G7 Leaders joined a call on Sunday following Iran’s attack the previous evening
We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security.
With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives.
We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.
FCDO statement on the summoning of the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires
THE Chargé d’Affaires of the Iranian Embassy in London was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office yesterday.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: “The Foreign Secretary summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Iranian Embassy today.
“The UK condemns in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel, as well as their violation of Jordan and Iraq’s airspace. At a time of great tension in the Middle East, this was a profoundly dangerous and unnecessary escalation by Iran.
“The UK calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the civilian ship “MSC Aries” and its crew, which was seized by Iranian armed forces yesterday in international waters.
“The Iranian authorities must take meaningful and immediate action to de-escalate and halt its reckless and unlawful behaviour.
“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and the security of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. We will also continue to work with our international partners to protect and uphold stability in the region.”
UK is only country in G7 where household budgets have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels
Families would be £750 a year better off if real disposable income had grown in line with other leading economies
Working people are being made poorer by Conservative failure, union body says
The UK is suffering the worst decline in living standards of any G7 country – according to new TUC analysis published this week.
The analysis shows the UK is only G7 economy where real household disposable income per head hasn’t recovered to its pre-pandemic levels:
Real household disposable incomes in the UK were 1.2% lower in the second quarter of 2023 than at the end of 2019.
But over the same period they grew by 3.5%, on average, across the G7.
The TUC estimates that if real disposable income in the UK had risen in line with the G7 average UK families would be £750 a year better off.
More pain ahead
The union body warned that the contraction in UK household budgets is going to get worse – despite falling inflation.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that real house disposable income per head in Britain will fall by an additional 3.4% by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
And according to the same forecasts household budgets won’t even recover to their pre-pandemic levels until the end of 2026.
The OBR said in November that UK households are suffering the worst period for living standards since modern records began in the 1950s.
Households in debt
The TUC says the Conservatives’ failure to grow the economy and deliver healthy wage growth has pushed many households further into debt.
Analysis published by the union body at the end of December revealed that unsecured debt (credit cards, loans, hire purchase agreements) is set to rise by £1,400 per household, in real terms, this year.
The TUC says working people have been left brutally exposed to rising costs after years of pay stagnation.
UK workers are on course for two decades of lost living standards with real wages not forecast to recover to their 2008 level until 2028.
The TUC estimates that the average worker has lost £14,800 since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with pre-global financial crisis real wage trends.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “The UK is the only G7 nation where living standards are worse than before the pandemic.
“While families in other countries have seen their incomes recover – household budgets here continue to shrink.
“This is a damning indictment on the Conservatives’ economic record.
“Their failure to deliver decent growth and living standards over the last 13 years has left millions exposed to skyrocketing bills – and is pushing many deeper into debt.
“We can’t go on like this. Britain cannot afford the Tories for a day longer.”
Growth in real disposable household income in the G7
Country
change 2019Q4 to 2023Q2
United Kingdom
-1.2
Italy
0.1
Germany
0.2
Japan *
0.5
France
2.4
Canada
3.0
G7
3.5
United States
6.0
source: OECD; * Japan to 2022Q1
– The analysis is based on OECD figures for real household disposable income per head, which extend to 2023Q2 (except for Japan, which go to 2022Q1). Looking forward, UK figures are based on Office for Budget Responsibility projections in the November 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. As with the ONS outturns and OBR projections, cash figures are in 2019 prices.
– The OBR measure living standards as real household disposable income (RDHI) per person.
The oil price cap is significantly impacting Russia’s ability to use oil to finance its illegal war.
45% plunge in Russian Finance Ministry energy revenues.
UK continues to monitor effectiveness of the cap alongside its Coalition partners amid expected market price fluctuations.
UK-backed price cap on Russian oil and oil products is successfully undermining Putin’s ability to fund his illegal war in Ukraine, according to official data collated six months on from implementation.
Russian government income declined by over 20% between January and March 2023 compared to a year ago. The Russian Ministry of Finance posted a 45% plunge in government energy revenues in the same period.
According to the International Energy Agency’s Oil Market Report for July 2023, Russian oil export revenues were down by $1.5 billion month-on-month in June to $11.8 billion (down $9.9 billion year-on-year).
Independent research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air has estimated that the price cap on crude oil is costing Russia around €160 million per day.
Treasury Lords Minister Baroness Penn said: “The oil price cap is succeeding in its dual objectives – bearing down on Putin’s most lucrative source of revenues that could otherwise be used to fund his illegal war, while ensuring that vulnerable countries can continue to secure affordable oil.
“The oil price cap forms a critical part of the largest and most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. We will continue to keep the pressure on Russia alongside our international partners.”
The G7 and Australia (G7+), who collectively constitute the Price Cap Coalition, agreed to cap the price of Russian seaborne oil and refined oil products in September 2022 as a way to undermine Putin’s ability to fund his illegal war in Ukraine through inflated global oil prices, while ensuring that third countries can continue to secure affordable oil. T
he crude oil price cap and high- and low-value refined oil price caps (collectively referred to as the G7+ oil price cap) were introduced on 5th December 2022 and 5th February 2023 respectively.
UK guidance has been periodically updated to assist market participants with implementation of, and compliance with, the cap, and OFSI will continue to engage collaboratively with industry partners to ensure as much clarity is provided as possible.
Recent routine fluctuations in oil prices have seen the average price of Urals rise above the G7+ cap level. For any above-cap trades, Russia will face significant headwinds in securing alternative service providers, with data from market intelligence provider Argus indicating that the cost to Russia of moving its product is considerable. This added burden on Russia will continue to contribute to depressed revenues.
The Price Cap Coalition continues to monitor the effectiveness of the price cap and is prepared to review and adjust the measure as appropriate to ensure that it continues to meet its twin goals.
The Foreign Secretary announced a new package of sanctions, including export bans on every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield to date
New sanctions ban export of every item Ukraine has found Russia using on the battlefield to date.
UK sanctions on Russia top 1,500 as FCDO targets 92 individuals and entities, including those connected to Rosatom.
Putin’s closet allies also sanctioned, including his former Chief of Security and the CEO of Nord Stream 2.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has today (24 February) announced a new package of internationally co-ordinated sanctions and trade measures, including export bans on every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield to date.
Included in the hundreds of goods are aircraft parts, radio equipment, and electronic components that can be used by the Russian military industrial complex, including in the production of UAVs.
Military intelligence has shown that a shortage of components in Russia as a result of sanctions is already likely affecting their ability to produce equipment for export, such as armoured vehicles, attack helicopters and air defence systems.
As a result, it is highly likely that Russia’s role as a reliable arms exporter and their military-industrial complex are being undermined by international sanctions. Today’s measures will damage them further, undermining Putin’s military machine which is already having to mobilise soviet-era tanks and harvest freezers for low-grade chips.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “Ukrainians are turning the tide on Russia, but they cannot do it alone. That is why we must do more to help Ukraine win.
“Today we are sanctioning the elites who run Putin’s key industries and committing to prohibit the export to Russia of every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield.”
Also sanctioned today are senior executives at Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom, plus executives from Russia’s two largest defence companies, four banks, and other Russian elites.
Rosatom has deep connections to the Russian military-industrial complex – including through Alexander Novak who is both a member of the supervisory board and the Deputy Prime Minister in Putin’s administration.
The state-owned firm has reportedly been supplying arms manufacturers with the technology and materials needed to resupply Russia’s front line, including to defence firms that are under sanctions.
Four banks, including MTS, are also being sanctioned as part of today’s package. This will further isolate Russia from the international financial system and help the UK and partners to prevent circumvention.
Today’s designations also target the individuals and entities at the heart of Putin’s military-industrial complex, including:
34 executives connected to Russia’s two largest defence companies Rostec, Russia’s multibillion state owned defence conglomerate, and Almaz-Antey Corporation, a state owned Russian company specialising in producing surface to air missiles and firearms for aircrafts.
6 Russian entities involved in the manufacture or repair of military equipment for Russia’s armed forces, including aviation and navy
5 senior Iranian executives in Qods Aviation Industry, the company manufacturing the drones used in Ukraine, which demonstrates our commitment to continue to pressure third countries supplying Russia’s military.
The UK is also announcing new major trade measures, undermining Russia’s military machine and cutting at Putin’s finances. Alongside banning exports of products found used by Russia on the battlefield, the UK will also ban the import of 140 goods including iron and steel products processed in third countries.
Business and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch said: “Trade sanctions are working. UK goods imports from Russia have fallen by 99%, since before the invasion, and goods exports to Russia have fallen by nearly 80%.
“Working together with our G7 international partners, the Department for Business and Trade is delivering sanctions to further erode Putin’s capabilities to wage war against Ukraine. We will back Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
The UK has also announced that it will be extending existing measures against Crimea, and non-government controlled territory in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, to target Russian controlled areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, restricting their access to UK trade and finance.
Today’s measures also increase pressure on the Russian elite. This includes sanctions on:
Mattias Warnig – a close friend of Putin’s, the CEO of Nord Stream 2, and previously a member of the boards of Russian energy companies Transneft and Rosneft
Lyubov Kabaeva – mother of former Russian gymnast and Duma Deputy Alina Kabaeva who allegedly has a close personal relationship with Putin. The Kabaeva family reportedly own millions of pounds’ worth of property in Russia
Alexei Dyumin – formerly Putin’s chief security guard who played a key role in the annexation of Crimea. Dyumin has been actively involved in supporting the Russian military in Ukraine, including launching and facilitating a drone training school for Russian troops
Alexei Kozak, son of the former Deputy PM and Putin ally Dmitry Kozak
20 executives of Gazprom and Aeroflot, including Gazprom Chairman and former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and two current Russian Ministers.
Today’s new measures come as the Foreign Secretary travels to the UN, where he will urge the international community to support Ukraine as long as it takes, one year on from the start of Russia’s illegal full scale invasion.
G7 increases funding for Ukraine to £39 billion in 2023
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and other G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors have committed to continued financial support for the Ukrainian government in 2023 to a total of US$39 billion at their latest meeting in Bengaluru, India.
The G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors met and were joined by Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko, where they condemned Russia’s war of aggression.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:“We heard first-hand from Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko how additional funding is helping protect the lives of ordinary Ukrainians. This really hammers home the importance of the UK and our allies continuing to back Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s illegal invasion.
“This additional support will save lives in Ukraine, help the government carry out critical repairs of damaged infrastructure, deliver basic services like healthcare and stabilise the economy.”
Chancellor arrives in India for G20 meetings one year after Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine
He will attend meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors alongside Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, showing shared focus on tackling global economic issues.
He will also attend a meeting of the G7 on Thursday
The Chancellor will meet with the Indian Finance Minister and a range of senior Indian business leaders to strengthen ties and help the UK on its way to becoming the next Silicon Valley
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is today in Bengaluru, India to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in his first visit overseas since taking office.
The meeting comes one year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – where the Chancellor will reaffirm the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine and discuss with other G20 members ways to address issues such as elevated global inflationary pressures and the instability in energy and food prices that are being exacerbated by the war.
It follows the latest move on behalf of the G7, the European Union and Australia, who via a Price Cap Coalition, set caps on the price of seaborne Russian oil products effective from 5 February 2023. High-value Russian exports such as diesel and gasoline are capped at $100 while lower-value products such as fuel oil are capped at $45. The UK phased out the import of Russian oil and oil products last year.
The Chancellor is attending the G20 alongside the Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey. Both are focused on tackling inflationary pressures in the UK. Inflation is the first of 5 Prime Minister priorities, with the Prime Minister looking to see inflation halve this year on its way back to the target.
The Chancellor and Bank of England Governor will also join a meeting of G7 Finance Ministers on Thursday.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “The UK continues to stand firm in our support for Ukraine with significant military and humanitarian assistance. The sooner there is sustainable peace in Ukraine and an end to this horrific war, the sooner we can address the global economic fallout – diminishing Putin’s leverage over the UK and our friends.”
The trip also aims to strengthen the already productive UK/India economic relationship and deepen ties to increase new investment and bringing new jobs to the UK. With its rich reputation for a cutting-edge tech industry, the Chancellor will be meeting Indian tech CEOs and founders in Bengaluru to explore investment opportunities and how links with India can help the UK become the world’s next Silicon Valley, building on our existing $1 trillion (£827 billion) tech industry.
The Chancellor added: “I want the UK to be the world’s next Silicon Valley – this is an ambition within reach thanks to our status as a global financial powerhouse and home to world class universities and research institutions.
“We already have a $1 trillion tech industry, but we want to go further to create jobs and wealth across the UK. To help us get there, we need to deepen investment connections with like-minded countries around the world – starting with our Indian friends who are fast becoming an economic superpower in their own right.”
India is projected to be the world’s third largest economy by 2050, with a tech industry that generated US$227 billion (£188 billion) in revenue in FY2022. It is already a significant economic partner for the UK, and the Chancellor is seeking to promote greater collaboration between the two countries.
The Chancellor’s work at the G20 will also contribute to the government’s priorities to halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security; grow the economy, create better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country; and make sure our national debt is falling so that we can secure the future our of public services.
UK will give £25 million to found a new World Bank fund to prevent, prepare for and respond to future devastating pandemics
Investment in preventing future pandemics can stop the devastating human and economic impact of COVID-19 happening again
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced £25 million of UK aid backing for a new fund to ensure the world is better prepared to defeat future pandemics.
Hosted by the World Bank, the ‘Financial Intermediary Fund’ for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response will provide funding to countries whose healthcare systems are dangerously unprepared for the challenges caused by large outbreaks of infectious diseases. It will ensure they can quickly respond to, and as far as possible contain, outbreaks before they spread across the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to at least 6.2 million deaths across the world and caused far-reaching economic devastation.
Stopping a pandemic like this ever happening again will require a concerted and coordinated international effort.
At the G7 Summit today (Monday), leaders will discuss the importance of helping countries manage Covid as an endemic disease and the pressing need to invest in preparedness and other measures to prevent history repeating itself.
The new fund will help fill some of the financing gaps exposed by COVID-19, particularly insufficient financing for preparedness in national health systems and disease surveillance at country, regional and global levels. Crucially, the fund can help catalyse countries’ own financing, so the world is as equipped as possible whenever and wherever a new public health risk emerges.
The Prime Minister said: “While the worst days of the coronavirus pandemic are, thankfully, behind us, we cannot be complacent. The next potential pandemic could emerge any moment and with it the devastating human and economic consequences we have experienced over the last two and a half years.
“We must ensure we learn the lessons of COVID-19 and are better prepared next time. We owe it to the people of the world to say, ‘never again’.”
The chance of a pandemic on the scale of COVID-19 occurring in the next 25 years could be as high as 50%, and a key lesson of the coronavirus pandemic is that even small investments in pandemic preparedness can have huge returns.
By contributing to preparedness in the short term, we can avoid huge economic damage in the long-term.
Under the UK’s G7 Presidency last year, the Prime Minister drove forward international work on pandemic preparedness under his ‘five point plan’ and the 100 Days Mission, work on which was led by Sir Patrick Vallance.
This included launching a worldwide network of zoonotic research hubs, increasing the global manufacturing capacity for treatment and vaccines, designing a new early warning system and agreeing global protocols for a future health emergency.
The UK also hosted a Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit in March, which raised over £1.2 billion to develop variant-proof coronavirus vaccines and speed up the process of developing vaccines against future health threats so this can be done in under 100 days.
David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group, said: “I welcome the UK’s support for the new Financial Intermediary Fund to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response functions in developing countries.
“The fund will provide a dedicated stream of additional, long-term funding to complement the work of existing institutions and operate with high standards of transparency and accountability.
“COVID-19 highlighted the urgent need for coordinated action to build stronger health systems and mobilise additional resources to prepare for the next pandemic in countries, regions, and around the world.”
At the G7 Summit last year, the UK galvanised international action to donate 870 million coronavirus vaccines to those who need them. This commitment, combined with UK and other investments to support the development and rapid manufacturing scale-up of COVID-19 vaccines, turned the tide on Covid around the world. Two-thirds of the global population have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine.
The supply of coronavirus vaccines now outstrips demand and UK efforts are therefore focused on action to end the acute phase of the pandemic, help countries manage COVID-19 as an endemic disease and prepare for the next health threat.
Governments, NGOs and private donors have been encouraged to donate to the Financial Intermediary Fund, which was called for by G20 Finance Ministers in April.
The funding announced by the Prime Minister today will establish the UK as a founding donor to the fund, alongside the US, EU and others.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a statement at the NATO Summit in Brussels yesterday:
It is scarcely believable as we stand here today that just a month ago, the Ukrainian people were living ordinary, peaceful lives. Now, they are locked in an extraordinary battle for survival against an unprovoked onslaught from their neighbours.
Ukrainians have taken up the fight and taught the world the meaning of bravery. Against the odds, they have snarled up Russia’s invading army, inflicting defeat after defeat. The heroism of Ukraine has changed the geopolitics of Europe.
Vladimir Putin has badly miscalculated in Ukraine, and I believe he knows it. But now that Putin’s Plan A has foundered, he is already escalating by intensifying his attacks on civilians.
Maternity wards, schools and homes and have been bombed without any regard for civilian life. Families are being starved out in freezing basement shelters, and targeted as they flee.
The United Kingdom – and our allies in NATO and the G7 here today – are clear: we will not stand by while Putin vents his fury on Ukraine.
I have rarely seen our nations more united in recent years than we are now. Putin’s failure in Ukraine is vital for the peace and prosperity of all of us, and his barbaric invasion has galvanised the international community into collective action.
We will work with likeminded allies to ramp up lethal aid to Ukraine at scale, providing kit to President Zelenskyy in the quantity and with the quality and quantity that he needs to defend his country from its bullying neighbour.
Today, I have announced we in the UK will send an additional 6,000 missiles and provide £25 million in unrestricted funding for Ukraine’s armed forces, more than doubling the lethal aid we have provided to date.
We are bolstering our support for the NATO countries on the frontline, sending a new deployment of UK troops to Bulgaria on top of the doubling our troops both in Poland and in Estonia.
This is just the beginning. We must support a free and democratic Ukraine in the long term. This is a fellow European democracy fighting a war of national defence.
NATO and G7 leaders were also united today in our determination to continue turning the screws on the Kremlin’s war machine, including by weaning ourselves off Russian oil and gas and reshaping global energy security.
The UK has already hit over 1,000 Russian individuals and entities in our toughest-ever sanctions, and the Foreign Secretary has announced 65 new sanctions against Russian banks, weapons manufacturers and oligarchs just this morning.
I also discussed the humanitarian response with our allies and partners today, as we continue to see huge numbers of Ukrainians flee their homes.
And the message that President Putin can take from today’s extraordinary meeting of NATO and the G7 is this: Ukraine is not alone.
We stand with the people of Kyiv, of Mairupol, of Lviv and Donetsk. And as President Zelenskyy has said himself – the people of Ukraine will prevail and Putin must fail and he will fail.
Prime Minister will urge Allies to ensure Ukrainians have the means to continue to protect themselves at NATO and G7 summits today
UK will provide 6,000 new defensive missiles and £25m for Ukraine’s armed forces
Leaders meeting in Brussels are expected to discuss longer-term military, diplomatic and humanitarian support for Ukraine and strengthening measures against Russia
The Prime Minister will announce a major new package of support for Ukraine today at the NATO and G7 leaders’ meetings, as he calls on the international community to stay the course on Ukraine and stand against tyranny.
The measures announced today include 6,000 missiles, consisting of anti-tank and high explosive weapons, and £25 million in financial backing for the Ukrainian military. This more than doubles the defensive lethal aid provided to date to more than 10,000 missiles, and comes on top of the £400 million the UK has committed in humanitarian and economic aid for the crisis.
The Prime Minister will set out the UK’s intention to work with partners to bolster Ukraine’s defence capabilities, including longer-range targeting and intelligence, as the Ukrainian people face down an unprovoked invasion.
The UK will also provide an additional £4.1 million for the BBC World Service as part of a cross-government effort to tackle disinformation in Russia and Ukraine, as well as new financial and policing support for the International Criminal Court’s investigation into war crimes.
One month into the conflict, the Prime Minister will welcome NATO and the G7’s unified stance on Ukraine and collective action on economic, military and diplomatic measures. He will urge Allies and partners to step up a gear in response to Russia’s use of increasingly brutal tactics, including by providing enhanced defensive support to Ukraine and doubling down on economic sanctions against the Kremlin.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Vladimir Putin is already failing in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have shown themselves to be extraordinarily brave and tenacious in defending their homeland, in the face of an unprovoked onslaught.
“But we cannot and will not stand by while Russia grinds Ukraine’s towns and cities into dust. The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight.
“One month into this crisis, the international community faces a choice. We can keep the flame of freedom alive in Ukraine, or risk it being snuffed out across Europe and the world.”
The UK has already provided over 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine’s armed forces, including Next-Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapons Systems, or NLAWs, and Javelin missiles.
The Government is also supplying Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles to help Ukrainians defend themselves against aerial bombings, as well as body armour, helmets and combat boots.
The £25 million in new non-ODA funding from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund will help to pay the salaries of Ukrainian soldiers, pilots and police and ensure the armed forces are well equipped with high-quality equipment.
The UK has committed £400 million in humanitarian and economic support to date, complementing the huge generosity of the British public, and donated more than 4 million items of medical equipment and 500 mobile generators.
In further support announced today, the BBC World Service will receive an additional £4.1 million in emergency funding to support its Ukrainian and Russian language services in the region, and to help it create content to counter disinformation about the war in Ukraine. The funding has been provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and FCDO.
The Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, will also chair a meeting of justice and foreign ministers in the Hague today to coordinate support for the International Criminal Court’s war crimes investigations.
The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to announce an additional £1 million in funding for the court, as well as new support from UK soldiers with expertise in intelligence gathering and the Met Police’s War Crimes Team.
US President Joe Biden says troops are on track to meet 31 August deadline
A joint statement on Afghanistan was released by the G7 Leaders last night:
Today, 24 August 2021, under the Presidency of the United Kingdom, we the Leaders of the Group of Seven met virtually to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. We were joined by the Secretaries General of the United Nations (UN) and NATO. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the people of Afghanistan, and support the UN Security Council statement of 16 August.
We express our grave concern about the situation in Afghanistan and call for calm and restraint to ensure the safety and security of vulnerable Afghan and international citizens, and the prevention of a humanitarian crisis.
We call for adherence to obligations under international human rights law, including the rights of women, girls, and minority groups, and that international humanitarian law is upheld in all circumstances. We honour the significant sacrifices made by the Afghan people, people of our own countries, and countless others, who have worked toward a more peaceful, just and secure future for Afghanistan.
The Afghan people deserve to live in dignity, peace and security, reflecting the last two decades of their political, economic and social achievements, in particular for women and girls. Afghanistan must never again become a safe haven for terrorism, nor a source of terrorist attacks on others.
Working with partners, in particular NATO allies, we will continue to fight terrorism with resolve and solidarity, wherever it is found. Any future Afghan government must adhere to Afghanistan’s international obligations and commitment to protect against terrorism; safeguard the human rights of all Afghans, particularly women, children, and ethnic and religious minorities; uphold the rule of law; allow unhindered and unconditional humanitarian access; and counter human and drug trafficking effectively.
We call on all parties in Afghanistan to work in good faith to establish an inclusive and representative government, including with the meaningful participation of women and minority groups.
We affirm our enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan, including through a renewed humanitarian effort by the international community. To this end we support the UN in coordinating the immediate international humanitarian response in the region, including unfettered humanitarian access in Afghanistan, and will contribute collectively to that response.
As part of that, we will cooperate together and with neighbouring and other countries in the region on supporting Afghan refugees and host communities as part of a coordinated long-term regional response. We call on all partners of Afghanistan to support this effort and wider regional stability through multilateral channels.
As part of this, our immediate priority is to ensure the safe evacuation of our citizens and those Afghans who have partnered with us and assisted our efforts over the past twenty years, and to ensure continuing safe passage out of Afghanistan. We will continue to coordinate closely on this, and we expect all parties to continue to facilitate this, and to ensure the safety of humanitarian and medical personnel, and other international service providers.
We will cooperate together, and with neighbouring and other countries in the region hosting refugees, on a coordinated approach to safe and legal routes for resettlement.
We will work together, and with our allies and regional countries, through the UN, G20 and more widely, to bring the international community together to address the critical questions facing Afghanistan.
As we do this, we will judge the Afghan parties by their actions, not words. In particular, we reaffirm that the Taliban will be held accountable for their actions on preventing terrorism, on human rights in particular those of women, girls and minorities and on pursuing an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.
The legitimacy of any future government depends on the approach it now takes to uphold its international obligations and commitments to ensure a stable Afghanistan.
First Minister calls for more UK action on Afghanistan crisis
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging the UK Government to agree to resettle more than the current commitment of 20,000 Afghan refugees in the long term and 5,000 in the first year.
The First Minister says a substantial increase in numbers is required and urgently seeks further information on how many civilians, especially women, girls and others in need of refuge, will be protected – as well as further detail on the new Afghan Citizens Resettlement Programme.
The First Minister also seeks further details on a proposed four nations summit on the Afghanistan crisis, to which the Prime Minister indicated agreement in the House of Commons on 18 August.
Her letter reads:
Thank you for your letter of 20 August seeking Scotland’s continued support in resettling vulnerable Afghans in the UK and your recognition of the role Scotland is already playing under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
I want to take this opportunity to re-iterate that Scotland is committed to playing our part in welcoming and supporting people fleeing Afghanistan, through both the programme supporting locally employed staff and resettlement of refugees.
We will work with the UK Government, COSLA, local authorities and other partners in Scotland to support these programmes and provide people with the safety and security they need to rebuild their lives.
I recognise the incredibly difficult circumstances in which UK officials and service personnel are operating in Afghanistan. Their work is invaluable for those that they are able to assist, and it is crucial that the UK makes every effort to support people to reach a place of safety.
It is imperative that these urgent evacuation operations should support as many people as possible. I ask in particular that you seek to ensure those who have worked to support British interests in Afghanistan are able to benefit from the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, whether or not they were directly employed by the UK Government. We must do all we can to support people who are at risk because of the help and assistance they have given to us.
Scotland is proud to play our part in supporting people arriving from Afghanistan who worked in support of the UK. I commend the work of Scottish local authorities who have received families through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and those preparing to do so.
The Scottish Government also welcomes your announcement of a refugee resettlement programme to support Afghan nationals. I am pleased that this will be in addition to Afghans arriving through relocation and the UK’s existing commitments to global refugee resettlement. Refugee resettlement is about meeting the needs of the most vulnerable, and I note your approach to prioritise women and girls, as well as those at risk of human rights abuses.
While recognising the pressures on accommodation capacity, we are concerned that the commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees in ‘the long term’ and just 5,000 in the first year is not sufficient in the context of the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding. We believe a commitment to a substantial increase in numbers is required and urgently seek further details of how civilians, especially women, girls and others in need of refuge will be protected.
As you will be aware, all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities participated in the Syrian Resettlement Programme, with over 3,500 refugees welcomed into communities across Scotland under both that programme and the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.
We want our local authorities to be able to continue to provide strong support for refugees. To do that, we need more detail about the new Afghan Citizens Resettlement Programme, including timescales for arrivals and funding to support local authority participation, as well as wider services which are essential to support people to settle and be able to begin to rebuild their lives.
People across our communities, including Afghans with family and friends who are still in Afghanistan, are distressed and concerned about how people will be able to leave and find a place of safety.
I am keen to know more about options for humanitarian routes for people in Afghanistan. In the current situation, many people will find it extremely difficult to directly reach a place of safety. We must work to reduce the risk of people being forced to make perilous journeys or becoming vulnerable to the exploitation of traffickers.
During the Westminster debate on Wednesday 18 August you indicated agreement to a summit with devolved nations. I would be grateful for more detail on plans for this.
I also welcome the commitment you made during the debate that the UK will not return Afghan nationals who have sought asylum in the UK. Given the drastic situation in Afghanistan, I expect the Home Office to consider asylum applications from Afghan nationals quickly and compassionately. Any cases which are in the asylum appeals process, or where people have previously been refused asylum on the basis that Kabul is safe, should also be urgently reviewed.
I look forward to receiving further detail about evacuation, safe routes and resettlement from Afghanistan as soon as possible. Scotland is committed to playing our part, and I am keen that communities across Scotland are able to be involved in the humanitarian response in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.
G7 leaders expected to agree a series of measures to address the climate crisis and protect nature
G7 leaders to kick off new partnership on infrastructure investment today to propel global green economic growth, as they commit to increase international climate finance
UK launches £500m Blue Planet Fund to protect the ocean and marine biodiversity
Comes as the G7 is expected to endorse an ambitious Nature Compact to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030
Sir David Attenborough will address leaders on the importance of action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees on the final day of the G7 Summit in Cornwall
G7 leaders are expected to agree plans today (Sunday) to transform the financing of infrastructure projects in developing countries, part of a raft of measures at the Summit to address the climate crisis and protect nature.
The ‘Build Back Better for the World’ plan will bring together G7 countries under the UK’s presidency to develop an offer for high quality financing for vital infrastructure, from railways in Africa to wind farms in Asia.
The new approach is intended to give developing countries access to more, better and faster finance, while accelerating the global shift to renewable energy and sustainable technology. The Government will build on this with other countries ahead of the COP26 Summit in November.
The Prime Minister has also launched the UK’s Blue Planet Fund from the G7 Summit’s ocean-side setting in Cornwall. The £500 million fund will support countries including Ghana, Indonesia and Pacific island states to tackle unsustainable fishing, protect and restore coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs, and reduce marine pollution.
The G7 will endorse a Nature Compact at this afternoon’s meeting to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 – including supporting the global target to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of land and 30 percent of ocean globally by the end of the decade.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Protecting our planet is the most important thing we as leaders can do for our people. There is a direct relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring long-term economic growth.
“As democratic nations we have a responsibility to help developing countries reap the benefits of clean growth through a fair and transparent system. The G7 has an unprecedented opportunity to drive a global Green Industrial Revolution, with the potential to transform the way we live.”
The G7 are also expected to commit to almost halve their emissions by 2030 relative to 2010. The UK is already going even further, pledging to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030 on 1990 levels (58% reduction on 2010 levels).
Leaders will set out the action they will take to slash carbon emissions, including measures like ending all unabated coal as soon as possible, ending almost all direct government support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas and phasing out petrol and diesel cars.
Sir David Attenborough, renowned British environmentalist and the UK’s COP26 People’s Champion, will address the leaders of the G7 countries plus guests Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa at a session on Climate and Nature later today and urge them to take action as the world’s leading economies to secure the future of our planet.
Sir David Attenborough, Environmentalist and COP26 People’s Champion, said: “The natural world today is greatly diminished. That is undeniable. Our climate is warming fast. That is beyond doubt. Our societies and nations are unequal and that is sadly is plain to see.
“But the question science forces us to address specifically in 2021 is whether as a result of these intertwined facts we are on the verge of destabilising the entire planet?
“If that is so, then the decisions we make this decade – in particular the decisions made by the most economically advanced nations – are the most important in human history.”
In addition to taking action at home, G7 leaders will commit to increase their contributions to international climate finance to meet the target of mobilising $100bn a year, which will help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change and support sustainable, green growth.
This is the first-ever net-zero G7, with all countries having committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest with ambitious reductions targets in the 2020s. The Leaders’ Summit is an important stepping-stone on the road to COP26, which the UK will host in Glasgow in November.
