Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

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.

Before Russia's invasion, almost 1 billion people in 92 countries did not have enough food to eat and 55 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, were already in acute hunger crises, emergency or famine conditions. This has now risen to at least 1.7 billion with 49 million people already living a step away from famine (up from 25 million in 2020), and almost 860,000 people estimated to be in famine-like conditions.

Steep increases in the price of staple commodities and agriculture inputs were already apparent before the war. Russia's aggression has further exacerbated these spikes - according to the World Food Programme the price of a food basket in Ethiopia has risen 66 percent, and in Somalia 36 percent. Higher import costs of fuel and food are exacerbating the fragile debt status of many countries particularly in Africa.

The UK is steadfast in our commitment to upholding Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Any referendum that takes place on sovereign Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Government of Ukraine would be a further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and we would not recognise it. Our position remains clear: Russia must withdraw its forces and military equipment from the entirety of Ukraine and cease its illegal war.

The UK has a clear interest in enduring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and the G7 Leaders' Communiqué this month underscored this with our international partners. As the Foreign Secretary said in her Mansion House speech, we must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves. Though the United Kingdom does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, we have a vibrant unofficial relationship, based on dynamic commercial, educational and cultural ties. This relationship delivers significant benefits to both the UK and Taiwan.

The Government updated guidance on sanctions relating to Russia on 24 June, which can be found on gov.uk. The guidance details all changes made since the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 came fully into force on 31 December 2020.

The situation in Ukraine and Russia will continue to change. This may involve further sanctions which could affect UK business. Businesses should continue to check the guidance on our gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-sanctions-on-russia to ensure their business activities are compliant with the current sanctions against Russia. We recommend businesses consider taking legal advice after reviewing the legislation & guidance.

The UK Government unreservedly condemns the use of torture. The UK does not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture for any purpose. We take allegations or concerns of torture and mistreatment very seriously and will follow up with action, as appropriate.

We urge all allegations of torture or mistreatment to be reported to the appropriate national oversight body whose duty it is to carry out full and independent investigations. We continue to encourage the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.

Recent developments in Libya demonstrate the need for successful, free, fair and inclusive elections, to meet the aspirations of the Libyan people to have a say in who governs them. The UK fully supports the UN-facilitated, Libyan led and owned political process and is working with Libyan and international partners - including the UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Libya, Stephanie Williams, and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya - to pursue this priority to support Libya's sovereignty and national unity and to put the country on a path towards sustained peace, security and prosperity.

The UK announced £286m of aid for Afghanistan this financial year. As the Foreign Secretary committed, at least 50% of those we reach with our aid should be women and girls.

We will support women's rights organisations as part of our Afghanistan Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programme. We are exploring further ways to support women's organisations through our humanitarian programming, and strongly support the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund's work in identifying ways to support NGOs in Afghanistan at scale. We will also continue to work with partners to ensure women continue to play an active role within humanitarian organisations funded by the FCDO.

The UK succeeded in meeting its 2015 pledge to provide £5.8 billion in International Climate Finance (ICF) between 2016/17 and 2020/21. In 2019 the Prime Minister made a new commitment to delivering £11.6 billion for the period 2021/22 to 2025/26. This commitment is additional to the £5.8 billion spent up to March 2021.

The FCDO ministerial team is engaging counterparts across the world to ensure we deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact. We are urging all finance providers to meet the $100 billion a year goal as soon as possible, ensure this finance is accessible, including to those countries suffering most from the effects of climate change, and set out clear commitments by COP27 to collectively double adaptation finance from 2019 levels by 2025.

The Government is committed to continuing to call for the restoration of human rights and rule of law in the North Caucasus region, and recognises the crucial work of the Council of Europe and in particular the PACE in this sphere. We regularly challenge Russia in international fora on their human rights abuses, including those perpetrated in the North Caucasus and encourage Russia to implement European Court of Human Rights judgments- a vital step to ending the climate of impunity in the region. We note that recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review.

The UK Government is committed to calling for the release of political prisoners in the Russian Federation, and we note the crucial work of the Council of Europe and PACE in this sphere. The UK is deeply concerned by Russian actions, targeting opposition politicians, civil society actors, religious groups, and LGBT people through prosecutions and repressive legislation towards so-called "undesirable" and "extremist" organisations and "foreign agents". We continue to call out Russia in international fora for these actions.

The imprisonment of Vladimir Kara-Murza is the latest attempt by Russian authorities to shutdown opposition to their policies. On the 18 May diplomatic representatives from British Embassy Moscow, alongside international partners attended Mr Kara-Murza's appeal hearing. On 26 May, Minister Cleverly met with Mrs Evgenia Kara-Murza to discuss the detention of her husband. On 9 June, we raised his case in the Permanent Council of the OSCE. We continue to call for the Russian Federation to release Vladimir Kara-Murza, and recognise the vital work of the Council of Europe and PACE in this sphere. We note that recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review.

Ukraine's economy and ability to export its produce has been crippled by Russia's continued bombardment of cities and infrastructure across Ukraine, including through bombing agricultural lands, grain silos and Putin's reckless blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports. We are aware of reports of Russia stealing grain from Ukraine and have called for an immediate investigation. We are continuing to call out Russia's false narrative on grain in international fora including the G7 and the Food and Agriculture Organization, emphasising that Russia's actions are exacerbating the global food crisis, putting tens of millions of people at risk of famine.

We regularly engage with the Government of Brazil at Ministerial level and through our Embassy in Brazil on the issues of food security and commodity prices. During our visit to Brazil in March 2022, Minister Jayawardena and I discussed the impact of the Ukraine conflict on global food security.

Through our climate partnership with Brazil the UK also supports Brazil's sustainable agriculture ambitions.

The UK is working with Brazil and other international partners in multilateral fora, such as the World Trade Organisation, to monitor and address global food security issues, focusing on the ongoing benefits of open markets, and working to ensure that sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious food continues to available and accessible to all.

As the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 21 June, she is meeting the Egyptian Foreign Minister during his upcoming visit to the UK.

The UK Government continues to call out Russia on their unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against Ukraine, and we welcome the work of the Council of Europe and in particular Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe in this sphere. The UK and our international partners stand united in condemning Russia government's reprehensible actions, which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter. We note that recommendations will go to the CoE Committee of Ministers in due course.

As the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 21 June, she is meeting the Egyptian Foreign Minister during his upcoming visit to the UK.

We welcome the fact that UEFA have commissioned an independent investigation into the Champions League final, and issued an apology to fans who attended; and that the French Government has commissioned a review of the delivery of the event and will also be supporting the UEFA investigation. The UK and French Sports Ministers met earlier this month and we will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities and Liverpool FC.

Regarding the upcoming World Cup, we are working with Qatar to support their delivery of a safe and secure tournament for all British Nationals who will be attending. We continue to engage closely with Qatari authorities on their security preparations, and UK police will be offering support and advice on engaging with fans attending from the UK. We are also encouraging fans to read the FCDO's Qatar World Cup Travel Advice, and sign up for email alerts to stay up to date on the latest information.

The threat to global food security from Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports is huge. Putin's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating price rises in commodity markets. 49 million people are already living a step away from famine and almost 860,000 people are estimated to be in famine-like conditions.

Over the next 3 years, we will direct £3 billion to the most vulnerable countries and people to help them recover from crises. We welcome the World Bank's announcement of $30 billion to address food insecurity globally over the next 15 months, which responds to the UK's calls for the Bank to mobilise funding to tackle the growing crisis. The UK has also committed another £10 million to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to build resilience in agriculture and food security in the poorest countries, bringing our total contribution to £186 million.

In a statement on 8 May, the Prime Minister, along with other G7 leaders, confirmed our readiness to undertake further commitments to help Ukraine secure its free and democratic future, such that Ukraine can defend itself now and deter future acts of aggression. We will pursue our ongoing military and defence assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including through training and material, continue supporting Ukraine in defending its networks against cyber incidents, and expand our cooperation, including on information security. We will also continue to support Ukraine in improving its economic and energy security. We remain in close contact with President Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian leaders on these issues, including during the Prime Minister's recent visit to Kyiv.

We continue to monitor the case of Mr Abdulrahman al-Sadhan. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights in our engagement with the Saudi authorities. Minister Milling raised concern regarding the death penalty with the Saudi Ambassador on 23 May, and enquired into a specific high-priority case. Lord Ahmad also raised UK concerns about the death penalty with the Saudi Justice Minister on 6 June. We have consistently raised concerns about the use of solitary confinement, lack of family contact and allegations of torture in Saudi Arabia, and stressed the importance of due process.

We are aware of the reports of fatalities from malnutrition in a prison facility in Les Cayes, Haiti. These tragedies are rooted in the economic and health crises experienced in Haiti. They have been compounded by the devastating earthquake last year, and by the rise in global food prices resulting from Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, routes in and out of Port-Au-Prince, which may be used to transport supplies, are obstructed by an increase in criminal activity.

Through our support to the United Nations (and other international organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations) we are providing assistance to the Haitian Government to address systemic in-country issues - including chronic hunger that impacts over 4.7million Haitians.

We encourages all actors to work constructively to find solutions to the causes of these crises, and to support recovery and progress for the Haitian people.

I have not met with the Haitian Government's Foreign Minister to discuss the increase in criminal activity. However FCDO officials, including HM Ambassador to Haiti, have met with senior Haitian Government officials to discuss their response to the proliferation of violence. These meetings occur regularly, the last of which was held on 17 June.

The continued deterioration of the security and human rights situation in Haiti is deeply abhorrent. We are aware of an increase in kidnappings, indiscriminate criminal violence, and instances of human trafficking.

As we set out in the International Development Strategy, we will target our work in Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS), including ensuring our work takes account of the causes and effects of conflict. We will draw on our combined diplomatic, defence and development capabilities. We will also work both to prevent conflict, including tackling new threats from malign actors, and to reduce conflict and violence. We will continue to support the global goal of providing at least 0.2% of our gross national income to Least Developed Countries. In 2020, 56% of the UK's bilateral Official Development Assistance allocation went to low-income countries.

On 4 May, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs announced a ban on the export of accountancy, consultancy and PR services to Russia. The legislation will set out the scope of these services sectors, and statutory guidance will be provided when the legislation comes in to force. We do not speculate about future sanctions.

On 4 May, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs announced a ban on the export of accountancy, consultancy and PR services to Russia. The legislation will set out the scope of these services sectors, and statutory guidance will be provided when the legislation comes in to force. We do not speculate about future sanctions.

Since Operation Pitting the UK has supported over 4,600 people to leave Afghanistan. As part of a cross-government effort, the FCDO remains committed to the resettlement of eligible Afghan citizens in the UK through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) schemes. The FCDO's share of that effort, which is under constant review, currently involves 30 staff in the UK and our network of Posts in the region, as well as support to eligible Afghan citizens in third countries while they undergo checks before being issued UK visas. The funding for this financial year will depend on the rate at which eligible Afghans are able to leave Afghanistan, which is difficult to predict. Our efforts continue while eligible Afghans require support to travel to the UK.

The UK is playing a leading role driving the international response to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, regularly meets with Foreign Minister counterparts, including the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, G7 Foreign Ministers and NATO Foreign Ministers; and European counterparts, including the EU. We will continue to work with NATO and European allies to support the Ukrainian Government in the face of this assault on their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The UK is open to participation in the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). The ability to voluntarily participate in the activities of ENISA is included in Part 4 of the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. It is not for the UK, as a non-member of the EU, to comment on the budget of an EU institution.

We continue to reiterate the importance of all forms of freedom of expression and free speech to both the Government of Israel and Palestinian Authority. We continue to appreciate the vital work that human rights defenders and civil society play in holding the authorities to account.

All countries, including Israel, have a legitimate right to self-defence, and the right to defend their citizens from attack. In doing so, it is vital that all actions are proportionate, in line with International Humanitarian Law, and are calibrated to avoid civilian casualties. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.

We do not speculate on future designations, or on cross-government discussions on potential targets. To do this could reduce the impact of designations. We have now sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine including oligarchs worth £117 billion. We will not stop targeting Russia's economy until Ukraine prevails. The whole of the UK government, along with our international allies, is working to ensure that happens.

The UK provided £195,000 to the START Fund Bangladesh in May to help during the first wave of flooding. In response to the most recent wave of flooding, the UK has contributed a further £442,500 to the START Fund. This funding will support the provision of cash assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, search and rescue operations, shelter management and provisional education materials.

The UK supports Ukraine's vision for rebuilding a sovereign, prosperous, democratic nation that is stronger than before Putin's invasion. The Government of Ukraine estimates that full-scale recovery will cost around $600 billion so far. International estimates range from €200-500 billion. These costs will rise the longer the war continues. The Ukrainian government has established a National Recovery Council, which will develop its National Recovery Plan, to be announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference at Lugano, Switzerland, 4-5 July. We are working with the Council to develop our support. We will be guided by Ukraine's priorities in harnessing the best of UK development, business and civil society capabilities in support of its recovery and reconstruction. The UK's total financial support for Ukraine so far stands at some $3.6 billion, including military, humanitarian and fiscal support.

The UK is a strong supporter of the work of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, having co-sponsored the resolution mandating its creation at the Special Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in December 2021, and is urging all parties to help facilitate its investigations. It is for the Commission to interpret the scope of its mandate and decide whether it can investigate these events. The UK will continue to support the work of the Commission and of the wider UN in its efforts to ensure that those responsible for these atrocities are held to account.

The British Embassy in Addis Ababa will continue to engage with the Government of Ethiopia to highlight the importance of processes to deliver accountability and justice for all incidents of human rights abuses or violations. The UK's Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme (HARP) is providing support, including to enhance the investigative capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

The UK is firmly committed to promoting the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict and has been at the forefront of initiatives in recent years promoting the issue. The UK Government's policy paper on the UK's Approach to Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict was finalised in March 2020 and reaffirms our commitment to the importance of the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The policy paper provides an update to the UK's national strategy on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, launched in March 2010. The 2010 Strategy continues to guide our approach to the protection of civilians.

In addition, the recently launched International Development Strategy commits the UK to protecting the most at risk in situations of conflict and crisis, including civilians.

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.

The Foreign Secretary has publicly committed to put women and girls at the heart of foreign and development policy and this is also evident in the newly published International Development Strategy. Our new approach is framed around three Es and will be set out in full in the UK's 2022 Women and Girls Strategy. We will: Educate girls, standing up for the right of every girl to 12 years of quality education; Empower women and girls, unlocking the social, economic and political agency of all people; and End Violence, driving international action to end all forms of gender-based violence. We will mainstream action on gender which means addressing the root causes of gender inequality in all our work. As referenced in the International Development Strategy, the UK International Development Act (Gender Equality) 2014 makes it a legal requirement for the UK to consider gender equality in all its Official Development Assistance work.

The FCDO is part of the cross-Whitehall languages group which supports and promotes language learning across government departments. The FCDO makes its language training contracts available to other government departments, allowing them to access our competitively procured services. The FCDO is committed to strengthening the languages skills of its staff, who support the achievement of other government departments' international objectives as part of their work.

We are aware of the UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry report on 9 May. The UK is committed to making progress towards a two-state solution. We firmly believe a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue. We will continue to press Israel and the Palestinians strongly on the need to refrain from taking actions, which make peace more difficult.

It is for the Ukrainian authorities to maintain any necessary records of those missing or at risk in Ukraine and to identify British nationals that pass away on Ukrainian territory. We will be guided by the Ukrainian authorities on their ability to do this within the context of the conflict and for their liaison with relevant HMG departments for such support as they require. The Attorney General led a scoping mission to the region from 8-11 May, to assess how UK Government Departments can work with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General to identify and collect evidence of atrocity crimes, in order to support the effectiveness of future investigations into Russian war crimes.

We have now sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. This includes oligarchs worth £117 billion. We have also implemented freezes on 18 of Russia's major banks with global assets worth £940 billion. In conjunction with our partners, we have supported the removal seven banks from SWIFT and frozen over 60% of Russian Central Bank reserves, worth £275 billion.

The full effects of our sanctions will take time to materialise, but these targeted measures are severely restricting Russia's access to finance. They also make it harder for Russia to source imports from around the world, which have fallen by 40% since the invasion, resulting in disruption to Russia's supply chains. Russia is heading for the deepest recession since the collapse of the Soviet Union, deeper than the 2008 global financial crisis.

UK sanctions have been coordinated with international allies, including Canada, to impose severe cost on Putin and his regime. We are acting together, as our collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts. So far the UK has sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine, including oligarchs worth £117 billion.

The Government does not comment on our internal assessment processes for sanctions, or speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of designations. We will continue to work with our international partners ratchet up the pressure on Putin until he withdraws his forces from Ukraine and stops his unjust war of aggression.