Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Special Envoy Kubiš, to you and your team for all your work and for your report today.

I’d like to highlight three points today. First, to welcome the endorsement of the new interim Government of National Unity and Presidency Council by the House of Representatives. This, as we’ve heard, is a significant step forward in the Libyan-led, and now Libyan-endorsed, political process and we applaud the determination of the Libyan people in reaching this point.

The appointment of five female Ministers, including the first female Foreign Minister is also welcome. We urge the new government to facilitate women’s participation in the political process, including in the elections this year.

The priorities for the new government are clearly set out in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Roadmap: to organise free and fair Presidential and Parliamentary elections in December 2021; to address the basic needs of the Libyan people; to commence a process of national reconciliation; and to implement fully the 23 October ceasefire agreement. A long path still lies ahead but the UK stands ready to help.

Second, it is essential that all parties, Libyan and external, implement the ceasefire fully. We have seen positive steps, including the announcement by the Joint Military Committee on the opening of the coastal road. The temporary withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries from Sirte in order to allow members of the House of Representatives to participate safely in the parliamentary session was welcome but their return was a retrograde step.

The removal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya must be complete and irreversible. This includes the contractors working for organisations like the Russian Wagner Group, and the Syrian mercenaries fighting on both sides. This demand is made at the behest of the Libyan people as Prime Minister Dabaiba reiterated in his speech to the House of Representatives earlier this month.

Third, on the question of next steps: we have, as Special Envoy Kubiš said, a trend and momentum that must not be lost. We welcome the deployment of the UN advance team and their report on the ceasefire monitoring mechanism. We look forward to Council discussions on the recommendations in the report and hope to begin discussions soon on amending UNSMIL’s mandate accordingly.

We also welcome the UN Panel of Experts report which provides stark evidence on the scale of arms embargo violations, including by a permanent member of this Council. We call on all Member States to fulfil their obligations to respect the arms embargo. This is not optional.

We all have a part to play in supporting the Libyan-led political process in Libya and ending the foreign interference which continues to undermine Libyan sovereignty and stability and supporting the steps to prepare for elections on 24 December.

Thank you, Madam President.

Since becoming Secretary of State for Transport, I have shared the concerns of many regarding All Lane Running (ALR) motorways. Any question about safety on our road network must be taken with the upmost seriousness.

Therefore, one of my first actions as Secretary of State was to commission a stocktake to set out recommendations to raise the bar on safety. While the evidence has suggested that ALR motorways are in most ways as safe as, or safer than, conventional ones, I am determined to go further and ensure that they are the safest roads in Britain.

To this end, in March 2020, I announced a package of 18 measures, costing £500million, including the faster rollout of a radar-based stopped vehicle detection (SVD) across the ALR motorway network.

Earlier this year, I asked for a one-year on report from Highways England detailing its progress in delivering the 18-point action plan and identifying actions that can be delivered ahead of schedule. I asked for this by 12 March 2021.

Highways England has now provided my department with that anniversary report, and work is rapidly being completed to assess it, including stocktake actions, and to establish next steps. The report will be published by summer, once I am assured that the proposals are sufficiently robust.

The publication of this report will not, however, mark the end of the process, and I am determined to ensure all possible actions to make ALR motorways safer still are explored. I have therefore ordered my officials to continue to work with Highways England on developing possible future options, working closely with road safety groups and Parliamentarians, as well as the Transport Select Committee which currently has an active inquiry into this issue. I am interested to receive their final report.

The latest safety evidence drawn from data and analysis of the 2019 STATS19 official statistics has been produced by Highways England and will be contained within its report. There has been considerable public and media interest in understanding motorway accident and fatality data and I have commissioned the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to independently review the data to provide further analytical assurance and ensure that the conclusions arrived at are robust. The ORR is the independent statutory monitor of Highways England and its management of the strategic road network.

Within this role, the ORR already scrutinises Highways England’s delivery of the smart motorway stocktake actions, and its performance against its road safety KPIs. However, I believe there may be scope to go further. In addition to asking ORR to undertake an independent review of the available safety evidence on ALR motorways, my officials will explore what further independent scrutiny may be appropriate.

Ensuring our roads are safe for those who use them is my top priority.

Priti Patel led a discussion with international partners on increasing cooperation to tackle online harms, illegal migration and dismantle the crime gangs exploiting desperate people.

The Home Secretary met interior ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, alongside representatives of the United States and the EU Commission at a virtual G6 today (24 March).

G6 partners agreed to utilise Interpol more effectively to enhance law enforcement cooperation across the world, discussed the need to do more to tackle illegal migration, and action needed to break up abhorrent organised crime gangs who operate across national boundaries.

The UK’s hosting of the G6 comes as the UK Government launches landmark changes to fix the UK asylum system and replace it with a new system which is fair but firm.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

I’ve held extensive discussions today with my G6 counterparts on the key challenges which affect us all.

Serious organised criminals cause death and despair by bringing people across Europe and into the UK in unsafe conditions often in the back of freezing cold lorries or across the channel in small boats.

It is vital that the international community continues to work together to help save lives and break the business model of the crime gangs and people smugglers responsible for perilous journeys.

Working with our allies and partners we can better enhance our law enforcement cooperation, crack down on organised gangs and tackle illegal migration across the continent. together, sharing intelligence and expertise, can we continue to keep our citizens safe.

The G6 has agreed to improve its understanding of how criminal gangs – such as those behind Channel crossings – operate so governments are better armed to stop them.

Ministers also agreed greater coordination and a global response to ensure that there is no safe space for terrorists or those who would sexually exploit and abuse children to operate online, including by addressing issues caused by end to end encryption.

The Home Secretary was joined by National Crime Agency Director General Lynne Owens, and the Home Office Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft.

Italy will be hosting the G6 2022 meeting.