New members are being sought for the committee that oversees the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (the SORP).

The SORP is the set of rules which governs charity accounting for charitable companies and larger charities (charities with an income over £250,000). The main purpose of the SORP Committee is to identify potential changes to the SORP and advise the SORP-making body.

The role of a SORP Committee member includes the following:

• to contribute to the development of the SORP
• to ensure the SORP reflects good sector practice
• to ensure the SORP is effective and distinguishes, as far as is reasonable and appropriate, between different parts of the charity sector.

The current committee has been in place for nearly 5 years, however the plan is to change the composition of the committee to include a greater weighting from smaller charities, which make up the greatest proportion of users of the SORP, and to include more funders who have an interest in impact the sector has in transforming lives through charitable endeavour.

If you are an individual who has a passion for high quality financial reporting and accounting, and you would also like to be involved in writing the next SORP, then this position is for you.

Recruitment of this new committee will be undertaken by the Charities SORP-making body comprised of the UK and Irish charity regulators.

Further details can be found in this recruitment information pack. The closing date for applications is 22 November 2019. Existing committee members can reapply.

Speaking for the SORP-making body, OSCR’s Laura Anderson, Joint Chair of the SORP Committee said:

The SORP influences the financial reporting for over 90% of the funds held by the charity sector in the UK and Ireland, so the committee has a vital role.

It is an exciting time to join. A key task for members is to consider how to reform charity financial reporting so that it better meets the needs of both stakeholders and the sector.

This is your chance to make a difference in a sector that has such a positive impact. We look forward to applications from a diverse range of individuals and will consider each application carefully.

Ends.

Notes to Editors:

1. For more information about the SORP, the SORP-making body and advisory SORP Committee, please refer to the dedicated website.
2. The four charity regulators of the UK and Ireland are the Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW), the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) and the Irish Charities Regulator (CR). The SORP-making body is made up of CCEW, OSCR and CCNI. The Irish CR is an observer on the SORP-making body.
3. The SORP-making body is approved by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and our job is to oversee the development of the SORP and its publication and to ensure that the SORP is consistent with the FRC approved accounting standards.
4. The SORP is used by charities that prepare their accounts to give a ‘true and fair’ view in accordance with UK-Irish Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP).

PHE is working in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments, to produce UK-wide clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment to provide support for alcohol treatment practice.

There is currently no equivalent for alcohol to the UK drug misuse treatment guidelines (the ‘orange book’), which has been vital in establishing and maintaining good practice for drug treatment. The proposed alcohol treatment guidelines will fill this gap.

The main aim of the guidelines is to develop a clear consensus on good practice and help services to implement interventions for alcohol use disorders that are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The aim is also to promote and support consistent good practice and improve the quality of service provision, resulting in better outcomes.

PHE will start this project in November 2019, and we intend to publish the guidelines by the end of next year. We will convene a UK-wide expert group of senior clinicians and service users and professionals with specialist alcohol expertise who will oversee the development of the guidelines.

The guidelines will provide:

• a detailed framework for specialist service providers to support service delivery and staff training
• a framework for commissioners to use when designing service specifications and checking quality
• guidance for primary and secondary health care staff
• clear guidance on managing and supporting service user pathways, such as between hospital and community, and prisons and community
• a reference point for national regulatory bodies when inspecting alcohol treatment services

The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment to improve the provision of hospital- based alcohol care teams, with some targeted funding for areas with the highest levels of need. The clinical guidelines will be relevant to alcohol treatment provided by hospital alcohol care teams and the pathways from hospital into community treatment services.

PHE’s recent inquiry into the fall in numbers of people in alcohol treatment found there is a need for more alcohol-related expertise among staff in substance misuse services.

The inquiry also found that some services need to stick closer to the evidence-based interventions for alcohol problems recommended by NICE and also found that there may be the need for further evidence-based guidelines.

Rosanna O’Connor, Director of Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice, Public Health England said:

Alcohol misuse costs society £21.4 billion each year. Effective alcohol treatment can help to reduce the burden that is placed on health and social care services as well as reducing crime, improving health, and supporting individuals and families on the road to recovery.

We are very proud to be involved in the partnership that is working to develop the first ever UK-wide alcohol clinical guidelines. Our aim is that the guidelines will help to increase the number of people in the UK receiving effective treatment for alcohol related harm or dependence.

• Leading technology firm Arm is working with government to strengthen cyber security measures for businesses and the public
• £36m investment will help make the UK a world leader in tackling many forms of cyber threats to online products and services
• Around a third of businesses report having cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months – with cyber threats constantly evolving

British businesses and the public are set to be better protected from hostile cyber-attacks and online threats like disinformation and cyber-bullying through a new government-backed partnership with industry, Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom announced today (Friday 18 October).

Government is partnering with Arm in a new project to develop new chip technologies that are more resistant to cyber threats, backed by £36 million in funding. This is the next phase of the Government’s Digital Security by Design initiative, also backed by Google and Microsoft.

The average cost of a cyber-attack on a business – where a breach has resulted in loss of data or assets – has increased by more than £1,000 since 2018 to £4,180. While doing the basics, such as having strong passwords and updating software regularly are the best defence for homes and businesses, having innovative hardware and systems solutions are critical to defend advanced technology and our defence systems.

This project has the potential to prevent hackers from remotely taking control of computer systems as well as targeting cyber-attacks and breaches, meaning more businesses providing online services are better protected. It will also create new business opportunities and help boost productivity.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom said:

Cyber-attacks can have a particularly nasty impact on businesses, from costing them thousands of pounds in essential revenue to reputational harm.

Cyber-criminals operate in the shadows, with the severity, scale and complexity of breaches constantly evolving. It’s critical that we are ahead of the game and developing new technologies and methods to confront future threats, supporting our businesses and giving them peace of mind to deliver their products and services safely.

Investing in our world-leading researchers and businesses to develop better defence systems makes good business and security sense.

Minister for Digital and Broadband Matt Warman said:

The government wants the UK to be the safest place to be online and the best place to start and grow a digital business. As these investments show, we are determined to create the right environment to foster our thriving digital economy while giving people renewed confidence and trust in online services.

We will always be firm in our support for the UK’s tech sector. Thanks to our work with the UK’s world-leading academic institutions and our business-friendly environment, we are helping entrepreneurs use technology to improve people’s lives and find solutions to future challenges.

Tackling disinformation

A further project, backed by £18 million government investment, through the Strategic Priorities Fund, will tackle some of the dangers of the online world from privacy abuses and wrongful use of data like disinformation and online fraud.

The initiative will help provide solutions to some of the issues identified in the government’s Online Harms White Paper, which sets out plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. The project will help understand what businesses and individuals need to reduce the harm they are exposed to by using online platforms and will aim to develop more trustworthy technology.

This will help to prevent incidents of online fraud, phishing emails, impersonating organisations online and viruses or other malware like ransomware, which cost the UK economy millions of pounds in lost productivity.

UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport said:

It is crucial that our citizens and businesses are able to access digitally secure products and services that are not vulnerable to cyber threats.

The investments announced today will help to ensure the UK has a robust system in place to withstand cyber threats and create a safer future online, increasing trust and productivity in our economy.

Arm chief architect and Fellow Richard Grisenthwaite said:

Achieving truly robust security for a world of a trillion connected devices requires a radical shift in how technology companies approach cyber-threats. Research into new ways of building inherently more cyber-resilient chip platforms is critical.

Our first step is to create prototype hardware, the Morello Board, as a real-world test platform for prototype architecture developed by Arm that uses the University of Cambridge’s CHERI protection model. It will enable industry and academic partners to assess the security benefits of foundational new technologies we’re making significant investments in.

This investment comes in addition to £1.9 billion the government is already investing through its National Cyber Security Strategy to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.

Prosperity Partnerships

The government is also supporting a new ‘Prosperity Partnership’ between Toshiba Research Europe, University of Bristol, GCHQ and Roke Manor Research to develop more resilient wireless networks through new techniques to detect future threats and mitigate their effects – including financial extortion, terrorism and damaging or destroying established systems.

The pioneering project between Toshiba Research Europe and the University of Bristol, is one of six new collaborations announced by the government today, with £40 million government, industry and university investment into Prosperity Partnerships that aim to transform the way people live, work and travel.

Delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), major industry leaders, including Jaguar Land Rover, Eli Lilly and Company, Toshiba Research Europe, Microsoft, M Squared Lasers, Siemens and Nikon will team up with world-renowned universities and academics to help develop the technologies of the future.

Secure Wireless Agile Networks (SWAN) Academic Lead Professor Mark Beach of the University of Bristol said:

The wireless networks that underpin so much of modern life are increasingly vulnerable to both cyber-attacks and other induced failures.

This partnership aims to develop secure wireless networks that are resilient to these threats, protecting individuals, businesses and society at large through Secure by Design methodologies.

Secure Wireless Agile Networks (SWAN) and the wider Prosperity Partnership initiatives bring together a cadre of engineers from industry, government and academia with invaluable commercial insights and in-depth technical skills capable of delivering holistic solutions for a productive, healthy, resilient and connected nation.

This UKRI scheme uniquely brings together partnerships who are ideally positioned to deliver technology for the wider benefits of society.

Other projects include significantly reducing the time and cost of producing new drugs, speeding up new treatments for a range of conditions and developing the next generation of cleaner, low-emission hybrid vehicles.

The other new partnerships will:

• Provide UK motorists with access to affordable electrified vehicles: Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Oxford are teaming up to accelerate the UK’s transition to zero emissions by researching the next generation of world-leading cleaner hybrid powertrains. As a result of the programme, the enhanced vehicles will significantly improve air quality, lower fuel bills and reduce emissions, helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions by 2050.
• Allow doctors to spend more time with patients and reduce healthcare delays: A five-year partnership between Microsoft and the University of Cambridge aims to improve and enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI) through simplifying development and reducing errors, helping to transform sectors including healthcare and gaming, as well as improve business productivity. The project has the potential to help designers build better gaming experiences, improve how staff communicate and work in businesses around the world, and reduce healthcare delays for patients.
• Powering Quantum Computers: M Squared Lasers and the University of Strathclyde will develop a new approach to scale up quantum computing by developing a system to handle large numbers of qubits, the tiny particles which will power quantum computers. The approach could accelerate drug design and improve healthcare, design new materials for aerospace and engineering, reduce traffic congestion on our roads and improve efficiency in distributing energy to homes and businesses.
• Detecting life-threatening diseases like cancer: Nikon and UCL will partner to combine new techniques to gain more information from X-rays – akin to the transition from black and white to colour photography – putting the UK at the forefront of X-Ray Imaging (XRI). The partnership would have major repercussions across a range of sectors from medicine to security to manufacturing, aerospace and cultural heritage, including reducing false alarms at airport security and detecting life-threatening illness.
• Reduce the cost and time to produce drugs and speeding up new treatments: Eli Lilly and Company and Imperial College London will develop advanced techniques for the rapid development of new drugs with fewer adverse effects to treat a range of illnesses and conditions. The partnership will put the UK at the cutting-edge of expertise and innovation of commercial pharmaceuticals and significantly benefit patients.

Prosperity Partnerships support existing strategic, research-based collaborations between business and universities to deliver societal and economic impact. The five-year partnerships announced today are supported with almost £18 million government funding, nearly £18 million from industry partners and £4 million from universities.

To date, 29 partnerships have received £195 million from the government, industry and universities.

Notes to editors

Around a third (32%) of businesses and two in ten charities (22%) report having cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months (DCMS Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019. The most common types are:

• phishing attacks (identified by 80% of these businesses and 81% of these charities)
• others impersonating an organisation in emails or online (28% of these businesses and 20% of these charities)
• viruses, spyware or malware, including ransomware attacks (27% of these businesses and 18% of these charities).
• Arm’s government-funded project will span a 5-year period and involve software companies, tools developers and leading academic institutions – including Cambridge University and Edinburgh University. Industry and academia will have the opportunity to test the new technology through a prototype called the ‘Morello Board.’
• The £36 million funding forms part of the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund – through which it has teamed up with major industry names including Google and Microsoft to tackle some of the most damaging cyber security threats faced by the UK.

In April 2019, the government published the Online Harms White Paper

About the Strategic Priorities Fund:

• The Strategic Priorities Fund supports high quality research and development priorities. This is the second wave of funding. The SPF Wave 2 total programme funding allocation is £496.8m.

About the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund

• The £36 million of government funding Digital Security by Design challenge will be delivered by UK Research and Innovation through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
• The UK government is fully committed to defending against cyber threats and address the cyber skills gap to develop and grow talent. A 5-year National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) was announced in November 2016, supported by £1.9 billion of transformational investment.
• The World Economic Forum Risks Report 2018 lists data fraud/theft and cyber-attacks as a key global risk.
• You can read more about joint government-Industry investment in cybersecurity here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/global-businesses-including-google-and-microsoft-back-uk-to-block-cyber-threats-with-new-tech

Summaries of Prosperity Partnerships:

Transforming Synthetic Drug Manufacturing: Novel Processes, Methods and Tools

Led by: Eli Lilly and Company and Imperial College London

Partner: UCL

The discovery of new molecules is crucial to the development of new medicines, but the process is both long and costly, with the total cost per new chemical entity reaching $2.6 billion and ten years. Combining expertise from academia and the pharmaceutical industry, the partnership aims to break down barriers to the cost and time-effective manufacturing of synthetic drugs. To do so, they will develop advanced techniques for drug substance crystallisation and purification, advanced manufacturing and stability analysis of drug products, and cross-cutting systems engineering methods.

The partnership aims to benefit patients through the rapid development of new drugs to treat a range of illnesses and conditions and position the UK at the cutting edge of expertise and innovation in the manufacturing of high-value synthetic drugs, contributing to the growth of a value-creating innovation ecosystem.

Secure Wireless Agile Networks (SWAN)

Led by: Toshiba Research Europe and the University of Bristol

Partners: Roke, GCHQ

Wireless access is essential to the networks that underpin modern life, but many networks are vulnerable to cyberattacks carried out for reasons such as financial extortion, terrorism or subversion. The partnership will work towards the creation of Secure Wireless Agile Networks that will be resilient to both cyber-attacks and accidental or induced failures, such as jamming.

The partnership will identify how the Radio Frequency (RF) interfaces that wireless networks rely on can be attacked and develop techniques to detect RF cyber-attacks and mitigate their effects. Radios whose RF characteristics can be updated to deal with new threats and enabling technology which allows data to be shared efficiently and safely will also be a subject of the research.

Machine Learning for Tomorrow: Efficient, Flexible, Robust and Automated

Led by: Microsoft and University of Cambridge

AI is making huge progress in real world applications from speech translation to medical imaging. Whilst we know AI has the potential to transform sectors including healthcare and gaming as well as improve overall business productivity, we must not forget we are still in the early stages of its development.

This 5-year partnership aims to find efficiencies in using data, ways to simplify model development, as well as reduce errors and bias in real-world applications. It will do this by improving the fundamental mathematical and computational foundations of AI.

Building on the deep collaborative academic-industry partnership between Microsoft and the University of Cambridge, we aim to realise the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance the human experience and to nurture the next generation of AI researchers and talent. Investment in research and innovation is vital in helping design trustworthy and responsive AI.

Scalable Qubit Arrays for Quantum Computing and Optimisation

Led by: M Squared Lasers and University of Strathclyde

Quantum computers will be far more powerful than the technology of today, promising impact in areas such as quantum chemistry for improved drug design or the designing of new materials for aerospace and engineering. One major barrier is the development of a system which can handle large numbers of qubits, the tiny particles which will power quantum computers, with low levels of noise or interference.

This partnership will combine advanced laser systems with cold-atom and quantum algorithm expertise to develop Scalable Qubit Arrays (SQuAre), a new approach based on reconfigurable arrays of neutral atoms that offers a route to scalable quantum computation and aims to place the UK at the forefront of the rapidly-growing field of neutral atom quantum computation.

Nikon-UCL Prosperity Partnership on Next-Generation X-Ray Imaging

Led by: Nikon X-Tek Systems and UCL

X-Ray Imaging (XRI) has a fundamental role in a wide range of sectors and industries, from medicine and security to manufacturing, aerospace and cultural heritage. Combining phase-based XRI with energy-resolved “colour” XRI could greatly increase the amount of information that can be obtained from any imaged sample. Phase-based XRI allows more information to be gathered from X-ray images than is currently possible while also detecting features that are considered to be ‘x-ray invisible’, and energy-resolved XRI is a transformation akin to the transition from black and white to colour photography.

The partnership aims to place the UK at the forefront of this major change in XRI that could have major repercussions across a range of sectors, from medical scans to industrial inspections.

Centre of Excellence for Hybrid Thermal Propulsion Systems

Led by: Jaguar Land Rover and University of Oxford

Partner: University of Bath, Siemens Digital Industries

This partnership will accelerate the UK’s transition to zero emission mobility by researching the next generation of world-leading electrified hybrid powertrains, as the next step on the UK’s Road to Zero. The centre will develop hybrid propulsion simulation and examine low-carbon fuels in highly-efficient thermal propulsion systems and electric motors, while minimising demand on the electricity grid and preparing for future fuels. Ultra-high efficiency zero well-to-wheel emission vehicles are in-line with Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero vision for a world of zero emissions, zero accidents, and zero congestion.

Thank you, Mr President. Thank you Under-Secretary Lacroix for your briefing and I may I also welcome the Ambassador of Sudan here.

Under-Secretary Lacroix, you talked about some of the remarkable changes that have happened since this council last met on Sudan. And I would add one of those, which was the sight and the opportunity to hear Prime Minister Hamdok during the General Assembly’s High-Level Week. And I think he made a huge impression on all of those of us who met him, who listened to what he had to say, and if you ever wanted a better illustration of the change that has taken place in Sudan over the last few months, it was that for me. And I again congratulate and salute the people of Sudan for the courage they’ve shown in choosing the path that they are now on. It’s not going to be, I’m sure, always a straightforward path, but we and others are there in their support.

Mr. President, we continue to see, as Under-Secretary-General Lacroix has set out positive developments in Sudan as the civilian government takes forward implementation of the constitutional declaration. Like him, I would like to welcome the appointment of women to key positions within the new government and also the milestone agreement to open an office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan.

But as we were enjoined, we must all support unequivocally the new momentum behind they peace talks; they were Under-Secretary-General Lacroix’s words. And I think from the UK’s perspective, the start of those peace talks between the government and the UN movements, the work done in Juba is of particular importance. And we therefore encourage all sides – in particular, the armed movements – to engage constructively, immediately and without preconditions so that a comprehensive, fair and inclusive peace agreement can finally be achieved.

I would also like to say how much we welcome the decision to remove bureaucratic impediments imposed on humanitarian actors and hope this decision will be implemented fully to enable much needed unfettered humanitarian access throughout Darfur and wherever it is needed in Sudan.

Turning to the situation on the ground, notwithstanding the positive developments that we’ve learned about today, we cannot ignore the fact that the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Darfur remains volatile. We remain concerned by the gaps that Jean-Pierre mentioned: the increase in inter-communal conflict and criminality and continued civilian displacement and human rights violations and abuses, all of which are documented in the report to the Secretary-General and AU chairperson. The Council, the United Nations, the African Union but most critically of all, the government of Sudan will need to seriously consider how to address these continued challenges in order to prevent them from undermining the transition to peace building.

Now, turning to the mandate of UNAMID, let me first say, Mr President, that the United Kingdom remains absolutely committed to ensuring a transition from peacekeeping to peace building and that it is successful and responsible. And we are, as I’ve set out already, extremely optimistic about that and about the opportunities presented by the new civilian government and the prospects for a comprehensive peace agreement in not only Darfur, but also other areas. It is a complex situation. The root causes remain unresolved and I think we will take into consultations, Mr President, to have more detailed conversations on UNAMID’s mandate. But let me just say here that the United Kingdom will be guided by the emphasis that the government of Sudan has made about the importance of not creating a vacuum, a security vacuum during the ongoing peace efforts – and I noted the communique of the African Union in that context. And we certainly believe that withdrawing UNAMID at this critical time would create such a vacuum and remove a key part of international support to the peace process.

On the follow-on side that Under-Secretary-General Lacroix also touched on, I think it is really important, as he said, the priorities for the follow-on are aligned with those of the government. And we think it’s important to ensure ongoing support to Darfur and we will want to give the government time to consider the options that it wants for future international support and cooperation.

Let me finish then, Mr President, by simply welcoming the commitment I think we all have – the UK certainly has, the United Nations and the African Union – to engage actively with the government in Sudan in the coming months on options for a follow-on presence. We look forward to receiving them – I think you’ve said in December – and to making progress on that transition, making that transition from peacekeeping to peace building, and all of our support I think with the people and government Sudan at this time.

Thank you, Mr President.

Thank you very much, Mr President. Thank you to our two briefers and again, through them, thank you to all the work that their teams are doing on the ground.

I think we’ve heard a very wide ranging description of what’s going on on the ground at the moment with some very good parts, as Martin said, but also some things we need to watch very carefully. And I’ll come back to both of those if I may.

I wanted to begin by expressing support for where we’ve got to on the political process. Martin’s plan to move forward with political consultations in parallel to ongoing implementation of Stockholm is very welcome and we obviously support doing that as quickly as possible. We welcome General Guha and we’ll have a chance to hear from him in consultations, but in the meantime, the reduction in violations of Stockholm is very welcome.

For the United Kingdom, Mr President, we were also pleased that at UNGA High Level Week, we were able to have meetings with a number of colleagues and with Martin to support his efforts and we still have the August Council presidential statement so I think this really is a time, as we’ve heard from both Mark and Martin, for one last big effort to get some of these things over the line.

Staying with the humanitarian situation, I think Mark’s absolutely right to remind us that despite the good news – and I agree that the fuel ships is very good news – we still have some underlying points that could tip the situation back towards famine or some other risks. Thirteen people dying a day is clearly too many and it’s it’s degrading the whole situation on the ground. I hear what he says about the need for foreign exchange and also what all these factors, including the provision of fuel, mean in terms of their knock-on effect on the ability of the people of Yemen to have access to food and I think there is a vicious circle here that we need to watch out for.

Turning to the political side, Mr President, we have been very worried about the increased intensity of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia over recent months. But the announcement on 20 September that the Houthis would cease strikes on Saudi Arabia and the welcoming remarks made by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been an important step towards de-escalation and we now hope that more positive action can happen on the ground. What Martin has been saying about signs of hope, I think we all want that those to crystallize and develop. And again, you know, it’s clear that we’re close to an agreement, we’re not quite there. I think from the Security Council, we should appeal to all parties to give this one last push to get it across the line. I think that’s really important and we can talk more about that.

I think in terms of the south, inclusivity is the key to stability. We want a deal that brings southern representatives into the Yemeni government and that in turn will be hopefully a self-sustaining, virtuous circle. We commend the Saudis and others for the talks that have taken place and the Yemeni government for all its work with the Southern Transitional Council. What Martin said about the unilateral release of detainees on 30 September by the Houthis obviously is positive and I’m very pleased to see that the International Committee of the Red Cross Red Crescent is taking part in that. We hope there will be more such measures as we work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict in Yemen.

I wanted, if I may, Mr. President, just to draw attention to two specific points. One is about the safer oil tanker, as Mark has made very clear several times in this chamber. A rupture or explosion would mean over a million barrels of oil leaking into the Red Sea. Now this is critical to do something about this in order to protect the fisheries and livelihoods of ordinary Yemenis, as well as the environmental impact.

We need more efforts on humanitarian access. This is deteriorating across the country, as Mark said. So we call on all parties to immediately comply with SCR 2451. There’s something about funding disbursements; it was very welcome what happened in High Level Week. We commend the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait very generous disbursements, which I think in total came to around $800 million, which is very significant and demonstrates real international leadership, so our thanks to those countries. But we note that the response still remains $1.5 billion underfunded, so we would encourage all donors to consider providing further funding to the UN appeal. For the United Kingdom, we have brought forward funding from our nearly $300 million pledge and we have provided 87 percent of the funding we pledged to UN agencies this year.

My last point, if I may, Mr President: I wanted to raise the case of the Baha’i. The Baha’is have been persecuted for their religious beliefs in those areas under the control of the Houthis and I think this is something – we condemn the mistreatment, but I think the continued persecution of the Baha’is is something we need to keep an eye on from this Council.

Thank you very much.