Thank you, Mr President. And thank you also to our briefers for their presentations.

As we have said before in this Council many times, the people of Haiti deserve an end to the dysfunction that has plagued their state institutions and governance for so long.

I want to start by joining others in calling for free, fair, credible and transparent elections in order to enable a transfer of power in February 2022. This is critical to putting Haiti on a path to stability and prosperity.

The UK remains deeply concerned by the lack of accountability for human rights violations and abuses. While we recognise the challenges, it is frustrating – to say the least – that, after years of international support, this impunity endures. Only political will from Haiti’s leaders can break this cycle.

Mr President, the fact that decades of international support to Haitian institutions has failed to generate durable peace dividends rightly begs questions about the tools and approaches deployed over the years.

The Integrated UN Office in Haiti represents this Council’s conviction that international engagement with Haiti needed to rest on a new model of cooperation, with Haitians firmly in the lead.

Experience has taught us that sustainable peace needs to be built from the ground up. Political processes need to be accompanied by grassroots engagement to promote social cohesion and diffuse tensions. Yes, elections are critical; but the violence and corruption that has long plagued Haiti can only be overcome in the long term by empowering local peacebuilders.

The UK remains convinced that the integrated UN presence in Haiti positions the UN better to support Haiti’s needs on the basis of a more holistic approach. The success of community violence reduction programmes shows what can be achieved. So we encourage the UN Country Team in particular to align their strategies firmly in support of peacebuilding approaches.

Thank you, Mr President.

• All private COVID-19 tests released onto UK market will need to meet a revised set of standards in line with those used by government
• Regular and accurate testing is at the heart of the government’s roadmap out of the pandemic

From 1 September 2021 all COVID-19 molecular and antigen tests available to purchase will require validation prior to sale on the UK market under new draft legislation set out today, bringing them in line with NHS Test and Trace test standards.

The government already has rigorous safety measures in place for all PCR and LFD tests provided through NHS Test and Trace, and for all tests used for international travel.

The new legislation will help consumers who choose to use private tests by giving them clear, comparable information so they can confidently choose a test in a rapidly expanding market.

The proposed laws will mean all private tests must pass through a new rigorous and efficient validation process to guarantee they will give reliable results. This will ensure that all COVID-19 tests available on the UK market meet one uniform standard.

This validation process is in addition to the existing UKAS accreditation scheme launched in December 2020, which ensures that private test providers meet the uniform minimum standards to provide testing services. UKAS accreditation has focused on the services of tests providers whereas validation will focus on ensuring there are minimum standards for the test products used as well.

Under the new scheme, all private testing suppliers will need to go through the validation process ahead of selling tests, bringing them into line with NHS Test & Trace standards. Providers who fail to meet required minimum standards will incur penalties. Retailers, distributors and manufacturers who attempt to sell unvalidated tests could face punitive sanctions based on the current regulatory requirements for medical devices.

Parliamentary Undersecretary for Health and Social Care Lord Bethell said:

British innovation and ingenuity allowed us to rapidly produce tests capable of quickly spotting COVID-19 outbreaks.

We now complete millions of tests across the country every week and these new laws will provide businesses and consumers with a common set of high standards, like those used in the NHS, as we battle this virus.

Testing has helped children to return to the classroom and reunited us with our friends and loved ones. I know reliable tests will continue to play a critical role as we continue to work towards resuming normal life.

The UK has built an international reputation for COVID-19 testing. The combined work of the public sector and private sector has enabled the development of the largest diagnostics network in UK history and implementation of testing for international arrivals into the UK. At border control alone over 350,0000 have been conducted which require independent validation of the test product performance which is needed before tests are approved for borders testing. They also set higher thresholds for performance given the specific use case and need for greater accuracy.

To grow the private market for testing, it is imperative that tests can be relied upon, and the government recognises that the testing market needs to be well regulated so it can keep pace with the evolving COVID-19 situation. These new laws will aim to facilitate and empower that market and bring it in line with Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) procurement standards.

The DHSC has previously consulted with industry on the new proposals, listening to advice on how to provide safe reliable tests and how to ensure a world leading regulatory process in the future.

The consultation looked at the performance of all tests sold on the UK market to mirror standards used in NHS Test and Trace, whether purchased in the UK or overseas. It set out proposals for a UK-wide policy on the design of the validation process, the fees regime and the proposed enforcement approach.

Separately, the DHSC is also publishing a threshold paper setting out performance expectations for testing for COVID-19. The performance thresholds set out in this paper [link] are used as the framework for the new laws on the validation of tests.

Over the course of the last year, it has developed and adjusted these thresholds based on evolving scientific data, which has then informed internal policy decisions as the response to COVID-19 has evolved during this time.

1. Producers of tests currently on the market will need to apply for validation by 1st September 2021 and have passed successfully by 31 October 2021 in order to continue selling tests past 31 October 2021. Tests currently supplied to the NHS under DHSC procurement will be exempted in recognition of prior equivalent assessment.

From engines in the eighteenth century, to life sciences in the twenty first, British business and innovation has a proud history of leading the world, and shaping the future.

And today we need you to do so again.

And play your part in ushering in the clean, green future that is within our grasp.

The task could not be more urgent.

Because we are running out of time to protect our precious planet.

In 2015 the countries of the world signed the Paris Agreement, an international deal to tackle the threat of climate change.

And they committed to do all they could to limit global temperatures to well below 2 degrees, and closer to 1.5 degrees.

Because the science said this would avoid the very worst effects of climate change.

But since that agreement was signed, the world has not done nearly enough.

And now, to keep that 1.5 degree target within reach we must halve global emissions by 2030.

And reach net zero by the middle of the century.

That is an enormous task.

But it is at the heart of our aims for the next United Nations climate conference, COP26, which will be held in Glasgow in November.

We want COP26 to put the world on a path to driving down emissions, until they reach net zero by the middle of this century.

And to keep the 1.5 goal alive.

And that requires action from governments.

As COP26 President I am pushing all countries to come forward with ambitious targets to reduce their emissions.

But to succeed, we also need the innovation, and the influence and the energy of the private sector on our side.

That is why I am urging all companies to join the Race to Zero campaign.

A link on how to do so has just gone up on the COP26 Twitter feed.

Race to Zero is a UN campaign that commits you to reach net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, and to short term targets to get there.

Targets based on the science, so that net zero is not some vague aspiration but a concrete plan.

This is absolutely vital.

The days of nodding to sustainability are behind us.

Today, the only climate action that matters is action aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

So it is fantastic that real momentum is building across the corporate world.

And that British firms are leading that charge. 780 British companies have signed up to Race to Zero, more than double any other country.

With companies from practically every corner of the economy on board, from construction to cosmetics, automotives to aerospace.

Over a third the FTSE 100, and 850 small businesses, have signed up.

All dedicated to creating the future that our planet needs.

What these firms are doing is not just good for the climate. Frankly, it’s smart business.

Because the direction of travel is absolutely clear.

The world is going green, and the opportunities are enormous.

And those that do not act now, will be stumbling to catch up as their competitors sail ahead into the clean, low carbon future.

So to all those of you that have not yet joined the Race to Zero: I urge you to do so.

And to those of you that have: thank you.

Now please, work with your trade associations and with your supply chains to urge them to do exactly same.

By using your purchasing power to drive change across the economy, your impact is multiplied many times.

So please, make a commitment to net zero a condition of doing business with suppliers globally, and support our efforts on vital areas like power generation, clean transport and halting deforestation, where action is essential to keeping 1.5 degrees alive.

The UK COP26 Presidency is calling on governments to act, to put an end to polluting vehicles, to put an end to coal power and coal finance.

And we’re working with them to accelerate the move to zero emissions vehicles and clean energy, and to protect forests and help farmers make a better living.

But, again, we need business on board.

So we ask you to exchange your polluting vehicles for clean ones.

Remove deforestation from all your supply chains.

And commit to using clean energy, which is now cheaper than new fossil fuels in most of the world.

In short, I am asking that, in the proud traditions of British innovation and enterprise, you lead the world towards the clean, green future that is ahead.

Seize the opportunities on offer and help protect our precious planet for future generations.

Thank you.