26th February 2016
In May this year, the first World Humanitarian Summit will be held in Istanbul. The United Kingdom sees this as a real opportunity to take stock of how humanitarian aid around the world is distributed, and to improve the effectiveness of delivery to ensure that aid reaches those most in need. Humanitarian aid needs to […]
23rd February 2016 Geneva, Switzerland
Like all governments and international organisations, the UN sometimes gets a bad press. Recently the UN faced critical headlines following the release of an opinion by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that Julian Assange was being arbitrarily detained in the UK. Now, the decision to conclude that someone who is evading Swedish justice by […]
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10th February 2016
Pope Francis is on record as calling modern slavery “a crime against humanity”. Over 200 years since the British Parliament abolished the transatlantic slave trade and began an international campaign, led by the Royal Navy, to eradicate it, the Home Office estimates that there are around 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK […]
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8th February 2016 Geneva, Switzerland
Last week’s conference in London did not solve the Syrian refugee crisis. That requires an end to the conflict. The suspension of the peace talks in Geneva last week shows we’re not even at the end of the beginning of that process, as Churchill might have said. But London did some important things. It raised […]
4th February 2016 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Earlier this week in Colombo, we gathered together a group of civil society and human rights organisations. For different reasons, Sri Lanka and Maldives are priorities for human rights for the UK. That gives the High Commission access to the Magna Carta Fund, a strategic programme fund dedicated to tackling the root causes of human […]
14th December 2015
Congratulations to the TCI Human Rights Commission, and it’s director Doreen Quelch-Missick, on arranging a stimulating morning’s conversation on Radio Turks and Caicos on Thursday, 10 December, to mark International Human Rights Day. With guests from government, opposition and civil society the programme was a great boost to the key work of the Commission. In my […]
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10th December 2015 London, UK
Today we commemorate International Human Rights Day. It is an opportunity to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and to reflect on the status of human rights in countries around the world. Through our global network of Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates, the UK Government is working to promote […]
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10th December 2015 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Today is Annual Human Rights Day. At a time when human rights, humanitarian issues, diversity and equality are very much in the news, and all topical but vexed issues in crisis-torn Yemen, I want to mark this day with some reflections on where we stand. Having children of my own, I am particularly mindful of […]
10th December 2015 London, UK
Today is international human rights day, and around the world people are reflecting and campaigning on hugely important freedoms. I want to take the opportunity to pay tribute to all those who work for human rights, and who make great sacrifices and put themselves in danger for the sake of justice and liberty: people like […]
10th December 2015 London, UK
Extremism in all its forms attacks the fundamental values that bind us as a global community and undermine our efforts to build a better, more tolerant world. These values of democracy, liberty, rule of law, mutual respect and tolerance are enshrined in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and today – UN Human Rights […]