Dear Minister O’Connor,

As the Minister of Trade in New Zealand, the depositary nation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and with reference to Article 5: ‘Accession’ of the CPTPP treaty text, I am writing to you on behalf of the United Kingdom to formally request the commencement of negotiations on UK accession to CPTPP.

Accession to CPTPP is a priority for the UK government and a key part of our trade negotiations programme as a newly independent trading nation. CPTPP is one of the most important free trade areas in the world and UK accession could see CPTPP’s proportion of global GDP rise to 16%. UK membership would also be the first step in expanding this influential and modern trade network of 11 dynamic economies beyond the Indo-Pacific region and Americas.

The UK shares the CPTPP’s commitment to free trade and welcomes the high standards of this ambitious agreement. The UK will comply fully with the process set out in the commission decision of January 2019 on the Accession Process of the CPTPP. I believe UK membership would send a powerful signal about the importance placed on free trade by this dynamic group of countries at this critical time in our history.

In line with the accession process you have set out for aspirant economies, over the last two years, the UK has actively engaged with all 11 Signatories at both ministerial and official level to discuss UK accession to CPTPP. I am delighted that all CPTPP members have welcomed our interest in accession.

CPTPP membership will complement and reinforce new and enhanced bilateral trade agreements we have already signed or are negotiating now – with Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. We believe our strong bilateral trade relationships with CPTPP members, including with Brunei and Malaysia, provide an effective springboard to our CPTPP accession.

We would now like to formalise our request to commence accession negotiations. I hope you will consider our request favourably and we stand ready to engage with you in order to establish a Working Group and to agree a timetable to negotiate the UK’s accession. The UK will publish its outline approach, scoping analysis, and response to our public consultation before we begin negotiations. I look forward to working with you and the CPTPP members.

Best wishes,

THE RT HON ELIZABETH TRUSS MP

Secretary of State for International Trade
& President of the Board of Trade

The COP26 President-Designate, Alok Sharma, has visited Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Libreville, Gabon, to discuss how the UK can work with the countries to address climate change challenges.

In his first overseas visit since becoming full-time COP26 President, Mr Sharma met leaders from government and civil society, stressing the need for urgent climate action ahead of the important UN climate change summit the UK is hosting in November 2021, COP26.

His visit to Addis reaffirmed the UK–Ethiopia climate partnership signed by the UK Foreign Secretary, during his recent visit, which will step-up cooperation ahead of COP26.

Following high-level talks with Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, and other senior ministers, Mr Sharma launched Ethiopia’s ‘Enfluencers’ (Ethiopia, Environment, Earth, Education and Entertainment) Network, a group of young environmental activists and influencers who are working to raise awareness and build support for climate action.

In Gabon, Mr Sharma held high-level talks with President Ali Bongo and other senior ministers.

He met a number of conservation NGOs and visited an arboretum and a timber processing plant where he learnt about Gabon’s success in, and future plans for, sustainable forest governance and industrialisation, as well as the Gabonese Space and Earth Observation Agency through which the country monitors deforestation.

The visit underlines the UK’s commitment to championing adaptation and action to avert, minimise and address loss and damage from climate change to protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change. This follows the launch of the Adaptation Action Coalition, a new international coalition which will turn international political commitments made through the United Nations Call for Action on Adaptation and Resilience into on-the-ground support for vulnerable communities.

Speaking at the end of his visit, COP26 President, Alok Sharma, said:

Globally, we must go further and faster to protect people from the worst impacts of climate change, and climate vulnerable countries should be at the heart of that process.

I have been impressed by the ambition and determination I have seen on this visit, particularly from inspiring young people in Ethiopia. I will continue to work closely with my friends in Ethiopia and Gabon, and hope that both countries will continue to show leadership on climate action, which has such a vital role to play in the COP26 process.

British Ambassador to Ethiopia, Alastair McPhail, said:

I’m glad that COP26 President Alok Sharma has recognised Ethiopia’s importance in the fight against climate change, in choosing it as the site of his first overseas visit in the role full-time.

Ethiopia is one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world but it is also a country with an admirable and ambitious green agenda.

British Ambassador to Gabon, Rowan Laxton, said:

Climate change remains a global concern that requires concerted efforts, and this visit has underlined the UK’s support for Gabon in the fight against climate change, whilst showcasing some of the important work already being done here to protect people and planet. In the run-up to COP26 we will continue working with Gabon to build on this momentum.

Ends.

Notes to editors:

1. In Ethiopia, Mr Sharma also met Minister of Agriculture, Oumar Hussein; Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide; Mr Mensur Dessie and Mr Abdeta Debella from the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission, and Mr Gebru Jember to discuss Ethiopia’s negotiating priorities for COP26; and Ambassador Josefa Sacko, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture.
2. In Gabon, Mr Sharma also met Foreign Minister Pacôme Moubelet-Boubeya, and Environment Minister, Professor Lee White.
3. This year, the UK will host the UN climate change conference COP26, in Glasgow with our partners, Italy. This will provide an opportunity for the world to come together and commit to urgent action.
4. As hosts of COP26, the UK will lead by example during this unprecedented time. Guided by science, the UK will invest in a green recovery which creates sustainable jobs and addresses the urgent and linked challenges of public health, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
5. The UK is committed to working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire action ahead of COP26.

The next phase in the Government’s ambitious plans for a ‘Blue Belt’ of marine protected areas around the UK’s seas has begun with the Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) formal consultation to protect four of England’s 40 offshore Marine Protected Areas.

Now that the UK has left the EU, the UK Government has powers to implement evidenced based marine management that will help ensure our seas are managed sustainably, protecting both the long-term future of the fishing industry and our precious wildlife and habitats.

Marine Protected Areas are designated areas of the ocean which include habitats and species essential for healthy, functioning marine eco-systems. The purpose of a Marine Protected Area is to protect and enhance rare, threatened and important habitats and species from damage caused by activities that take place within it.

The MMO is consulting on byelaws being proposed under new powers introduced under the Fisheries Act, the UK’s first major domestic fisheries legislation in nearly 40 years. These byelaws aim to prohibit fishing activities in Marine Protected Areas where there is evidence that they harm wildlife or damage habitats. The proposed byelaws seek to prohibit the use of bottom towed fishing gear in all four sites and additional restrictions for static gears over sensitive features in two of the sites.

The consultation runs from 1 February 2021 to 28 March 2021 and follows a call for evidence, which closed in December 2020, where the MMO sought additional evidence and views on the draft assessments and management options for the four offshore Marine Protected Areas.

These first four Marine Protected Areas were chosen as a priority to help protect their vibrant and productive undersea environments, and include the Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation, which has the largest shallow sandbank in British waters and supports commercial fish species such cod and plaice, as well as sand eels that provide an important food source for kittiwakes, puffins and porpoises.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

Now that we have left the Common Fisheries Policy, we are able to deliver on our commitment to achieve a healthy, thriving and sustainable marine environment.

The UK has already established an impressive ‘Blue Belt’ covering 38% of our waters and our Fisheries Act has provided us with additional powers to go further to protect our seas around England.

This proposal to introduce byelaws to safeguard four of our precious offshore Marine Protected Areas shows how we are putting these powers into action.

Action is already being taken to tackle unsustainable activities within England’s seas, with management measures introduced in many inshore sites through byelaws introduced by both MMO and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities.

Tom McCormack, Chief Executive Officer of MMO, said:

This consultation is a big step forward in agreeing measures that will help protect and revive important marine habitats, vital to the unique and vibrant marine life that live within them.

We are ambitious for England’s seas and want to hear as many views as possible in order to create benefits for people and the economy, while protecting our precious marine environment for future generations.

The MMO is seeking views on proposed byelaws for the following four offshore Marine Protected Areas:

• Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation (East of England)
• Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge Special Area of Conservation (The Wash approaches, off the Lincolnshire and North Norfolk coasts)
• South Dorset Marine Conservation Zone (South West – Dorset)
• The Canyons Marine Conservation Zone (South West – Offshore)

The MMO will announce its plan for engagement on the management of non-licensable activities, including anchoring for recreational vessels, for the Studland Bay Marine Conservation Zone on the Dorset coast later this month.

Background: