Good morning.
It’s great to see you all today.
The UN’s theme this year – “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials” – couldn’t be more timely.
And it really resonates with me after my visit to Jamaica to see the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, just five short days ago.
We often speak about our basic human rights and needs in jest, but meeting a seven year old boy – who will be eight-years-old on the 28th of December – in Jamaica last week, whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Melissa and whose only Christmas wish was a working toilet, brought home to me the stark reality of millions around the world living without these essentials, whether through disaster, poverty, conflict or political oppression.
Hurricane Melissa was devastating, and I pay tribute to the Government of Jamaica and its people for their extraordinary response and resilience in the face of such hardship.
Today we reflect on how human rights are at the heart of our daily lives and when I talk about human rights, I also mean democracy and the rule of law.
The three go hand in hand.
Yet today, more and more people threaten to roll-back our hard-won freedoms.
That’s why our commitment to human rights – here at home and around the world – matter.
Not just because it’s morally and legally right, though of course it is, but because it’s in our shared interest. They allow us as individuals, as communities and as societies to thrive and prosper.
As an MP, I’ve seen people campaigning for fairness, equality and safety.
From local charities helping the homeless, to residents campaigning for clean air, to families hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
This is civic engagement at its best – people exercising their rights to speak out, to organise, to assemble, and to live free from discrimination.
But it’d be a mistake to think that human rights are there just to protect our freedoms.
Because they also serve our national interest, our security, our growth and our long-term prosperity.
Respect for the rule of law gives businesses confidence.
Economic and social rights help create a healthy, educated workforce.
And the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom of religion or belief and expression keep us safe.
Security and prosperity cannot be achieved without guaranteeing human rights.
How we protect rights must also evolve to reflect the challenges of the 21st century.
We believe in the European Convention on Human Rights.
It helped create a neighbourhood of countries with a strong record on human rights, directly contributing to the peace and security Europe has enjoyed since the second world war.
It has also delivered real benefits for British people – a full inquest for the families of the Hillsborough victims, the abolition of corporal punishment in schools, and the right for gay people to serve in our armed forces.
So of course, the UK remains committed to the Convention.
At the same time, we also believe that it must evolve to face the challenges of the day.
As the Prime Minister has said, we need to modernise how it’s interpreted in the context of irregular migration.
And that work is already underway, with the Deputy Prime Minister in Strasbourg today meeting other Justice Ministers to take it forward.
But laws and conventions only matter if they make a difference to real lives.
And right now, across the world, too many lives are under attack.
- Palestinians assaulted in olive groves in the West Bank.
- Women in the DRC raped with impunity.
- Prisoners tortured in Damascus.
- Children killed by missiles in Ukraine.
- And crimes in Sudan so appalling that they can be seen from satellites in space.
These are outrageous examples of tragedies, entirely inconsistent with international human rights and humanitarian law, and they are unfolding as we speak.
They remind us why we must act.
Doing nothing will only normalise impunity, making everyone, everywhere less safe.
That is why FCDO funds partners in Syria to document atrocities and build evidence to achieve accountability.
That is why we work with leaders like Nobel Laureate Dr Denis Mukwege on a survivor-centred approach when addressing sexual violence.
And that’s why the Foreign Secretary, who sends her apologies today, is personally determined to end impunity for sexual violence in conflict, pursue peace in Gaza and the West Bank, and drive urgent action in Sudan.
But we cannot do this alone.
Today as we mark the end of 16 days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, it is clear that we all have a role to play.
Over the last two weeks, my officials have met activists and organisations working to stop violence against women and girls in Sudan and elsewhere.
We want to do everything possible to help amplify their calls for justice and change and it makes me immensely grateful for the work you do.
Not just in responding to these issues but in raising their profile, keeping the pressure on us to act, and holding us to account to do so.
That’s why I’m concerned that civil society is under attack in so many countries because of repressive legislation.
I want to pay particular tribute to courageous human rights defenders and advocates around the world, putting their lives in danger day after day to fight for what’s right.
I’m honoured that some of them are with us today, and I look forward to hearing from them shortly.
Now, last year my predecessor set out the FCDO’s approach to human rights and governance.
I’m proud of the progress we’ve made since then and I will build on this excellent work.
We’ve strengthened the rule of law worldwide by offering free legal expertise in over 50 countries.
We’re holding war criminals to account, including for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
We helped set up the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group which supports the Ukrainian government in delivering justice.
We’re supporting the establishment for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and I am pleased that we formally endorsed its legal basis earlier this year.
And we’re championing equal rights for all, including through the Deputy Prime Minister’s powerful global campaign to ensure every child grows up in a safe, loving family environment.
Yet there is still so much to do.
And that’s why I’m pleased that the UK has been re-elected to serve on the UN Human Rights Council for the next two years, giving us the chance to share our experiences with others.
Now, while this is a significant opportunity, I know that many of you are concerned about cuts in our foreign aid budgets.
So I want to reassure you that we’re determined to find new innovative ways to support change on the ground, working ever more closely with local actors, focusing on impact, and publicly reporting what we do.
And all of this will be backed by a strong diplomatic network of Embassies and High Commissions who will continue to champion these agendas around the world.
And we’ll use our influence in the multilateral system to keep human rights at the heart of its work while making sure they remain the foundation of all that FCDO does.
Because it is only when human rights are protected that everyone has the chance to live with dignity and freedom. And that freedom being understood.
Thank you all.