The United Kingdom recognises Mauritania’s commitment to improving access to education at the primary and secondary level. We urge the Government to ensure that girls’ equal access to twelve years quality education is at the forefront of their efforts in this regard.

We note Mauritania’s cooperation with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations to provide protection for refugees and migrants.

We recommend that Mauritania:

1. Increases efforts to end all forms of slavery and discrimination, especially based on caste or ethnicity, and investigates and prosecutes traffickers and those holding people in slavery.

2. Adheres to existing international frameworks to protect migrants and refugees, including those attempting to travel to the Canary Islands who land in Mauritania.

3. Adopt an open, merit-based process when selecting national candidates for UN Treaty Body elections.

Thank you.

Published 19 January 2021

The Attorney General, the Rt. Hon. Suella Braverman QC MP has appointed Andrew T. Cayley CMG QC as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI).

As part of the recruitment process, Mr. Cayley was subject to a pre-appointment hearing with the Justice Select Committee on Thursday 14 January. The committee recommended Mr. Cayley’s appointment. He is expected to take up post on 1 April 2021.

Andrew T. Cayley was the Director of Service Prosecutions from 2013 to 2020. He led the Service Prosecuting Authority through major reforms and the Service Justice Review. From 2009 to 2013 he was the United Nations Chief International Co-Prosecutor of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Here he was responsible for prosecuting the leadership of the Khmer Rouge for the genocide, extermination and murder of up to two million of their citizens between 1975 and 1979.

From 1995 to 2007, he was Prosecuting Council and Senior Prosecuting Counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). At the ICTY he was co-counsel in a case that secured the court’s first conviction for genocide regarding events at Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina in July 1995; he also led for the prosecution in several other high-profile cases involving various aspects of the Yugoslav conflict. Also at the ICC, Mr Cayley led the investigation and pre-trial proceedings regarding allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 1 July 2002 in Darfur, Republic of Sudan.

Mr Cayley first qualified as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts in 1989, transferring to the English and Welsh Bar in 2007. He is a Governing Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. He was appointed Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George for services to human rights and international criminal law in 2014, and appointed Queens Counsel in 2012.

Commenting on the announcement, Attorney General the Rt. Hon. Suella Braverman QC MP said:

I’m pleased to announce Mr Cayley as Chief Inspector. His role is crucial to driving improvements across the justice system especially for victims. I’m confident that Andrew’s extensive prosecutorial and leadership experience will stand him in good stead to successfully lead the Inspectorate. I look forward to working with him during his tenure.

Commenting on the announcement, Andrew T. Cayley CMG QC said:

I am honoured that the Attorney General has appointed me as Chief Inspector, a role that is so vital to improving the criminal justice system and reinforcing public trust in it. I look forward to leading the team in delivering a comprehensive and high-quality inspection programme.

Mr Cayley has been appointed following a fair and open assessment process conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. He donated £10,000 to the Conservative Party in 2019.

Role of HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service, the head of HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) is appointed by the Attorney General. This is a fixed-term public appointment. The Chief Inspector acts independently of the Attorney General and of government.

HMCPSI has a statutory duty to inspect the operation of the CPS and SFO and report to the Attorney General, who superintends both organisations. Its reports plan and important role in effective superintendence. The operational relationship between the Attorney General and the Chief Inspector is set out in a protocol agreed between the Law Officers (the Attorney General and Solicitor General) and the Chief Inspector.

At our online event on 8 December 2020, we updated attendees on the safety works taking place at the site. We also explained the principal contractor procurement currently underway, and how the community can be involved in the process.

We shared details of how the community can have their say about the Tower and the future memorial, as well as giving a reminder about the health and wellbeing services available.

Event attendees were able to post questions to our panel from the Grenfell site management and programme team, and a member of the local NHS health team.

The British High Commission in Honiara yesterday (18th January) handed over millions of vegetable seeds and gardening tools to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru, His Excellency Dr. Brian Jones handed over the more than 5 million vegetable seeds and about 618 gardening tools to the Ministry.

Handing over the items, High Commissioner Jones said:

Every new seed planted brings hope. And in 2021, a sign of hope for the future is even more important.

He said the UK Government is proud to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock replenish its stocks of vegetable seeds and garden tools, to ensure that they can support vulnerable gardeners across the provinces.

At this time of year, as we face cyclone season, a good supply of seeds is the best form of savings account in the rural areas. Even if a disaster hits and damages vegetable gardens, a supply of seeds can get people’s gardens growing again and restore food security. And as low-lying areas of Solomon Islands face uncertainty in the future from climate change, food security is ever more vital.

Dr Jones said 2021 will be a tough year, even as we see the shoots of our recovery from coronavirus worldwide.

I am pleased to support the Ministry in its agricultural extension work, ensuring people have access to good quality seeds and the tools to grow them, across the provinces of Solomon Islands.

Receiving the items, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Hon. Senley Filualea expressed gratitude to the people of Great Britain for seeing fit to donate seeds to the people of Solomon Islands through his ministry.

As you are aware, the Solomon Islands budget for 2021 is not yet decided on due to the many uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But our needs are still there and are many. The need to ensure our people can live through this pandemic times and the need to keep our economy afloat are great challenges for us at this time.

The challenges of the 2019 COVID-19 are still here with us in 2021. We were hoping that this year will be different but as you may have heard from the global news on status of COVID-19, it is increasing again. And despite some efforts on the availability of vaccines, we were also informed that it will take months before Solomon Islands can even have some vaccines available and the vaccine programs other countries are rolling out as well will take months, which means we will still have months of negative economic growth and food insecurity before we can all come out of this pandemic.

He said the gifts, are timely.

These are New Year gifts for our farming household around the country and I am honoured Excellency Dr. Brian Jones to receive these gifts on their behalf. “My ministry will ensure the distributions will reach far wide to all provinces in the country.

Hon. Minister Filualea on behalf of the DCGA government, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and people of Solomon Islands thanked the UK Government for the timely support to the people of Solomon Islands.

Further information

Email: bhc@solomon.com.sb

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