Author: HM Government

Mr President, This statement is on behalf of the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice for Sudan and 21 other states. We support the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and welcome his latest report. We are gravely alarmed by the urgent risks of atrocities and deliberate killings in Sudan. Mr President, ten consecutive days of drone strikes […]

26 years on from the Security Council Resolution 1325, this Council’s message remains clear: sustainable peace requires women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation.   And yet, we’ve heard from our briefers, women continue to be excluded from peace negotiations and political transitions.  According to the Secretary-General’s annual report, in 2024, nearly 90% of negotiation tracks […]

Updates to this page Published 10 August 2015 Last updated 18 June 2026 — Show all updates 18 June 2026 We have updated the application forms for marital status certificates and certificates of no impediment. 13 February 2025 Guidance for applications updated. If your partner has been married before, you no longer need to provide […]

Thank you, Mr Vice President, We thank the Special Rapporteur for her important work and today’s report. We commend her dedication throughout her mandate during which she has been a principled and authoritative voice for the protection of freedom of expression worldwide. We express our deep appreciation for her leadership, independence, and consistent defence of […]

Thank you, Chair and Secretary-General, for your leadership in difficult times. This meeting is our annual moment to take stock of security in the Euro-Atlantic area. There have been moments of light.  The year has seen voters in Armenia, Hungary and Moldova defeat interference in their democracy.  Real steps towards peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  […]

Thank you, Under-Secretary General Fletcher and Special Envoy Grundberg for your briefings.  Firstly, I would like to welcome the Special Envoy’s announcement of agreement to release detainees related to the conflict. We commend the efforts of the UN, the ICRC and Saudi Arabia to secure this, and express our thanks to Jordan and Oman for their […]

Thank you Mr President. This statement is by the Sri Lanka Core Group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United Kingdom. High Commissioner, we thank your Office for its continued work on Sri Lanka. We acknowledge government efforts to enable communities to commemorate peacefully, and without disruption, the loss of life at the […]

Mr President, Thank you, High Commissioner, In Iran, the killing of thousands of Iran’s own people, including the continued execution of protesters, lays bare Iran’s longstanding violent suppression of peaceful dissent. This Council condemned that brutality in January, and we remain steadfast in supporting international accountability efforts. Four years on from your Office’s Xinjiang Assessment, […]

Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer uses a visit to Islamabad to thank Pakistan for their leadership in brokering the US-Iran peace deal.   Visit underlines longstanding UK support for stability in the Middle East and for Pakistan’s mediation role.  Minister bolsters joint UK-Pakistan efforts to tackle illegal immigration into the UK with additional funding to target underlying drivers which entice people to […]

UK announces 70 new sanctions targeting Russia’s decrepit shadow fleet, military procurement supply chains and illicit finance networks used to circumvent sanctions.   UK ramps up pressure on Russia during G7 Summit following latest abhorrent attacks against Ukraine,  killing innocent civilians and destroying holy sites. The UK has now sanctioned almost 500 individuals, entities and ships under its Russia sanctions regime in 2026 alone, as allied support for Ukraine tops the G7 agenda.   The UK has unleashed a major new sanctions package choking […]