Mr President and colleagues,

Thank you, Mr President. Let me thank you and the Irish Presidency, for bringing us together today to underline our support for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty – the CTBT. Let me also thank our three briefers for their presentation and reiterate the United Kingdom’s congratulations to Mr. Floyd on his appointment as the Executive Secretary of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

The UK views the CTBT, and its entry into force, as a vital part of the step-by-step approach to nuclear disarmament, under the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We continue to be a vocal campaigner for its entry into force, engaging both publicly and privately with the remaining eight Annex 2 states. The UK’s Minister of State Mr Cleverly underlined our continued support just last week at the CTBT Article XIV Conference.

Our goal is very simple: to bring an end to nuclear weapon test explosions, anywhere on the planet. Each signature and ratification takes us closer to this goal. We therefore welcome the ratifications by Cuba and the Union of the Comoros since the last Conference.

The UK has not carried out any nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions since 1991. We played a central role in the negotiation of the CTBT, being one of the first states to sign it, and to complete ratification in 1998.

The UK condemns North Korea’s continued development of illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, demonstrated most recently on 15 September by two ballistic missile launches, in violation of UNSCRs, and their six nuclear tests since 2006.

We call for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea, and I urge the country to resume dialogue with the international community.

We call on North Korea to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Turning to the CTBTO, it is our collective responsibility to sustain the verification mechanism, financially and technically, in order to ensure it is fit for purpose upon entry into force.

The UK is one of the largest financial contributors to CTBTO, providing £4.5 million annually. We provide extensive technical and political support. We maintain the UK National Data Centre and host thirteen facilities, which support the International Monitoring System.

Mr President, we must all take responsibility to promote the Treaty’s entry-into-force, including engaging with the remaining Annex 2 states, but also with civil society and youth, to demonstrate the crucial role that this Treaty and its Organisation play in maintaining international security, and as a step towards our shared goal, of a world without nuclear weapons.

Thank you.

As the UK prepares to host COP26 in Glasgow, the Government has today launched a series of high-level workshops on Recognising Risk—Raising Climate Ambition – to boost the understanding of climate risks among governments around the world.

The programme builds on recent work published by Chatham House, and brings together best practice in communicating the full risks of climate change from scientists to policy makers and national governments. The findings which will be launched at COP26 will include recommendations on how climate risk assessments for Heads of Government can be improved.

While the scientific understanding of the risks of climate change is now more developed than ever, the full range of climate risks including those affecting our economies, health, and food security is still often still not fully taken into account in national decision making.

As countries form plans ahead of COP26 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Nationally Determined Contributions), and build climate resilient futures (National Adaptation Plans), a full and up to date understanding of the greatest risks of climate change to their economies and way of life is essential.

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma said:

A better understanding of the full scale of the risks which climate change poses to our way of life and national economies is essential to inform commitments to climate action at COP26 and beyond.

This programme will bring together scientists, policy makers and civil society to improve the understanding and communication of these risks, as we work to make sure we keep the 1.5 degree goal alive.

Professor Carole Mundel, International Science Envoy, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office:

​​The scientific evidence of human-driven climate change is clear. Our planet is our life support system and it is in danger. But, we have a brief chance now to take immediate action to cut emissions and keep warming below 1.5C. If we fail, we risk crossing dangerous tipping points and enter a world with severe fire, flood and famine

Dr Jennifer Francis, Deputy Director and Senior Scientist, Woodwall Climate Research Centre:

It is critically important that policymakers understand the severity of climate change risks, and that they match their policy ambition to the scope and scale of those risks.

We worked with the COP26 Presidency to organize these workshops because we need to deliver this information more effectively, so that governments can take the urgent action that is needed now.

Tim Benton, Chatham House:

The risks from climate change are underestimated by decision makers, given the multitude of ways events near, or far away, can impinge on our societies – through interrupting the flow of goods, or finance, or creating a flow of people, or undermining stability or governance. This report accessibly highlights these risks so everyone can appreciate their potential

In partnership with Woodwell Climate Research Center and Chatham House, the UK Presidency will host a series of high level workshops, convening cross-sectoral experts, advisors and advocates on risk to to improve the assessment and delivery of this climate risk information. The project will hold a number of workshops in the run up to COP26 to explore the full range of climate risks present in countries – from the US to Turkey. Invitees will be contacted via the UK’s Science and Innovation Network.

Risk assessments are a powerful tool to inform both mitigation and adaptation and the Recognizing Risk—Raising Climate Ambition workshops are complemented by the work of the Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) – a new global partnership for action-orientated adaptation and resilience research to be launched at COP26, to develop practical solutions to tackle the climate risks that we cannot avoid.

We in TCI have had significant engagement with the UK in the last two weeks. The Royal Navy have been exercising off our coast, Commando Engineers deploying with our Regiment and RFA WAVE KNIGHT moored in Grand Turk. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Stephen Twigg) visited Grand Turk and met leaders and elected representatives from across the Territory. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association from Westminster also visited to provide training to the newly elected members of the House of Assembly so they could better discharge their legislative and oversight responsibilities.

The Governors of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat travelled to TCI to attend a Caribbean Governor’s conference chaired by the Director of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s Overseas Territories Directorate and they were joined by video link by the Governor of Cayman. The Premier of TCI, supported by the Deputy Governor and Attorney General, were able to meet them over lunch and provided a deep insight into the current optimistic outlook for the islands and the reasons for that rooted partly in the handling of the COVID pandemic but also rooted in a set of good governance laws, institutions and practices consolidated over the last decade.

The Director (Mr Paul Candler) and the Deputy Director (Mr Adam Pile) of the FCDO’s Overseas Territories Directorate came to TCI not only to host this conference but also to spend time understanding TCI and they were accompanied by a UK Government Economist, (Mr Samuel Edwards). The British Airways flight they arrived on included the fifth batch of vaccines from the UK Government. They were briefed in detail on National Security, Policing and Crown Land. Calls were made on the Maritime Police, Radar, the Port and the Detention Centre, Hospital and National Laboratory. They visited HMP Grand Turk, toured TCI seeing the beauty of our coastline from air, land and sea along with the boom in our top end construction sector through to the unregulated settlements of Dockyard. Environmental officers took them out on patrol so they could understand maritime protection.

They met with the Premier and his Cabinet; the Deputy Governor and Attorney General. They had lunch with the Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition’s Appointed Member and spent time with ‘Team Finance’, ‘Team Health’, and DDME including the UK military liaison officer. Crucially they spent time with a group representing the young and also: NGO’s; good governance bodies; leaders in TCI’s industry and business; child safe-guarding; the Governor’s appointed members; all the Permanent Secretaries; the Justice Stakeholders Group and the Press. They also had the opportunity to have dinner with the Premier and Deputy Premier to build a constructive relationship with the new Government and its leadership.

Hosted by the Governor, and newly appointed to his role, this was Mr Candler’s first visit to an inhabited overseas Territory and it was not coincidental he chose TCI first. The success that TCI has enjoyed over the last 18 months, weathering the initial period of the pandemic from a health perspective, rolling out the vaccines to deliver a rate of over 70%, the significant rebound of the economy and the fact it may emerge from the pandemic stronger than it entered, suggests that much is going well in TCI and there are underpinning fundamentals that TCI has worked hard to embed, over the last decade, that are worth learning from in the UK Governments relationships with other Overseas Territories. The optimism for the future was, Mr Candler said, ‘palpable and real’.

As a Governor – who is now entering his third year – it was also striking to me that in almost every conversation, with every sector of society and community, and every stakeholder in its future, the importance around issues of ‘identity’, expressed from very different perspectives, and every different perspective, were raised by those speaking to our visitors. It impacts on opportunities linked to wealth creation, employment, health, education, child safe-guarding, policing, security, long term stability and much else. Over the last week this well-founded ‘hope’ for our future prosperity yet also this ‘fear’ around who is – and who is not – part of the future TCI nation – seems to me to mark TCI out as an Overseas Territory different from the rest. The positive point, on the latter, was how respectful to different positions each person who raised this had been, and I believe our visitors would have been struck by the constructive tone of the debate they heard, most particularly from the younger generation that they met. That’s particularly apposite as I write this on national youth day.

29 September – 1 October, Milan, Villa Necchi Campiglio

• Eleven events in less than three days in Villa Necchi Campiglio, the UK House in Milan in the week of pre-COP. Full programme of events available here
• The large UK delegation in Milan includes COP26 President-designate Alok Sharma, Minister for Investment Lord Grimstone and the UK Government’s High-Level Champion for Climate Action Nigel Topping.
• The UK holds the presidency of this year’s COP26, the UN Summit on Climate Change, in partnership with Italy

Rome, 24 September 2021 – Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan will host the rich programme of activities promoted by the network of British organisations in Italy: The Road to COP26. Eleven high-level events – both in-person and online – will take place from 29 September to 1 October 2021 and will offer opportunities for exchange and discussion to ensure that Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition and PreCOP26 contribute to achieving the ambitious targets of the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

With less than 40 days left before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), Milan is getting ready to host 400 young delegates, ministers and world leaders, with the aim of advancing commitments to tackle the urgent threat of climate change and keep the temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The UKinItaly mission has joined the All4Climate campaign of the Italian Ministry for Energy Transition (MITE), devising an ambitious programme that features, among others, numerous personalities from the UK, including COP26 President-designate Alok Sharma, the UK Minister for Investment, Lord Grimstone, and the UK Government’s High-Level Champion for the UN climate talks, Nigel Topping. The wide range of partners includes the British Council, the Department for International Trade’s European network and Wilton Park.

During the presentation of The Road to COP26 in Italy, British Ambassador Jill Morris CMG commented: “For the first time, it is clear to everyone that climate is intertwined with so many key policy issues, including finance, economic development and agriculture. Much has been achieved in recent months. However, Italy and the UK – strengthened by their respective G20 and G7 leaderships and our partnership for COP26 – are ready for the final push: we must do all we can to leverage this goodwill, in Milan, Glasgow and beyond, to keep up the momentum in the fight against climate change.”

The ambitious programme of events in the magnificent Villa Necchi Campiglio in the centre of Milan includes:

Wednesday 29 September

• The Missing Link: International Perspectives on Culture and Climate

  The British Council and non-profit Julie’s Bicycle will host an international culture and environment panel discussion as part of the British Council’s Climate Connection. This international panel event will explore creative and cultural responses to the climate crisis addressing how cultural policy can support and strengthen action on the environment. Presentations and performances will also showcase the creative climate movement calling for action.

• Race, Gender and Inclusion in Climate Change

  A group of young people come together to discuss gender and race in the context of climate change to promote inclusion and diversity for a successful Pre-COP in Milan and COP26 in Glasgow.

• European Green Investment Summit

  Hear from COP26 President, Alok Sharma, and the UK’s Minister for Investment, Lord Grimstone in the build-up to COP26 in Glasgow and Pre-COP in Milan this year. Alok Sharma will explain how commitments from business are central to combating climate change, while Lord Grimstone will explain why the UK is the best place to grow and internationalise your business through specific investment opportunities presented by the UK Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, green finance, R&D tax supports, and more.

Thursday 30 September

• Towards Climate-smart Mountain Forests

  Extreme weather events are destroying Alpine forests. Increasing tree species diversity is vital for increasing forest resilience and biodiversity. This event, delivered by Land Tirol in partnership with the British Embassy and JSC-One will explore the initiatives designed for tackling this vital issue.

• Smart Cities: Rethinking Mobility in the Urban Digital Revolution

  The pandemic revealed how cities are acutely vulnerable to shocks. Despite the multiple challenges, this period represents an opportunity for urban leaders to rethink cities. City managers and Italian and British businesses will discuss how to implement technologies to transform cities into sustainable, inclusive and more resilient environments.

• ClimateShot: Accelerating Agricultural Innovation at COP26

  Food production of the future will need to combat hunger, while respecting the climate and nature. This event, delivered by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, will explore the tools for transforming agricultural innovation to support communities and improve sustainability.

• Anglo-Italian Financial Services Dialogue: Supporting a just transition

  Organised jointly by TheCityUK, the Italian Banking, Insurance and Finance Federation and British Embassy Rome, the event will explore the role of financial services in ensuring the transition to a net-zero economy does not further inequalities and promotes economic and social development.

On the 30th September, in collaboration with YOOX, the UK Fashion for a Sustainable Future digital pop-up gallery will go live. The pop-up gallery includes 8 sustainable British brands and is aimed at demonstrating how a luxury e-commerce platform and the UK Government can jointly reach out to a global audience of young consumers and influence their buying behaviour. The gallery will be live on Yooxygen, the platform section dedicated to sustainable fashion products, from 30th September to 31st December 2021.

Friday 1 October

• The New Frontiers of Circular Economy in the Food and Packaging Industry

  This event will foster dialogue between British and Italian institutions and business players in the Food and Packaging industry to discuss the main challenges they are facing in implementing circular economy into daily operations and achieve sustainable growth. The conference will serve as a springboard event to a follow-on workshop with a focus on industry taking place on 25th October at 16:30 CEST during TUTTOFOOD and MEAT-TECH trade exhibitions.

• The Roadmap to Hydrogen: UK and Italy Strategies in the race to Net Zero

  The UK and Italy are developing their National Strategies to seize the opportunities that hydrogen generates. This event will offer a kick-off platform to compare strategies and identify synergies.

• Race for our Planet

  This accelerator event, in partnership with Wilton Park and with the support of the High-Level Climate Champions’ team, is designed to showcase membership to ‘Race to Zero’ and ‘Race to Resilience’ and explore what this means in practice. The conference will be hosted by HM Ambassador to Italy, Jill Morris, and the UNFCCC High-Level Champions Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Muñoz. Speakers will describe their pledges, why they have chosen to commit and how they are addressing the challenges, while focusing on the conditions and policies needed to build resilience and reach net zero.

Villa Necchi Campiglio

To minimise the venue’s environmental impact, FAI has launched an energy efficiency programme at Villa Necchi based on smart auditing, a digital service offering ongoing and predictive monitoring and analysis of energy consumption, aimed at ensuring a more efficient use of resources. In addition, the Villa uses non-potable groundwater for garden irrigation, for the ornamental pool and for toilets, as well as a geothermal heat pump for air conditioning in some rooms. Finally, the menu on offer during the events does not include any food with a high environmental impact and catering uses reusable or compostable materials, thus banning completely single-use plastic. Any uneaten food will be donated to the food bank, where permitted by law. Digital invitations, recycled and recyclable materials for the installations, ‘Havana Paper’ badges and RPET lanyards are all part of the UK House’ commitment to sustainability at Villa Necchi.

What the UK has done so far:

• In December 2020, the UK set out its nationally determined contribution, committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% from 1990 levels by 2030, the highest level of emission reduction of any major economy to date.
• Between 1990 and 2019, the UK reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions by 44%, while its economy grew by 78%.
• Since 2000, the UK has decarbonised its economy faster than any other G20 country.
• The UK was the first major economy to make a legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050.
• The UK is the world’s largest producer of offshore wind energy, and the first country to end direct government support for the overseas fossil fuel energy sector.
• The UK is doubling its international climate funding to support developing countries, with £11.6 billion allocated over the period 2021-2025.
• Between 2011/12 and 2019/20, The UK’s ICF programmes are estimated to have avoided or reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 31 million tonnes – equivalent to removing 6.7 million cars from the roads for a year.
• In 2012, 40% of the electricity produced in the UK came from coal. That figure is now less than 2%, and will be brought down to zero by 2025.
• The UK has announced it will stop selling new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, thus being the fastest G7 country to decarbonise cars and vans.
• Over the next 5 years, at least £3 billion of international funding will be spent on nature and nature-based solutions.
• Plans have been announced to put farmers at the forefront of reversing environmental decline and tackling climate change.
• The low carbon sector and supply chain provide over 460,000 jobs in the UK. The ambition is to reach 2 million green jobs by 2030.

Thank you, Madam President.

The United Kingdom welcomes this annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective throughout the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms.

We convene today as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to significantly impact women’s and girls’ rights around the world. Women and girls have been at greater risk of gender-based violence, including online violence, unintended pregnancy, forced marriage and dropping out of or falling behind in education.

Unfortunately, inequality and discrimination are at the root of so many of these challenges. The continuation of gendered norms and discriminatory social norms underpin the lack of progress towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women worldwide.

Gender equality must also be at the centre of our efforts to adapt and build resilience against climate change. It is women and girls are most effected by water scarcity and who face higher mortality risks during climate-related disasters. Their empowerment and participation is therefore essential.

The UK is committed to achieving gender equality and addressing the barriers faced by women and girls. We will continue to champion 12 years of quality education for all girls, for sexual and reproductive health and rights and to end gender-based violence. The Human Rights Council has a key role to play in galvanising the international community to achieve these objectives.

Enabling and improving access to digital resources and information can also provide solutions many of the issues women and girls face. In low- and middle-income countries women are 15% less likely than men to access mobile internet.

The UK Government is therefore committed to supporting programmes that enhance digital literacy for girls, digital activism and increase gender inclusion through digital technology. We will continue to work with our G7 partners to achieve our critical targets for Girls’ Education by continuing to support innovative financing mechanisms that reduce the gender digital divide and improve the provision of technology to enable distance learning. Such solutions could unlock the potential of millions of girls.

Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the digital sphere is therefore critical.

Madam President,

What does the panel see as the most important measure to help close the digital gender gap?