UNGA 68: an intense week of diplomatic activity

We’ve just finished one of the most important meetings of Foreign ministers in New York that I can remember in a long time. So many different subjects in one week of intense diplomatic activity.

Written version (continued)

Probably the one that got most media attention was Syria, where the Security Council passed unanimously resolution 2118 which obliges Syria, under legal obligation, to get rid of its chemical weapons under international inspection.

Foreign ministers also agreed on a date for the resumption of negotiations on the future of Syria, the so called Geneva process. Britain gave leadership on  the humanitarian side and there were some more significant pledges of aid to the refugees in and around Syria, whilst France took the lead on a very useful meeting with the Syrian national congress opposition parties and international supporters.

There was also intense activity on Iran, with the first presence in New York of the new Iranian president, and as a result of that we now have the resumption of negotiations on the nuclear issue in Iran in mid-October.

It wasn’t only foreign policy, my foreign minister William Hague took the initiative to organise a major international meeting against the use of sexual violence as an instrument of war, a meeting addressed by Madame Valérie Trierweiler for France, with 120 countries signing up to the declaration opposing the use of sexual violence.

Another major subject area was climate change – work has now begun in earnest towards the world conference on climate change which will happen in Paris in 2015, with momentum given to that by the new report of the climate change committee showing what a major international crisis the global warming effect is becoming.

Altogether a really important week for international diplomacy.

>> Take a look at behind the scenes images of UNGA 68 on the UK Mission to UN Instagram account