan people.

We encourage all Libyan stakeholders, including the House of Representatives and the High State Council, to cooperate fully with these efforts and in the next steps of the transition, as proposed by the UN, in order to establish a consensual constitutional basis that would lead to presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.

We reaffirm our readiness to work with Libya and all international partners to build a more peaceful, stable future for the country and its people and to support its stability, independence, territorial integrity and national unity.

Further measures to move faster with sanctions and clamp down on Putin’s regime

Amendments to be put forward to allow government to move harder and faster with sanctions
Deadline to register overseas entities to be shortened to 6 months
New powers to more rapidly sanction those who have already been sanctioned by EU or US

The Government has put forward series of amendments to the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill to crack down on corrupt elites and ramp up pressure on Putin’s regime.

The first set of amendments will allow the government to move faster and harder when sanctioning oligarchs and businesses associated with the Russian Government.

The new provisions will help streamline the current legislation so we can respond even more swiftly and effectively to the current crisis in the way we sanction individuals.

It will allow the UK to align more rapidly with the individual designations imposed by our allies such as the US, Canada and the EU via an urgent designation procedure.

The amendments will remove the test of ‘appropriateness’ for designations, enabling the government to act more quickly and make changes to further facilitate the designations of groups of individuals.

The Government has also brought forward amendments to shorten the deadline for overseas companies to register their beneficial owners from 18 months to 6 months. This will help crack down on money laundering through UK property, whilst giving people who hold their property in overseas entities for legitimate reasons appropriate time to comply with the new requirements.

The vast majority of the beneficial owners of entities holding properties on the register will be entirely law-abiding companies and individuals. A 6-month transition period strikes a balance in allowing for the free enjoyment of property and maintaining the UK’s reputation as a stable investment environment whilst ensuring property owners register their beneficial owners.

A further amendment will also increase criminal penalties for non-compliance from fines of up to £500 per day to up to £2,500 per day. As set out in the existing legislation, other sanctions will include prison sentences of up to 5 years and imposition of financial penalties for non-compliance.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

The UK has led the way with the toughest package of sanctions against Putin’s regime and we’re bolstering this with new powers in our arsenal to go further and faster.

We will ramp up the pressure on those criminal elites trying to launder money on UK soil and close the net on corruption. They will have nowhere to hide.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

Our message to Putin and his cronies has been clear from day one – invading Ukraine would have serious and crippling consequences. We have been true to our word, introducing the largest and strongest sanctions package in our history, but we are not stopping here.

The changes we are making will allow us to go faster and harder on those closest to Putin, including oligarchs, as we continue to ratchet pressure in the face of illegal and unprovoked Russian aggression.

The government will also bring forward an amendment which will commit the Government to publishing an annual report on the use of Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs). Data on the use of UWOs is already published in the annual Asset Recovery Statistical Bulletin, but the additional report will be laid before Parliament and provide further information beyond how many UWOs have been obtained and their estimated value.

The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill will be expedited through all its Commons stages on Monday and the Government is looking for swift passage in the Lords in order to get Royal Assent as soon as possible.

The Prime Minister has so far announced the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. We have brought in sanctions on President Putin, Sergey Lavrov, five Russian banks and more than 300 individuals and entities at the heart of Putin’s regime, and Belarus.

The UK is also applying full asset freezes to three more banks in addition to the six already designated and we are preventing the Russian state from raising debt here and isolating all Russian companies from access to UK capital markets.

The government will continue to ratchet up pressure and use sanctions to degrade the Russian economy on a scale that the Kremlin, or any major economy, has ever seen before.

Russian aggression against Ukraine: G7 foreign ministers’ statement, 4 March 2022

Press release

Foreign ministers of G7 countries and the European Union High Representative condemned Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice against Ukraine.

A statement by the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union:

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union reiterate our profound condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice against Ukraine, enabled by the Belarussian government.
Russia must immediately stop its ongoing assault against Ukraine, which has dramatically impacted the civilian population and destroyed civilian infrastructure, and immediately withdraw Russia’s military forces. With its further aggression, President Putin has isolated Russia in the world, as evidenced by the overwhelming vote at the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia’s aggression and calling upon it to withdraw its forces immediately.
We express our heart-felt solidarity with the Ukrainian people and our sympathy with the victims of this war and their families. We underline our unwavering support for Ukraine, its freely-elected government and its brave people at this most difficult time, and express our readiness to assist them further.
We condemn the Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. We call on Russia to uphold its obligation to fully respect international humanitarian law and human rights law. Ukrainian and UN humanitarian agencies, medical personnel, and non-governmental assistance providers must be given safe, rapid and unimpeded access to people in need immediately throughout the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. We acknowledge the announcement of an arrangement on humanitarian access as an important first step. This will need to be implemented reliably and swiftly. We commit to increasing humanitarian support, as the needs of the Ukrainian people grow due to Russia’s aggression. We urge Russia to stop its attacks especially in the direct vicinity of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of international law. We support the initiative of IAEA Director General Grossi announced today for an agreement between Ukraine and Russia to ensure the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine.
We are deeply concerned with the catastrophic humanitarian toll taken by Russia’s continuing strikes against the civilian population of Ukraine’s cities. We reemphasize that indiscriminate attacks are prohibited by international humanitarian law. We will hold accountable those responsible for war crimes, including indiscriminate use of weapons against civilians, and we welcome the ongoing work to investigate and gather evidence, including by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Russia’s blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international peace and security and the breach of international law have not gone unanswered. We have imposed several rounds of far-reaching economic and financial sanctions. We will continue to impose further severe sanctions in response to Russian aggression, enabled by the Lukashenka regime in Belarus.
We wish to make clear to the Russian and Belarusian people that the severe sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus are a consequence of and clear reaction to President Putin’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war against Ukraine. President Putin, and his government and supporters, and the Lukashenka regime, bear full responsibility for the economic and social consequences of these sanctions.
We condemn the widespread use of disinformation by the Russian Government and its affiliated media and proxies to support its military aggression against Ukraine. Their steady stream of fabricated claims is putting additional lives at risk. We commit to countering Russia’s disinformation campaign.
We reaffirm our support and commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters. We underline that any purported change of status achieved by Russia’s renewed aggression will not be recognized.

Published 4 March 2022

New fishing licences unveiled by the Environment Agency

The Environment Agency (EA) has released new fishing licence images designed by British Fish and Wildlife Artist, David Miller.

Ahead of the start of this year’s fishing season, David has designed new and unique images of three of the nation’s most beloved species: the grayling; perch; and salmon. All new paper licences purchased on gov.uk will now include these images.

Two of the species, the grayling and the perch, are regarded to be the ‘beauty and the beast’ of fishing. While the grayling is the ‘lady of the stream’ on every anglers’ bucket list, the perch is the underwater predator that is a favourite first catch for most anglers. The grayling is depicted on the trout and coarse 2 rod licence, whilst the perch is depicted on the trout and coarse 3 rod licence.

This year, the Environment Agency is continuing the popular A Licence to Chill campaign for a second year running, aiming to welcome more people into the angling community and showcase the wide variety of benefits that fishing can provide. Fishing is not only an opportunity to get outside, but allows anglers to exercise, socialise, relax and unwind. Many anglers have found this benefits their mental health and as a result has led to new anglers taking up the sport.

Kevin Austin, Deputy Director Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment at the Environment Agency said:

We are thrilled with the images that David has created for our fishing licences this year. The new licence images capture the beauty of our much-loved salmon, grayling and perch and I hope this encourages our anglers and aspiring anglers, to get outside and go fishing.

All of the income we receive from fishing licence sales is re-invested into vital work to protect and restore fish habitats across the country, and to ensure that we are able to provide anglers with the best possible experiences, services, and facilities.

The Environment Agency reinvests rod licence income directly back into vital work to benefit anglers and the natural environment. This includes projects to protect and improve fish stocks, tackle illegal fishing, and improve facilities and services for anglers. Last week, the EA announced that that through the use of rod licence income, Calverton Fish Farm restocked a record-breaking 600,000 fish into rivers, lakes and ponds across England. This restocking has provided an essential boost to fish stocks recovering from pollution incidents or poor environmental quality.

In order to fish legally and responsibly, anglers must purchase a rod licence which are easy to buy online. Annual licences start from only £30, whilst juniors go free and a one-day licence is available from £6.

Further information:

We have created a new way to view your fishing licence. You can now get your licence digitally, as an email or a text message, or you can continue to get your licence card decorated with David Miller’s artwork in the post.
The revenue generated by over one million licence sales in 2020/21 funded a range of initiatives, including 45 fish pass projects, the construction of facilities such as accessible toilets and improved access to fisheries sites for wheelchair users, and the training of new coaches to facilitate 495 participation events which saw around 5,000 people try fishing for the first time. The income was also boosted by government funding and partner contributions to deliver £33 million through the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF), to enhance the environment which fish stocks rely on to thrive.

UN Human Rights Council 49: UK statement for the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea

World news story

The UK delivered this statement and outlined its concerns about the ongoing human rights situation in Eritrea.

Thank you, Mr President.

The United Kingdom thanks the Special Rapporteur for his update, and we take this opportunity to reaffirm our full support for his mandate.

We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing human rights situation in Eritrea. We urge Eritrea to release all those who have been arbitrarily detained, to progress with National Service reform, and guarantee freedom of religion or belief. We should also reflect on the sad death of Patriarch Abune Antonios, held incommunicado for 16 years.

The continued involvement of Eritrean forces in the Tigray conflict remains a serious barrier to peace. Eritrea should withdraw its troops, accept the report of the recent Joint Investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, and fully investigate all alleged breaches of international law by Eritrean actors identified in the report.

Mr President, we note that UN agencies were allowed to visit Eritrea in January. We remain hopeful that this may signal a new willingness by Eritrea to engage with international institutions on human rights, and to make much needed progress on implementing its accepted UPR recommendations.

Special Rapporteur,

What are your views on prospects for Eritrean cooperation with your mandate, and with the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia once established, now that the Commissioners have been appointed, including in light of the UN’s recent visit?

Published 4 March 2022