Thank you, Mr President. I’d like to thank Special Representative Annadif for his insightful and detailed briefing. And I want to begin by offering my condolences to all those who’ve lost their lives in the conflict, including members of the Malian and international forces and UN peacekeepers – recently, French troops serving in Operation Barkhane and including the IED attack on a convoy in Timbuktu this morning.

Mr President, during the last Council session on Mali in October, the United Kingdom called on the parties to implement fully the agreement on peace and reconciliation in Mali without further delay. We noted, in particular, that we hoped to see the transitional government taking steps to assume leadership of the peace process, address impunity and work towards holding elections within 18 months.

I commend and welcome the efforts made over the last three months in these respects by the transitional government and other signatory parties. The United Kingdom welcomes the establishment of the National Transitional Council, the publication of the roadmap for the transition and the consultations now underway on the full operationalisation of the Northern Development Zone.

We also welcome the steps taken to finalise the first phase of the DDR process and to launch the second phase and we hope that this will pave the way for wider security sector reform.

We also very much welcome the fact that, for the first time, nine women have been included as representatives of signatory movements in the Agreement Monitoring Committee. We would encourage the transitional government to continue these efforts, as well as ensuring that necessary reforms are implemented and the preparations for elections proceed without delay.

However, Mr President, much more remains to be done. We remain concerned by reports of human rights abuses and violations, including gender-based violence and cases of child recruitment by armed groups. We hope that the transitional government will ensure prompt, thorough and transparent investigations into such allegations, including those outlined in MINUSMA’s recent report on the protests that took place in Bamako and wider regions in July.

As the Secretary-General has said, the cycle of violence can be broken through justice and reconciliation. We fully agree. And we continue to encourage cooperation by Malian and other regional forces with the UN’s monitoring of human rights. This is essential not only as a matter of principle, but as a pillar of peacebuilding and counter-insurgency.

In a similar vein, we also urge the transitional authorities to ensure that human rights and due process are respected with regard to the administration of the current state of emergency and the recent arrests of Malian political and media figures. The safety and security of UN peacekeepers and personnel is also of paramount importance. I agree with the Secretary-General that we need to see meaningful progress in the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed against UN peacekeepers in Mali, not least to send a strong message that such crimes will not go unpunished.

Mr President, I would like to make a final point on the importance of inclusivity. Achieving the core goals of the peace agreement relies on all parties having a sense of ownership of the process. It is very welcome that for the first time, representatives of each of the signatory movements are part of the government and that women representing each of the signatory parties have participated in meetings of the Agreement’s Monitoring Committee. This is a significant step towards inclusivity.

We encourage the transitional government to take similar steps towards a more inclusive approach as it works to achieve its other priorities. Including all stakeholders, to help build consensus on how to implement difficult but necessary reforms and how to resolve issues that have led to labour strikes.

In conclusion, Mr President, in the coming months, we hope to see further progress on the implementation of the peace process, addressing impunity and preparing for elections. In the context of continued insecurity and worsening humanitarian needs, inclusive and effective action on these priorities is more urgent than ever.

The UK stands ready to support. We recently announced more than $10.5 million of extra emergency aid to those most vulnerable in Central Sahel. We are proud to be joining peacekeepers from over 60 different nations as part of MINUSMA. This is a testament to the importance the UK attaches to UN peacekeeping and its role in helping to achieve global peace and security.

I’d like to close by extending my thanks to UN colleagues for all their sterling support to our troops in their first weeks in Mali.

Thank you.

The improvement scheme will not only dual an 8.7-mile section of single carriageway, alleviating the impact on local communities and helping to improve journey times and increase safety by unlocking one of Cornwall’s last major bottlenecks, but will also help to unlock economic growth in the county.

Costain, Highways England’s contractors, have been busy with the diversion of utilities, vegetation clearance and ground investigation work, and with the main construction phase of the scheme due to start this year, local businesses are being urged to get involved.

As construction activities increase in the area, so will job opportunities, both directly with the contractors and through the supply chain. The types of services and people required will include plant, fencing, track matting, catering, cleaning, accommodation and hospitality.

Transport Minister Baroness Vere said:

I am delighted work on this long-awaited scheme is under way – this part of the A30 suffers from major delays and congestion, particularly in summer, but that will soon be a thing of the past thanks to this upgrade.

It’s also going to provide a fantastic economic boost for this part of the country, with construction bringing great opportunities for local businesses looking to get involved.

Through its procurement process, the company, responsible for England’s major A roads and motorways, appoints main contractors who in turn require their own supply chain, which provides opportunities for sub-contractors and sub-consultants to bid for work and become part of the extended supply chain.

Josh Hodder, Highways England’s Senior Project Manager for the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme, said:

2021 is going to be a big year for the A30 project and we’re urging people and businesses within the local community to get involved. We are keen to offer job opportunities to local people, ensuring that we are fully inclusive of the diverse communities of Cornwall.

Improving the A30 between Chiverton and Carland Cross is incredibly important for Cornwall’s future – it’s the only remaining stretch of single carriageway on the A30 between Camborne and the M5 at Exeter, journeys are regularly delayed, congestion often brings traffic to a standstill, and as a result the Cornish economy is being held back.

Employing local people will also bring economic benefits during the construction phase of the project, and we will also be engaging with local schools and colleges to inspire, offer support and advice and to promote careers within the industry.

More details around job opportunities are available at https://www.costain.com/careers/ and any companies interested in working on the A30 project are asked to register their details at a30supplierenq@costain.com.

Further information and updates will be available on the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross web page, local residents and businesses can also sign up for email notifications and there is also a dedicated community relations team available to answer any questions.

If you’d prefer to speak to someone, then you can phone the project helpline on 0845 600 2664 or Highways England on 0300 123 5000 and one of the team based on the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme will call you back as soon as possible.

The £330 million upgrade includes:

• a 70mph high-quality dual carriageway
• a two-level junction at Chiverton Cross and a new roundabout to ensure the free flow of traffic on the A30
• a new partial junction at Chybucca built on two levels with west-facing slip roads to provide access onto the dual carriageway from local routes
• new bridges at Tolgroggan Farm, Pennycomequick Lane and over the Allet to Tresawsen road to provide local access
• a two-level junction at Carland Cross with a new roundabout north of the dual carriageway and re-using the existing roundabout to the south
• keeping the existing A30 as a local route with new sections where necessary to provide continuity and connectivity for local communities

The cost of developing the scheme is being partly funded by an £8 million contribution from the European Regional Development Fund, with an additional £12 million for the construction phase. The remainder of the cost of developing and delivering the scheme is being funded by central Government.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The letter highlights the second report from the National Implementation Advisor for Care Leavers, which brings together some of the work being carried out by authorities to support care leavers. This includes the powers available to authorities to offer discretionary council tax reductions to young people leaving care.

With permission, I’d like to make a statement on reforming the Mental Health Act.

Even in the midst of the pandemic, I am enormously grateful for the work that my team and the NHS have done, led by Sir Simon Wessely and Claire Murdoch, and my honourable friend the Minister for Mental Health, to deliver this white paper which we publish today to bring mental health legislation into the 21st century.

We’re committed as a government and as a nation to see mental health treated on a par with physical health.

We are increasing funding of mental health services to record levels, with £2.3 billion extra each year being invested through the NHS Long Term Plan, and an immediate £500 million in place to support mental health services with the very significant pressures they are under today.

Our mental health services are now helping more people than ever before.

Services are there for the most serious mental illnesses, although these of course are under significant pressure. Services are there for better community support through 24/7 crisis services and establishing liaison in A&E, and supporting people to manage their own mental health.

Mental Health Act

Madam Deputy Speaker, this programme of transformation is ambitious and as we support mental health services now, so we must bring up to date the legislative framework also for the long term.

The Mental Health Act was created so people who have severe mental illnesses and present a risk to themselves, or others, can be detained and treated. For their protection and the protection of those around them.

But so much has changed since the act was put in place, nearly 40 years ago. We now understand a lot more about mental health. Public attitudes around mental health have changed significantly for the better, and we now have a better understanding and practice of how we can best support people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

We are also concerned by the growing number of people being detained, inequalities among those who are detained and the length of time that people are spending detained under the act.

So, after a generation, we must bring the Mental Health Act into the 21st century.

The previous Prime Minister, my Right Honourable Friend, the member for Maidenhead, asked Professor Sir Simon Wessely to lead a review into what a modern mental health act should look like, and I thank her for her work. And I’m so grateful to Sir Simon, and his vice-chairs, for their dedication.

As I said in the House last year on its publication, the Wessely Review is one of the finest pieces of work on the treatment of mental health that has been done anywhere in the world.

I know that the review was welcomed across the House. We committed in our manifesto to deliver the required changes, and I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his emphatic support.

Sir Simon’s review compellingly shows that the Mental Health Act does not work as well as it should, for patients or for their loved ones.

That the act goes too far in removing people’s autonomy and does not give people enough control over their own care.

So Madam Deputy Speaker, today I am delighted to set out our full response to the Wessely Review in our white paper which, together with my Right Honourable Friend, the Lord Chancellor, we have laid before the House.

The white paper sets out plans for a landmark new Mental Health Act.

The new act will ensure patients are put at the centre of decisions about their own care, that everyone is treated with respect and the law is only used to compel treatment where absolutely necessary.

The white paper has been developed in close consultation with those with the greatest expertise – the Royal Collage of Psychiatrists, Rethink Mental Illness, Mind, the Centre for Mental Health and countless practitioners on the frontline, and I thank them all.

There are 4 pillars to this work and I’d like to take a moment to update the House on them.

Giving patients a voice

First, Madam Deputy Speaker, we will be giving patients a voice in their own care, which we know leads to better engagement in treatment.

So we will put care and treatment plans and advance choice documents into statute for the first time so patients are more closely involved in the development of their care, and so they can have confidence that if they lose capacity because of illness, their preferences will be properly considered.

We’re making it easier for patients to challenge decisions about their care, creating a new right to choose a nominated person who is best placed to look after their interests and increasing patients’ access to the independent tribunal, to provide vital independent scrutiny of detention.

In his report, Sir Simon recommended that one of the best ways to ensure dignified care is to ensure that patients can expect the privacy of their own en suite room.

We have already committed £400 million of funding to deliver this and we are building new mental health hospitals, with 2 schemes already approved and with more to come.

Tackling disparities

Second, Madam Deputy Speaker, we will address the disparities that currently exist within the application of the Mental Health Act.

Black people are currently 4 times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than white people, and black people are 10 times more likely to be placed on a community treatment order.

We also know that people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds can often engage with services later, and our plans to enhance patient choice, increase scrutiny of decisions and improve a patient’s right to challenge will help us to improve service provision for all.

On top of this, we have already announced our new Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework, as recommended by the review.

And we’re also looking at how we can use culturally appropriate advocates, so patients from all backgrounds can be supported in making their voice heard.

Criminal justice system

Third, Madam Deputy Speaker, it is important that the act supports patients within the criminal justice system.

We will make sure that where people in prison require treatment in a mental health hospital, they are transferred in a timely way.

And we will support rapid diversion from custody to care where appropriate so people in our criminal justice system can get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, while we fulfil our fundamental duty to keep the public safe.

Learning disabilities and autism

Finally, Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto we committed to improve how people with a learning disability and autistic people are treated under the act.

Until now, the use of powers in the act did not distinguish between people with mental illness on the one hand, and people with learning disabilities and or autism on the other. This is wrong.

Needs are different and the law should be different too. This is all part of treating everyone with respect.

We therefore propose reforms to limit the scope to detain people under the act, where their needs are due to their learning disability or autism alone.

In future, there will be a limit of 28 days for these detentions, which would be used to assess clinical need and, wherever possible, we will work to ensure appropriate support is available in the community, rather than in institutional settings.

I want to thanks Baroness Hollins, Ian Birrell, Mencap and the National Autistic Society for their advocacy and for their support for these reforms.

Conclusion

Madam Deputy Speaker, this act is there for all of us, and we want to hear as many views as possible on our plans.

So we will consult widely on this white paper, and we will respond later this year, before we bring forward a new Mental Health Bill.

I believe that everyone in our society has a contribution to make, and I believe everyone should be respected for the value they bring.

It is the role of government to support people to reach their potential, even at the most difficult of times. And to protect people when they are at their most vulnerable. That is what I believe.

And I believe these reforms will help put those values into action and help give patients the dignified treatment that they deserve.

I commend this statement, and I commend this white paper, to the House.

Mr President, I would like to thank you for hosting this important debate today, and also Under-Secretary-General Voronkov, Executive Director Coninsx and Ms Fatima Akilu for their informative and important briefings.

It’s been twenty years since the Security Council established the Counter-Terrorism Committee. Our work has strengthened the cooperation we need to protect all our citizens and counter the scourge of terrorism.

Subsequent Security Council resolutions have built an effective toolkit for guidance and measures for states to respond to the evolving threat.

They now cover everything from international legal cooperation to counter-terrorist financing, from specific challenges like aviation security to broad issues like human rights, gender, and civil society.

With the support of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, the Committee has helped assess states’ implementation of the resolutions and identified emerging challenges, examples of best practice, and opportunities for technical assistance.

Of course, the Council and the Committee have not been acting alone.

In 2014, the Global Coalition against Daesh brought together 83 partners, including the United Kingdom, to combat Daesh and liberate eight million people from its control.

Organisations such as the Global Counter Terrorism Forum, of which the UK is a founding member, have bolstered international cooperation.

Other parts of the UN system, most importantly the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, have also played an important role.

Through this work, and through the leadership of the United Nations Security Council, we have built a shared understanding of the terrorism threat and developed the tools to counter it.

Mr President, as a result of our collective efforts, Al-Qaeda has been degraded. Daesh was defeated on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria.

But sadly, the threat has evolved and remains with us.

Terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and Daesh affiliates, continue to operate around the world.

Terrorist narratives continue to radicalise individuals in diffuse and unpredictable ways. New threats from extreme right-wing groups have increased.

So, the work of the Council and of the Committee remains vital.

Looking forward, I want to stress four key priorities:

Firstly, the Council should continue to learn and adapt to the latest threats and emerging trends.

I mentioned extremist right-wing groups. Terrorist misuse of social media and other new technologies needs greater attention. We also need to tune in to how longer-term effects of COVID-19 might influence the terrorism dynamic.

Secondly, the Council should reaffirm states’ obligation under international law to protect and promote human rights whilst countering terrorism.

The threats posed by terrorism do sometimes require states to take extraordinary measures. However, too often counter-terrorism is used to justify egregious human rights violations and oppression. States must act within the boundaries of international law. Otherwise, we undermine the very rights and freedoms that the UN was established to promote.

While it is not the only instance around the world, a case in point is the situation in Xinjiang where the Uyghur and other ethnic minority communities face severe and disproportionate measures, with up to 1.8 million people having been detained without trial.

These well-documented measures are inconsistent with China’s obligations under international human rights law including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

They run counter to the Security Council’s long-standing requirement that counter-terrorism measures comply with States’ obligations under international law, including international human rights law.

Third, the Council should reaffirm the importance of inclusion and partnerships.

Effective counter-terrorism requires more than the cooperation of governments. It requires whole societies.

That means promoting the leadership of women, young people, and minorities, building effective partnerships with the private sector, with religious leaders, and ensuring we listen to all the voices of our peoples.

And fourth, the Council should push for coherence within the UN system.

We welcome the existing close cooperation between the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, as well as the Al-Qaeda and Daesh Monitoring Team and other UN agencies.

It remains vital that this continues, especially in the area of capacity-building, so that resources are deployed effectively and where they can have the greatest impact.

Mr President, as the terrorist threat endures and evolves, so too must our resolve to fight it remain firm.

The Security Council’s counter-terrorism architecture has been an integral part of that fight over the last twenty years, and the United Kingdom will work to ensure it remains relevant, efficient and effective in the years ahead.

Thank you.