On 6th February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch in history to achieve Platinum Jubilee – 70 years of reign and service. However, large scale celebrations are scheduled for June to take advantage of the summertime weather. It also coincides with The Queen’s official birthday which falls on the second Saturday in June.

The official celebration in the UK will begin on 2nd June with the Trooping the Colour and Horse Guards Parade, concerts, street parties and pageants. Across the UK, over 70,000 Big Jubilee Lunches are expected to take place at homes and local village halls over the Jubilee weekend, and over ten million people across the UK are expected to be joining the celebrations.

In Malaysia, Rotary Malaysia District 3300 is organising a dinner event on 2 June to light the Platinum Jubilee Beacon in honour of The Queen’s 70-year reign and service. The Platinum Jubilee Beacon will join more than 2,800 Platinum Jubilee beacons to be lit across the world.

Meanwhile the Malaysian British Society is holding its Platinum Jubilee Charity Golf Day, and members of the British armed forces based at Butterworth Airbase will hold a garden party with staff and families from all Five Power Defence Arrangements member nations. The British High Commission will be hosting an official reception later in the month.

His Excellency Charles Hay, the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, recounted that The Queen, in Her Majesty’s Accession Day message back in February, expressed hopes that the Jubilee celebrations would provide an opportunity to bring together families and friends, neighbours and communities. She also renewed her pledge she gave in 1947 to devote her life to service.

Hay said,

Throughout her 70-year reign, The Queen has been a symbol of continuity, the constant figure in an ever-changing Britain. Her unwavering devotion to service to the people in the UK and the Commonwealth has made her one of the most recognisable and respected persons in the world.

The Queen has visited Malaysia three times. She made her inaugural visit to Malaysia in 1972, attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Langkawi in 1989, and she attended the closing of the XVI Commonwealth Games in in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

The High Commissioner will also be planting a tree at the High Commissioner’s Residence, to be part of the The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative as well as to create a physical legacy of the Jubilee celebration.

Thank you Chair.

Welcome Ambassador Waag to the Permanent Council. Thank you to you and your team for the Report on the Mission’s activities. The UK values the work of the Mission and appreciates the achievements highlighted.

We recognise that the backdrop to the Mission’s activities saw a number of challenges, both political and as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Yet, the Mission has continued to adapt and tailor its activities, and to further inclusivity and transparency through its online activities. Following the formation of a new Government on 28 April, we look forward to furthering progress in the year ahead. Prime Minister Abazovic’s ambitions for reforms with respect to the rule of law reforms and his track record of tackling serious organised crime are a positive sign for progress in areas of significant importance to the Mission, while the series of elections due to take place in the next year underlines the importance of the Mission’s work in this area.

I would particularly like to highlight the Mission’s support and advocacy on elections, media freedom, and serious organised crime.

Firstly – on elections, we appreciate the Mission’s strengthened cooperation with the State Election Commission, including to improve transparency, which is a long-standing ODIHR recommendation. We also commend the Mission’s joint efforts with NGOs to make both electoral processes and polling stations accessible for people with disabilities ahead of the municipal elections – an essential step to facilitating voting by all and to furthering inclusivity.

It is, however, concerning to note that the political discourse in 2021 often led to a flood of comments on social media networks containing misinformation and hate speech. The Mission’s work here, including with the technical working group on self-regulation, and with the Agency for Electronic Media, is greatly appreciated. Your work with journalists and NGOs to increase their understanding of gender aspects in investigative journalism is commendable. Safety of journalists, including women journalists, remains essential.

Thirdly, on serious organised crime, we welcome the Mission’s assistance to strengthen the capability and accountability of the security sector to address serious threats and crime, whilst protecting public safety and human rights. I would also highlight here the Mission’s annual public perception survey, which is a valuable tool for identifying perceptions and trends. It is encouraging to note that the findings of the survey show that belonging to an ethnic community is no longer an indicator of a negative attitude towards police.

Finally, the UK commends the Mission’s work on gender, both within the Mission’s own activities, and in its support to Government, Parliament and other stakeholders. We encourage a sustained focus on gender throughout your activities.

In concluding, I reiterate our thanks to the Mission for their hard work and commitment, as well as their adaptability over the period.

Thank you Chair

Last night, the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Dr Ian Collard, hosted the Queen’s Birthday Party in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and her 96th birthday. This year, Her Majesty became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, which marks 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

The event, which was held at the Mouawad Museum in Beirut, was attended by his Excellency Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib representing President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Addressing the guests, Ambassador Collard said:

Her Majesty is both the longest serving monarch in the history of the United Kingdom, and the longest reigning monarch in the world today. Queen Elizabeth II has quite literally dedicated her life to leadership and public service.

Of course, the world has changed a great deal in those 70 years.  The modern republic of Lebanon was only a little more than three decades old when Her Majesty ascended to the British throne.

While Lebanon faces one of the toughest periods of its recent history, I believe that with compassionate leadership and a commitment to serving Lebanon’s citizens, these trends can – and must – be reversed.

With the conclusion of the recent parliamentary election, now is the time for leadership, to quickly form a new government that drives forward urgent reforms, with the backing of all political parties and interested groups.

The United Kingdom does and will continue to play our part.

Ambassador Collard planted an olive tree at the Mouawad Museum in honour of the Queen’s Green Canopy, which was created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The initiative encourages people to plant trees to create a lasting legacy in recognition of Her Majesty’s leadership, which will benefit future generations.

The Lebanese Army Band and the British Army’s Nottinghamshire Band of the Royal Engineers joined together to play the British and Lebanese national anthems.

The Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend, from 2-5 June, will be marked by four days of celebrations in the United Kingdom and around the world. This will include the Queen’s Birthday Parade in central London and the Platinum Party concert at Buckingham Palace.

This special weekend celebrates Her Majesty’s extraordinary reign, which has seen her travel more widely than any other monarch, undertaking over 260 official visits overseas, including nearly 100 State Visits.  She has been the UK’s foremost diplomat. Known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, she has been an important figurehead for the UK and the Commonwealth during times of enormous social change.

Guests were invited to make a donation to Food Blessed, a local Lebanese NGO that aims to fight hunger and support vulnerable communities, which was founded by a former recipient of the UK Government’s prestigious Chevening scholarship.

The event was made possible thanks to the kind support of our sponsors. We are grateful for their generosity, which enabled us to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Thank you, Mr Chair. On 24 February, the world watched in horror as Russia invaded Ukraine, a sovereign democratic state. Yesterday was International Children’s Day – I don’t even know where to start to express the heart-breaking and this gut-wrenching impact this devastating Russian invasion is having on the most vulnerable in our society – children.  The images being displayed at the Museum of Military History here in Vienna for the next 2 weeks – with thanks to the Polish Chair – tells the story better than any speech or statement, as does hearing the voices of Ukrainian children refugees across Europe.

Tomorrow marks a grim milestone – 100 days since the beginning of this horrific aggression. 100 days, during which Russia has needlessly murdered thousands of men, women, and children. 100 days of attacks on apartment blocks, schools, and hospitals, of Russian distortions, denials, and disinformation. The numbers of Ukrainians dying, injured, displaced, deported, and seeking refuge are all rising, and Russia is hoping that the world will tire of hearing about it. But Mr Chair, our brave Ukrainian friends have instead galvanised themselves in their battle for peace and freedom, and we continue to stand in solidarity. We will not tire. Today, I want to talk about accountability.

The UK has made a clear commitment to support Ukraine’s investigations and prosecutions into conflict-related crimes, including the deployment of war crimes experts to the region and releasing additional funding to aid the International Criminal Court in its investigations. Last week, the UK, together with the US and the EU, announced the creation of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, a mechanism aimed at supporting the War Crimes Units of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine by ensuring effective coordination of our respective support to accountability efforts. We are determined to hold those responsible for atrocities to account, including military commanders and other individuals in the Putin regime.

Mr Chair, the OSCE is playing a clear and important role in ensuring accountability. We all read about the human impact of Russia’s actions in the 13 April Moscow Mechanism report: deportations, sieges, targeted attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the impact on vulnerable groups. This was the first independent report under the auspices of an international organisation and made clear the facts on the ground between 24 February and 1 April. It confirmed our concerns, including clear patterns of International Humanitarian Law violations by the Russian forces and highlighting credible evidence of war crimes. We must follow up on the experts’ findings and we should recognise that Russia’s war of aggression has not stood still since the last report was published. Bucha, Irprin, Borodyanka, the shelling of the Kramatorsk railway station, Mariupol, and the renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine have led to new allegations of atrocities. We must ensure that we continue to support independent and impartial fact finding, with the aim of bringing those responsible to justice.

We must also continue to support the work of OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) which is monitoring the impact on civilians and prisoners of war for violations of International Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. We remain grateful to Director Mecacci and ODIHR for their expertise, impartiality, and objectivity in investigating and documenting the abuses taking place. It is vitally important work, to ensure accountability for violations. As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said recently, “accountability is a cornerstone of upholding human rights”. We were deeply saddened to hear of reports that a French journalist was killed whilst covering the war, after the vehicle in which he was travelling was hit by shrapnel from a Russian shell in Severodonetsk. We also condemn the killing of journalists and media workers who have lost their lives exposing the truth about the war crimes being committed.

Mr Chair, we may hear today from the Russian Delegation. If we do, it is likely to be a continuation of a narrative we have heard time and again. We have heard many attempts to systematically spread false narratives to justify its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The simple truth is that the Russian government is responsible for this horrific war, which is in breach of the UN Charter and OSCE principles. They are responsible for attempting to dismantle the OSCE’s presence in Ukraine. They are responsible for rising numbers for the rising number of civilians dying, injured, displaced, deported, and seeking refuge. They are responsible for growing food insecurity. They are responsible for the heart-breaking impact this war is having on children. There are human beings behind this tragedy – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, friends – the UK stands together with all of them. We will not tire. We will make the Russian government pay the price of its actions, and we will hold them accountable for their crimes, for as long as it takes.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is helping lead the way on celebrating HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee around the world.

The FCDO’s Whitehall HQ at King Charles Street will tonight be symbolically lit up with the Platinum Jubilee emblem beamed onto the historic building to mark Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne.

The illumination of the London landmark to coincide with the ceremonial Lighting of Jubilee Beacons at 9pm tonight (2 June) is just one of the ways FCDO staff across the world are toasting the Jubilee long weekend.

In France, the Red Arrows will perform a spectacular flying display over Le Touquet-Paris-Plage on the northern coast at the English Channel on Saturday, while the Embassy in Paris is showing a collection of 3-metre-high portraits of Her Majesty The Queen at the Ambassador’s residence. The works include a 1953 Cecil Beaton Coronation portrait and a David Bailey portrait from 2014.

President Macron is leading a ceremony of thanksgiving and recognition to the Queen at the Arc De Triomphe today supported by a band from the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

In Switzerland, British Embassy staff have been working with world famous light artist Gerry Hofsetter to project a Platinum Jubilee light display onto 4 Bernese Alps mountains, including the majestic 3,967 metre high Eiger.

The massive image of the Jubilee Crown emblem and a silhouette of HM The Queen has been submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘largest light art composition’ the world has ever seen.

In Chile, 2 companies of the Chilean Fire Service are celebrating its historic links with the UK by branding fire engines in Valparaíso and Santiago with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee emblem, while the logo also decorates the fire station in Valparaíso.

Foreign Office Minister Vicky Ford unveiled the 14th Company’s specially branded fire engine in a visit to Santiago earlier this year and FCDO staff are celebrating by hosting the first ever British Embassy Street Party in Santiago today, which includes an appearance by horses from one of Chile’s leading stables, Palmas de Peñaflor.

Tiny Pitcairn Island – the smallest British overseas territory with just 35 inhabitants in the Pacific – is holding a Jubilee dinner and will be the final FCDO Post to light a beacon, as it is 9 hours behind the UK.

The British Embassy in Ireland has announced that the King George V Cup will be reinstated this year as a feature race at the Leopardstown Racecourse today, in partnership with the Dublin track, the British Irish Chamber of Commerce and Kmend.

Stemming from the presentation of a specially commissioned trophy by King George V at Leopardstown during his visit to Ireland in 1911, the 1 mile 4 furlong listed race for 3-year-olds was first reinstated under the Royal title in 2013 and will be run again this year at 7:20pm this evening for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Poland, the British Embassy has opened a photo exhibition along the side of Warsaw’s largest park including images of HM The Queen meeting with Polish icons Lech Walesa and Pope John Paul II during her 70-year reign. A number of Polish cities will be lighting up their most iconic buildings purple and white in honour of the Monarch, including the Palace of Culture and Science, in Warsaw, Gdansk Shakespeare Theatre, and Plac Litewski, in Lubin.

As part of its Jubilee celebrations, the British Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan will be displaying a carpet which uses traditional local weaving techniques to combine the Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil, Irish shamrock and English rose with the Caucasus country’s national emblem, the pomegranate.

FCDO staff based in America are hosting a series of events celebrating the Jubilee in Washington, New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Atlanta Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

In South Korea, K-pop superstars Blackpink attended a Queen’s Birthday Party last week celebrating the Platinum Jubilee with British Embassy staff.

In Thailand, British Embassy staff have arranged for a celebratory digital message to be beamed from the top of the Baiyoke Tower, one of Bangkok’s tallest buildings.

HM Ambassadors and High Commissioners representing the UK around the world have nominated 70 of their favourite recipes to a special ‘Platinum Jubilee Cookbook’ celebrating British food and drink products.

The book, which includes a joint foreword from Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, was created by FCDO diplomat Ameer Kotecha, who also came up with the idea of a competition to invent a new ‘Platinum Pudding’ to be dedicated to HM The Queen.

Many of the dishes included have been served up to HM The Queen or other Royals on official overseas visits. All of the royalties from sales of the book are being donated to The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

Her Majesty The Queen is the very embodiment of the best of Britain and no Monarch has ever served our country for as long, or so well.

In an ever changing and uncertain world, the Queen has been a rock who has offered wise counsel to over 170 Heads of State and dedicated her life to promoting unity and social freedom.

Her remarkable service to the UK and the Commonwealth is rightly being recognised across the globe, during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, as she continues to touch the lives of millions of people beyond our shores.

• Images of King Charles Street lit up at 9pm tonight (2 June) can be reproduced free of charge from the FCDO’s Twitter feed, from the FCDO Flickr page, or are available on request
• Swiss Alps world record attempt photographs/video is available here.
• More Platinum Jubilee around the world photos available here.
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