UN Human Rights Council 46: UK statement on Children and Armed Conflict

The United Kingdom reaffirms strong support for the work of the Special Representative.

We remain deeply concerned by the alarming number of grave human rights violations and abuses committed against children globally, in particular the attacks upon, and occupation of, educational infrastructure.

Safe, inclusive, quality education establishes routine and purpose in chaos. It supports post-conflict reconstruction, reintegration and peace. The UK calls on all parties to conflict to respect and protect all human rights, including access to quality education.

The Safe Schools Declaration and Guidelines are critical tools to support such action. They complement existing law and facilitate compliance by providing clear and practical guidance. We strongly urge all States to endorse and fully implement the Declaration and guidelines.

The UN’s Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism is critical for identifying parties responsible for systematic violations and abuses against children in conflict, and ensuring accountability. The objectivity and credibility of the Mechanism must remain intact.

Madam Special Representative,

Could you provide an update on the UN’s internal review of the approach for listing, and de-listing parties to conflict, and if the outcome will be shared?

Will the UN consider undertaking an independent assessment?

Thank you.




UK and Cameroon sign trade agreement

Press release

The United Kingdom has signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with Cameroon.

Today (9 March 2021) the United Kingdom has signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with Cameroon.

The trade deal, which will support jobs and build future prosperity, was signed by International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena and High Commissioner of Cameroon to the UK, H.E. Albert Fotabong Njoteh in London. The deal provides certainty for British and Cameroonian businesses, ensuring they can continue to trade as freely as they do now without any additional barriers or tariffs.

The UK-Cameroon trade was worth around £200m in 2019, and this deal lays a foundation to extend our trading relationship in the future. The UK market accounts for 12% of total exports of bananas from Cameroon and this agreement will maintain tariff-free market access to the UK. It also guarantees continued market access for UK exporters, who sold £50m in goods to Cameroon in 2019.

International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena said:

Today’s deal secures opportunities for both British and Cameroonian businesses – and will help support jobs and foster investment.

International trade and investment are engines of economic growth around the globe, so today’s deal will play a crucial role as we all build back better from Covid-19.

Minister for Africa James Duddridge said:

This agreement will make sure around £200m of trade between the UK and Cameroon can continue, supporting Cameroonian businesses to increase operations, enabling UK exporters to sell more goods and boosting prosperity for both countries as we together recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This provides the continuity businesses in both the UK and Cameroon need to ensure trade between our countries continues to flourish and grow.

Today’s signing comes after the agreement to roll over current EU-Cameroon trading arrangements from 1 January 2021 concluded at the end of December.

The UK government has secured agreements covering 66 countries plus the EU, worth £890bn of trade in 2019.

Published 9 March 2021




UK and Cameroon sign trade agreement

Press release

The United Kingdom has signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with Cameroon.

Today (9 March 2021) the United Kingdom has signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with Cameroon.

The trade deal, which will support jobs and build future prosperity, was signed by International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena and High Commissioner of Cameroon to the UK, H.E. Albert Fotabong Njoteh in London. The deal provides certainty for British and Cameroonian businesses, ensuring they can continue to trade as freely as they do now without any additional barriers or tariffs.

The UK-Cameroon trade was worth around £200m in 2019, and this deal lays a foundation to extend our trading relationship in the future. The UK market accounts for 12% of total exports of bananas from Cameroon and this agreement will maintain tariff-free market access to the UK. It also guarantees continued market access for UK exporters, who sold £50m in goods to Cameroon in 2019.

International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena said:

Today’s deal secures opportunities for both British and Cameroonian businesses – and will help support jobs and foster investment.

International trade and investment are engines of economic growth around the globe, so today’s deal will play a crucial role as we all build back better from Covid-19.

Minister for Africa James Duddridge said:

This agreement will make sure around £200m of trade between the UK and Cameroon can continue, supporting Cameroonian businesses to increase operations, enabling UK exporters to sell more goods and boosting prosperity for both countries as we together recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This provides the continuity businesses in both the UK and Cameroon need to ensure trade between our countries continues to flourish and grow.

Today’s signing comes after the agreement to roll over current EU-Cameroon trading arrangements from 1 January 2021 concluded at the end of December.

The UK government has secured agreements covering 66 countries plus the EU, worth £890bn of trade in 2019.

Published 9 March 2021




Foreign flagged ships detained in the UK during February 2021

During February, there were zero new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port.

  1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.

  2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.

  3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious, they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.

  4. All deficiencies should be rectified before departure.

  5. When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on a system of inspections for the safe operation of Ro-Ro passenger ships and high-speed passenger craft in regular service and amending directive 2009/16/EC and repealing Council Directive 1999/35/EC (Directive EU 2017/2110).

Notes on the list of detentions:

  • Full details of the ship: The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.
  • Company: The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.
  • Classification society: The list shows the classification society responsible for classing the ship only.
  • Recognised organisation: Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the flag state.
  • White (WL), grey (GL) and black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of flag state.
  • Deficiencies: The deficiencies listed are the ones which were detainable. Further details of other deficiencies can be provided on request.

SHIPS DETAINED IN FEBRUARY 2021

DETENTIONS CARRIED OVER FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS

Vessel Name: SIRIUS 1

GT: 211

IMO: 8964161

Flag: Nigeria (Unknown)

Company: Ambrey Limited

Classification society: Phoenix Register of Shipping

Recognised organisation: Phoenix Register of Shipping

Recognised organisation for ISM Doc: N/A

Recognised organisation for ISM SMC: N/A

Date and place of detention: 7th November 2020 at Southampton

Summary: Eleven deficiencies with two grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
01213 – Evidence of basic training Expired Yes
01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA) Not as required Yes

This vessel was still detained on 28th February 2021

Vessel Name: SIRIUS 2

GT: 211

IMO: 8977699

Flag: Nigeria (Unknown)

Company: Ambrey Limited

Classification society: Phoenix Register of Shipping

Recognised organisation: Phoenix Register of Shipping

Recognised organisation for ISM Doc: N/A

Recognised organisation for ISM SMC: N/A

Date and place of detention: 12th November 2020 at Southampton

Summary: Twenty deficiencies with five grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
01329 – Report of inspection on MLC, 2006 Missing Yes
01804 – Electrical Unsafe Yes
01199 – Other (certificates) Other Yes
10126 – Record of drills and steering gear tests Not as required Yes
01326 – Stability information booklet Not approved Yes

This vessel was still detained on 28th February 2021

Vessel Name: LIVA GRETA

GT: 851

IMO: 8801072

Flag: Latvia (white list)

Company: Regulus SIA

Classification society: RINA

Recognised organisation: RINA

Recognised organisation for ISM Doc: RMRS

Recognised organisation for ISM SMC: RMRS

Date and place of detention: 11th January 2020 at Birkenhead

Summary: Nine deficiencies with two grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
11113 – Launching arrangements for rescue boats Inoperative Yes
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes

This vessel was still detained on 28th February 2021

Vessel Name: POSEIDON

GT: 1412

IMO: 7363217

Flag: Iceland (White list)

Company: Neptune EHF

Classification society: NA

Recognised organisation: NA

Recognised organisation for ISM Doc: DNV-GL

Recognised organisation for ISM SMC: N/A (SMC issued by Flag)

Date and place of detention: 19th July 2018 at Hull

Summary: Ten deficiencies with two grounds for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
02106 – Hull damage impairing seaworthiness Holed Yes
07113 – Fire Pumps Insufficient Pressure Yes

This vessel was still detained on 28th February 2021

Vessel Name: TECOIL POLARIS

GT: 1814

IMO No: 8883290

Flag: Russian Federation (Grey list)

Company: Tecoil Shipping Ltd

Classification society: RMRS

Recognised organisation: RMRS

Recognised organisation for ISM DOC: RMRS

Recognised organisation for ISM SMC: RMRS

Date and place of detention: 6th June 2018 at Immingham

Summary: Twenty-seven deficiencies with six grounds for detentions

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
10104 – Gyro compass Inoperative Yes
10127 – Voyage or passage plan Not as required Yes
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes
11104 – Rescue boats Not properly maintained Yes
11101 – Lifeboats Not ready for use Yes
01117 – International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Invalid Yes

This vessel was still detained on 28th February 2021

Vessel Name: CIEN PORCIENTO (General Cargo)

GT: 106.

IMO No: 8944446.

Flag: Unregistered.

Company: Open Window Inc.

Classification society: Unclassed.

Recognised organisation: Not applicable.

Recognised organisation for ISM DOC: Not applicable.

Recognised organisation for ISM SMC: Not applicable

Date and place of detention: 4 March 2010, Lowestoft

Summary: Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention

This vessel was still detained on 28th February 2021

Notes to Editors

• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector.

• Follow us on Twitter: @MCA_media

For further information please contact Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on: +44 (0) 2380 329 401 Press releases and further information about the agency is available here.




Ambassador Nick Whittingham presents credentials to President Juan Orlando Hernández

World news story

The British Ambassador to Honduras, Nick Whittingham, presented his credentials to President Juan Orlando Hernández on 8 March.

Ambassador Nick Whittingham presents Credentials to President Juan Orlando Hernández

The event took place during a virtual ceremony held between the Honduran Embassy in Guatemala and Tegucigalpa.

Ambassador Whittingham conveyed greetings to the Head of State from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and expressed great interest in working with the government of Honduras to strengthen our political and commercial ties with the United Kingdom.

After the ceremony, Ambassador Whittingham explained about some of his top priorities in Honduras, including spur our bilateral economic relationship, work on climate change issues, and keep strengthening the rule of law.

Mr. Nick Whittingham was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala and Her Majesty’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras in April 2019. The Ambassador arrived to the region in September 2019.

He will have presence in social media through Twitter, @UKinHonduras and Facebook.

Published 9 March 2021