Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The Foreign Secretary wrote to Montenegrin Foreign Minister Krivokapic this week, underlining that we stand together as NATO Allies with clear shared values underpinning our aligned positions across defence, security and foreign policy, in particular as we respond to Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The Prime Minister and his Montenegrin counterpart in London last July agreed to continue to work closely together to counter Russia's malign activity. Last month, when the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach, met Prime Minister Abazovic and Foreign Minister Krivokapic in Montenegro, he emphasised continuing UK support in tackling Russian influence, including through strengthening cyber security and countering disinformation.

We are aware of reports of Spain stopping some British nationals crossing the border from Gibraltar into Spain. The UK Government has raised this issue with Spanish authorities. We will continue to monitor the situation, and work with Spain to support British nationals wishing to cross the border, however the application of the Schengen Borders Code is ultimately a matter for Spain.

Greece and Turkey are close friends and allies of the UK. We encourage both countries to resolve issues through dialogue and we support measures aimed at de-escalation and reduction of tensions, including existing deconfliction mechanisms within NATO structures. The Prime Minister reiterated these messages in his engagements with both President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis at the NATO Summit in Madrid, and during calls on 21 June.

The UK recently signed the UK-Lithuania Joint Declaration deepening our ties and marking the 100th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. The UK is focussing our increased and largest ever contribution to NATO in the Baltic region, in alignment with our leadership of the Joint Expeditionary Force. NATO's new significantly strengthened military posture bolsters our Eastern Flank, ensuring that every inch of Allied territory is defended. The UK fully supports Lithuania's implementation of EU sanctions against Russia and commends Lithuania's robust stance in deterring aggressors worldwide.

The UK Government has supported Finnish and Swedish applications for NATO membership and engaged regularly with both countries and NATO Allies to discuss the accession process. The Prime Minister spoke to President Erdogan of Turkey on 20 May and 21 June to emphasise that Finland and Sweden would be valuable additions to the Alliance. The UK welcomes the agreement between Turkey, Finland and Sweden, announced on 28 June, which paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO. The UK also welcomes the formal invitation to both countries to join the Alliance, issued on 29 June. Their swift integration into NATO will make both countries safer, the Alliance stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.

Officials and ministers have regular discussions with senior Bahraini counterparts on human rights, including most recently when Minister Milling co-chaired the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group with the Bahrain Foreign Minister on 16 June 2022.

The Government of Bahrain has been clear that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed. We welcome these assurances, and urge continued transparency and encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body.

On 30 June the UK Government announced an additional £500,000 of funding to support mine action in and around the areas worse effected by land mine and unexploded ordnance in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This funding takes the total contribution to over £1 million since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and will be used to provide vital training to ensure those in the region are equipped with skills to tackle land mine and unexploded ordnance effectively. At this point, the UK Government cannot commit to further funding.

We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian children. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention and raise this with the Israeli Ministry of Justice. I recently travelled to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) where I discussed a range of issues with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll.

At the most recent annual review, there were a total of 131 open cases where allegations of torture or mistreatment had been reported to consular staff. These cases include those reported in 2021 and those reported in previous years where these remain unresolved. The majority of allegations in these cases (75 of 131) involved reported torture or mistreatment that occurred during arrest or in police custody, although there is some regional variation.

The FCDO has established capabilities that provide surge capacity. These include FCDO's humanitarian and civilian stabilisation roster. These capabilities provide rapidly deployable, specialist expertise, are open to all non-civil servants, including retirees, and ensure the UK Government is able to access UK expertise to deliver impact and value for money for the taxpayer.

Decisions on prosecutions, including those of any senior officers in UK companies, are made by UK law enforcement agencies such as the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service and are not a matter for the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

However, tackling corruption in Africa and other developing countries is a priority for the Secretary of State and the FCDO provides support to the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate corruption in the UK which has a connection to developing countries. This support includes funding for the International Corruption Unit at the NCA to investigate cases where corrupt individuals have laundered money in the UK which has been stolen from developing countries, or where UK companies or individuals have engaged in corruption in developing countries. The FCDO also supports the work of the International Anti-Corruption Co-ordination Centre at the NCA, which co-ordinates an international response to corruption cases affecting developing countries.

Senior officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have spoken to the relevant authorities in Spain and Morocco regarding the incident. We welcome the decision of both authorities to carry out investigations.

The FCDO records all information about allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (mistreatment) reported to us by British nationals, and the action taken in response to those allegations, within individual case files. The FCDO does not hold aggregate or centralised statistics on the outcome of torture and mistreatment cases.

Afghanistan continues to face a serious and worsening humanitarian crisis. It is affecting just under half of the population, with 18.9 million people facing acute food insecurity. Over 6 million people have been internally displaced, and millions of children are out of school. The recent earthquake in eastern Afghanistan on June 22 has exacerbated humanitarian needs.

On 11 January 2022, the UN launched an appeal for $4.4 billion for 2022, the largest humanitarian appeal on record, reflecting the magnitude of the humanitarian challenge ahead. On 31 March 2022, the UK co-hosted a donor conference with the UN, Qatar and Germany and the UK committed £286 million for 2022/2023. The conference raised over $2.4 billion for the UN's humanitarian appeal.

The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. I met with Palestinian families affected by the ongoing demolition and eviction orders at Masafer Yatta during my recent visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and raised our concerns with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll on 22 June.

The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. I met with Palestinian families affected by the ongoing demolition and eviction orders at Masafer Yatta during my recent visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and raised our concerns with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll on 22 June.

Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are indivisible: we need both. The AUKUS partnership is a strategic opportunity for global security and for stability in the Indo-Pacific. The Foreign Secretary discusses AUKUS with her Australian and American counterparts frequently and they remain fully committed to the partnership.

We have commenced work in the four original areas of advanced capabilities under AUKUS and, as announced by the Prime Minister, the then-Prime Minister of Australia, and the President of the United States in April in their statement on progress, are also scoping opportunities for trilateral cooperation in other areas.

We intend to publish the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's 2021 Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report before Parliament rises for the summer recess.

I am deeply saddened by the impacts of the recent flooding in India and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the UK provided £195,000 to support the response during the first wave of flooding in May. We contributed a further £442,500 after the second wave of flooding in June. This funding continues to support the provision of cash assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, search and rescue operations, shelter management and provisional education materials. Since 2004, the Government of India has stated publicly it neither seeks nor accepts official international assistance ‎from foreign governments for disaster relief.

Increasing insecurity across Nigeria is having a devastating impact on affected communities. I [the Minister for Africa] publicly condemned the attack on a church in Owo, Ondo State, stressing the importance of those responsible being brought to justice. All religious communities should be able to practise their faith without fear. It is clear that religious identity can be a factor in incidents of violence in Nigeria. Both Christian and Muslim communities have been victims of violence. The root causes of violence are complex, and in the case of intercommunal violence, frequently relate to competition over resources, historical grievances and criminality.

I [the Minister for Africa] regularly discuss insecurity in Nigeria with the Nigerian authorities, and we are committed to working with Nigeria to help them respond. At the first dialogue of our Security and Defence partnership in February, we agreed to work together to respond to security challenges across the country, including serious and organised crime, kidnaps and terrorism. The UK Government will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence, whilst also ensuring Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.

The UK Government follows political developments in Nigeria closely and has regular engagement with the Nigerian Government, political parties, civil society and religious institutions to discuss a range of issues, including security, the economy, trade, the environment and human rights. Nigeria is currently preparing for the February 2023 general elections, in which Nigerians will elect a new President. Through diplomatic engagement, cooperation with international partners and programmatic work, we will support the Nigerian government to deliver a free, fair and credible electoral process that represents the will of the Nigerian people.

I [Minister Ford] regularly raise rising insecurity and its impact on the Nigerian people with the Nigerian authorities. During my February visit, I discussed this issue with the Vice President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors. I [Minister Ford] also discussed insecurity with National Security Advisor General Monguno, at our Security and Defence Dialogue in February.

Through our Security and Defence Partnership with Nigeria, we are working together to respond to rising insecurity, including kidnappings, criminality, and intercommunal violence. Examples of our support over the past 12 months include: supporting the training of approximately 1100 members of the Nigerian Army on prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; supporting the delivery of a Protection of Civilians course for 30 officers from the Nigerian Army; and provision of mentoring and capacity-building support to 40 officers from the Anti-Kidnap Coordination Unit. We have also launched a UK supported "Strengthening the Delivery of Peace and Security in Nigeria" initiative, to support dialogue and peacebuilding efforts in conflict-affected areas of Northern and Southern Nigeria.

We will continue to encourage and support the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.

HMG condemns the reported sentencing of two British Nationals, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. As repeated statements by the Government of Ukraine set out, they are soldiers in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and are therefore prisoners of war. They should be treated in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, including the Geneva Conventions. The UK Government is engaging with the Ukrainian authorities on this issue as a matter of urgency and is fully supportive of all their efforts to secure the prisoners' release.

The security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is concerning. We welcome regional efforts to deliver a peaceful solution. In recent weeks we have raised our concerns about the increase in violence, hate speech and increased movement of armed groups with the Governments of DRC, Uganda and Rwanda, as well as the leadership of the UN Peacekeeping Mission, MONUSCO. The UK engages frequently and at a senior level with the Governments of Rwanda and DRC through our missions in the region, and in the UK. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and the Minister for Africa most recently raised our concerns about the escalating violence in the region, with the Rwandan Foreign Minister last week. The Minister for Africa will also raise these concerns with the Government of DRC over the coming days. The UK is committed to supporting regional efforts to build stability and reduce violence in DRC, and we welcome the recent meeting of regional Heads of State in Nairobi towards this end.

We regularly discuss these issues with our international partners, including the Government of the United States. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and engage with all local and regional partners to improve the security situation.

Lord Ahmad, Minister for South Asia, discussed the impacts of the floods with the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister on 27 June. The flood response was also raised in a recent meeting with the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister and COP26 President-Designate. We regularly engage at an official level on climate adaptation and resilience. Our £120m Bangladesh Climate and Environment Programme, announced at COP26, has a focus on resilience in climate vulnerable areas. The programme will support the scaling up of locally-led adaptation and help households to cope with climate impacts.

The UK is committed to championing LGBT+ rights internationally and supporting those who defend them. Ministers and our overseas missions work closely with governments and civil society partners to advance LGBT+ equality, and promote the implementation of new laws and policies that better protect LGBT+ people from violence and discrimination.

Since 2018, the UK committed over £11 million in programmes to support the promotion and protection of LGBT+ rights. On 24 June, the Prime Minister announced a further £2.7 million of UK funding to support LGBT+ grassroots human rights defenders, and advance equality and freedom across the Commonwealth. This includes the vital work of organisations such as The Commonwealth Equality Network, Kaleidoscope Trust, and Human Dignity Trust.

Following the violent confrontations in 2021, the UK remains disappointed by the lack of progress towards meaningful dialogue in Eswatini to address the restrictions on democratic and civil rights. The High Commissioner raised our concerns with His Majesty King Mswati III and senior Ministers earlier this month, and explored ways in which the UK and other international partners could facilitate constructive engagement. The Prime Minister also raised the political situation with the King at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda.

The International Labour Organisation has recently facilitated a bipartite dialogue between representatives of employers and workers to address outstanding questions of labour rights and mistreatment. This has provided a platform for constructive exchange and the High Commission is supporting efforts for further inclusive exchanges with other stakeholders.

Following the violent confrontations in 2021, the UK remains disappointed by the lack of progress towards meaningful dialogue in Eswatini to address the restrictions on democratic and civil rights. The High Commissioner raised our concerns with His Majesty King Mswati III and senior Ministers earlier this month, and explored ways in which the UK and other international partners could facilitate constructive engagement. The Prime Minister also raised the political situation with the King at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda.

The International Labour Organisation has recently facilitated a bipartite dialogue between representatives of employers and workers to address outstanding questions of labour rights and mistreatment. This has provided a platform for constructive exchange and the High Commission is supporting efforts for further inclusive exchanges with other stakeholders.

As Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, the UK committed over £11 million in programmes to support the promotion and protection of LGBT+ rights across the Commonwealth, including through partners such as The Commonwealth Equality Network, Human Dignity Trust and Kaleidoscope Trust.

Since CHOGM 2018, UK funding has facilitated the provision of technical assistance and capacity building to eight Commonwealth countries seeking to repeal or reform legislation that discriminates on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. This is extremely sensitive work, often conducted discreetly due to political, social and cultural sensitivities.

On 24 June, the Prime Minister announced £2.7 million of new UK funding to support the vital work of LGBT+ grassroots human rights defenders. We will continue to work closely with like-minded countries and civil society organisations to defend the human rights of LGBT+ people, and advance equality and freedom across the Commonwealth.

The UK Government is committed to promoting human rights for all Nigerians, and supporting efforts to respond to rising insecurity across Nigeria. We regularly raise these topics with the Nigerian Government and other Nigerian interlocutors including religious and community leaders. These discussions allow us to: demonstrate UK Government interest; push for progress; agree future cooperation; and understand what is proving effective in responding to negative developments. For example, in the Minister for Africa's meetings with religious and community leaders during her February visit, she heard about the importance of investment in dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding to tackle the drivers of conflict. The outcome of that discussion is helping to shape our future engagement and activity to respond to conflict and insecurity.

The UK Government has delivered programmes and projects in support of our commitment on promoting security and human rights. For example, we have funded projects in Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states, aimed at promoting tolerance and understanding, strengthening links and dialogue between civil society groups, religious leaders and religious (and non-religious) groups; and advocating for responsible journalism. At the first dialogue of our Security and Defence partnership in February, we agreed to continue working together to support long-term solutions to address the root causes of violence in Nigeria.

The UK Government is committed to promoting human rights for all Nigerians, and supporting efforts to respond to rising insecurity across Nigeria. We regularly raise these topics with the Nigerian Government and other Nigerian interlocutors including religious and community leaders. These discussions allow us to: demonstrate UK Government interest; push for progress; agree future cooperation; and understand what is proving effective in responding to negative developments. For example, in the Minister for Africa's meetings with religious and community leaders during her February visit, she heard about the importance of investment in dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding to tackle the drivers of conflict. The outcome of that discussion is helping to shape our future engagement and activity to respond to conflict and insecurity.

The UK Government has delivered programmes and projects in support of our commitment on promoting security and human rights. For example, we have funded projects in Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states, aimed at promoting tolerance and understanding, strengthening links and dialogue between civil society groups, religious leaders and religious (and non-religious) groups; and advocating for responsible journalism. At the first dialogue of our Security and Defence partnership in February, we agreed to continue working together to support long-term solutions to address the root causes of violence in Nigeria.

We are aware of allegations of pollution from the QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) ilmenite mining operations in south-east Madagascar. QMM, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and the Government of Madagascar, has denied the allegations. The UK welcomes ongoing efforts involving the national and regional authorities, QMM and the local community to establish the facts in the case and address the concerns of local residents.

The UK is committed to championing LGBT+ rights internationally and supporting those who defend them. Ministers and our overseas missions work closely with partners to advance LGBT+ equality, and promote the implementation of new laws and policies that better protect LGBT+ people from violence and discrimination.

Since 2018, the UK committed over £11 million in programmes to support the promotion and protection of LGBT+ rights. On 24 June, the Prime Minister announced a further £2.7 million of UK funding to support LGBT+ grassroots human rights defenders, and advance equality and freedom across the Commonwealth.

FCDO consultancy spend in 2020-21 was £2.7 million. Total FCO plus DFID spend for years 2019-20, 2018-19, and 2017-18 was £3.0 million, £2.6 million and £1.3 million respectively. Consultancy spend for 2021-22 will be reported in the FCDO's annual report and accounts, which will be published shortly.

We are clear that human rights must be respected by the Cuban Government; that all Cubans have the right to protest peacefully and that the threat of arrest and excessive sentencing must not be used as a tool to restrict freedom of expression or the right to assemble. The sentences handed down to Luis Manual Otero Alcántara and Maykel Castillo are a clear violation of these principles.

In conjunction with the UK and other international partners, the British Embassy in Havana sought to attend the trial of Otero Alcántara and Castillo but were refused entry. The UK was one of the first countries to call for the Cuban people to be allowed to express their views freely and peacefully following the Cuban Government's response to demonstrations on 11 July and we continue to raise the detentions of protestors and excessive sentencing directly with the Cuban Government, both in London and Havana.

The National Security Council is a committee of the Cabinet. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

The UK Government continues to raise Alaa Abdel Fatah's case with the highest levels of the Egyptian government and is working urgently to secure consular access to ensure his welfare. We are concerned by reports that he is on a sustained hunger strike. We continue to be in regular contact with his family to provide support.

We consistently raise the situation in Myanmar with counterparts, including at the UN, G7 and ASEAN, to try and bring an end to the crisis. We have also coordinated a number of joint Foreign Minister statements, including to mark the first anniversary of the coup on 1 February.

Our apologies for the delay in responding to the letter in question, this was due to an administrative error. A response was issued on 22 June.

We condemn Russian atrocities, including the alleged abduction and deportation of innocent Ukrainians. The UK has supported multilateral mechanisms to assess the situation in Ukraine, including the OSCE's Moscow Mechanism report, which found multiple instances of clear violations of international law by Russian forces in Ukraine. The Attorney General also led a scoping mission to the region from 8-11 May, to assess how the UK can help the Ukrainian Prosecutor General to identify and collect evidence of atrocity crimes. Alongside international partners, the UK is committed to assisting Ukraine's domestic investigation into war crimes, in addition to the International Criminal Court investigation. We also continue to hold the Russian Government to account. On 16 June, the UK announced a new wave of sanctions including against the Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for her alleged involvement in the forced transfer and adoption of Ukrainian children.

The UK is providing £2.5 million to help give immediate life-saving support to people in Afghanistan affected by the earthquake on Wednesday 22 June. £2 million will go to the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) Cross to provide shelter, healthcare, water and sanitation. The IFRC is already working on the ground to respond and help address the urgent humanitarian needs - including in Khost and Paktika, the two provinces most heavily impacted. A further £500,000 will go to the Norwegian Refugee Council to provide shelter and cash assistance to those affected. UK supported international partners, co-ordinated by the United Nations, are delivering assistance and assessing ongoing humanitarian needs. The UK is in direct contact with them to offer assistance and stands ready to consider any requests for aid or support. UK funding is channelled through UN partners and NGOs and no funding goes to or through the Taliban.

The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with international counterparts on Afghanistan. Most recently, at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in May 2022, they addressed the current security, humanitarian, and human rights situation as well as longer term prospects for the country and region. FCDO Ministers and the Foreign Secretary continue to engage international partners in support of UK objectives and long-term stability for the Afghan people. Her ministers have regular discussions with humanitarian actors working in Afghanistan, most recently during Lord Ahmad's trip to Geneva in June 2022, where he met the Red Cross and United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Our commitment to Afghanistan is enduring and work on priority areas, including responding to the humanitarian crisis remains one of our highest priorities.

The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, very seriously and we regularly raise Mr Johal's case directly with the Government of India at official and Ministerial level. The Prime Minister raised Mr Johal's case with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 April as part of a wide-ranging discussion. The Foreign Secretary last raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on 31 March 2022 and met with Mr Johal's family to discuss their concerns on 9 June. Consular staff have attended a number of hearings in Mr Johal's case in an observer capacity, and did so on 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 June. This Government will continue to look to raise our concerns about Mr Johal's case at all appropriate opportunities.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will build upon the UK's continuing efforts to support those at risk. Through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) over 9,500 eligible Afghan citizens and their family members have been approved for resettlement. The ACRS will see up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region resettled to the UK over the coming years. Under the third Pathway, up to 1500 people will be referred for resettlement in the first year from three specific cohorts - eligible at-risk Chevening alumni and British Council and Gardaworld contractors. The capacity of the UK to resettle people under this scheme is not unlimited. However, beyond the first year of the third pathway, the Government will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome other groups of Afghans at risk.