Today and tomorrow (22nd and 23rd April) the Foreign Secretary will be in Toronto for a meeting of Foreign Ministers from the G7 countries. During the summit the Foreign Secretary will discuss issues ranging from gender equality and women’s empowerment, to non-proliferation and disarmament, to conflict prevention and stability. For the session on counter-extremism the Foreign Secretary will be joined by Home Office Security Minister Ben Wallace.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am proud to represent the UK at this meeting of the top economies and international powers in the world. Last week London hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, and later this week I will travel to Brussels for a NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

The UK and Canada are the only two countries that are members of all these organisations – evidence not just the closeness of the UK-Canada relationship, but of the UK’s influence in the world. Influence that will continue long after we leave the European Union.

The G7 is a group of likeminded partners who work to protect the rules-based international system. I welcome unanimous G7 support in recent week both for the joint UK/US/French action in Syria, and for the UK’s response to the terrible poisonings in Salisbury. I look forward to continuing that work in Toronto this week.

Notes to editors

• The G7 countries are the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. The EU, represented by High Representative Federica Mogherini, will also attend the meeting.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

As a result of UK lobbying, the World Bank Group has committed to focus significantly more of its resources on poorer countries, increasing from 63% to 70% by 2030, while ensuring richer countries will pay more to borrow.

The UK is to commit more money, $547m (approx.) over five years to the World Bank alongside a wider package of agreed reforms. These will include the World Bank Group making efficiency savings of $1.8bn by 2030, through pay restraints.

Historically, each $1 shareholders have invested in the World Bank Group has delivered up to $50 in financing for governments and businesses in developing countries, making it excellent value for money.

The World Bank has a track record of immunising children, getting them fed and educated. Between 2017 and 2020 the World Bank Group is expected to train and recruit 10 million teachers and vaccinate 180 million children.

International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, the UK Goveror to the World Bank, said:

It is in all our interests to make sure the World Bank Group is in the right shape to tackle the global challenges of today and of the future.

This crucial, landmark agreement between the Bank, and the international community, will increase lending to some of the poorest countries in the world to deliver better, sustainable health provision, education and jobs to those who need them most.

Notes to editors

• The UK is to commit more money $547m (approx.) over five years
• As a result of UK lobbying, the World Bank Group has committed to focus significantly more of its resources on poorer countries, increasing from 63% to 70% by 2030.

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The Duke of Cambridge, the Foreign Secretary and leaders of African Commonwealth countries met on Friday 20 April for high level talks on tackling the illegal wildlife trade in advance of the next international conference in London later this year.

Ambitious proposals to tackle the crime were discussed and debated, including opportunities to boost cross-border law enforcement so that more elephants and other animals can move more freely and safely in Africa.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

Many African countries are already working together and taking robust action to protect and preserve their precious wildlife but this is a serious problem driven by international criminal syndicates.

It is only through ambitious African-led initiatives that we will stop this deplorable crime for good, and we are ready to help. Here in the UK we are taking forward our own plans for a ban on domestic ivory sales, and in October I will co-host an international conference in London on combating the illegal wildlife trade.

Together we can stop the decline of the world’s most iconic species and ensure that future generations don’t have to live in a world without wildlife.

During the talks, the Foreign Secretary appealed for ambitious outcomes at October’s conference, which will focus on tackling the illegal wildlife trade as a serious organised crime, building coalitions and closing illegal wildlife markets. The Foreign Secretary and African leaders discussed opportunities for increasing national and cross-border law enforcement programmes to catch poachers and stop wildlife traffickers.

The numbers are horrific: around 20,000 African elephants are killed by poachers each year. Savanna elephant numbers have declined by a third from 2007 to 2014 and there has been a 9,000% increase in rhino poaching in South Africa. Wildlife in many parts of Africa is at crisis levels.

Mafias and organised crime gangs are at the centre of much of the illegal wildlife trade, driving animals to the point of extinction and decimating wildlife tourism in communities that rely on it.

The illegal wildlife trade is a serious organised crime with revenues worth up to £17bn a year, more than the combined income of the Central African Republic, Liberia and Burundi. That is why the UK is taking forward plans for a ban on domestic ivory sales and in October will host an international conference in London on combating the illegal wildlife trade.

Notes to editors:

• Representatives from the following countries attended the meeting: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Cameroon & Nigeria.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The partnership is an extension of the successful ‘earn, learn and return’ scheme, which has already seen Indian nurses benefit from NHS work experience.

Registered nurses from Jamaica will undertake work placements in the UK, facilitated by Health Education England, in areas such as emergency medicine and intensive care. They will go back to Jamaica to share their new skills, knowledge and experience with their own healthcare system.

In return, NHS staff will be given the opportunity to travel to Jamaica to share their expertise with the Jamaican health service and help them to improve their care.

The aim of the scheme is to support the Jamaican government in improving the capability and capacity of their nursing workforce, as well as establish a network of professionals from both countries who will continue to share learning and knowledge beyond the scheme itself.

Minister of State for Health Stephen Barclay said:

The NHS is blazing a trail in healthcare across the world and it is testament to the skills and expertise of our dedicated nurses that other countries are vying for their knowledge to help improve their own services.

I’m delighted that we’re partnering with Jamaica in this scheme, which will build on our existing collaboration with India, and further demonstrates the Government’s commitment to forging new international relationships in preparation for the UK to leave the European Union.

This will also form part of the NHS’s commitment to supporting its staff to develop and progress their careers. Offering global health placements within training programmes or as part of continual professional development has shown to have a positive impact on recruitment and retention of staff.

All nurses who come to work for the NHS will be required to meet the standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The UK government also recently announced a 25% increase in UK nursing degree training places.

Latest update

Public Health England (PHE) has been investigating a UK case of Neisseria gonorrhoeae acquired in South East Asia which had high-level resistance to the 2 antibiotics, azithromycin and ceftriaxone, which are currently recommended for first-line treatment. The case has now been successfully treated with another antibiotic, ertapenem.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, Consultant Scientist and Head of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Section at PHE, said:

We are pleased to report that the case of multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea has been successfully treated. Investigations have also revealed there has been no further spread of this infection within the UK. PHE continues to actively monitor and tackle the spread of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea and potential treatment failures.

Two similar cases have just been reported in Australia and serve as a timely reminder that we expect to see further cases of multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea in the future. These cases will be challenging for healthcare professionals to manage. We urge the public to avoid getting or passing on gonorrhoea by using condoms consistently and correctly with all new and casual partners. If you think you have been at risk, you should seek an STI screen at a sexual health clinic.

Read the full Multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea in England: 2018 report.

Previous updates

28 March 2018

Dr Gwenda Hughes, Consultant Scientist and Head of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Section at PHE, said:

We are investigating a case who has gonorrhoea which was acquired abroad and is very resistant to the recommended first line treatment. First line treatment for gonorrhoea is a combination of 2 antibiotics (azithromycin and ceftriaxone). This is the first time a case has displayed such high-level resistance to both of these drugs and to most other commonly used antibiotics.

We are following up this case to ensure that the infection was effectively treated with other options and the risk of any onward transmission is minimised. PHE actively monitors, and acts on, the spread of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea and potential treatment failures, and has introduced enhanced surveillance to identify and manage resistant strains of infection promptly to help reduce further spread.

It is better to avoid getting or passing on gonorrhoea in the first place and everyone can significantly reduce their risk by using condoms consistently and correctly with all new and casual partners. Anyone who thinks they may have been at risk should seek an STI screen at a sexual health clinic.