Joint statement by the heads of state and government of France, Germany and the United Kingdom

We, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, recall our shared common security interests, in particular upholding the global non-proliferation regime and preserving stability in the Middle East.

We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks on oil facilities on Saudi territory on September 14th, 2019 in Abqaiq and Khurais, and reaffirm in this context our full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its population.

It is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation. We support ongoing investigations to establish further details.

These attacks may have been against Saudi Arabia but they concern all countries and increase the risk of a major conflict. They underline the importance of making collective efforts towards regional stability and security, including finding a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Yemen. The attacks also highlight the necessity of de-escalation in the region through sustained diplomatic efforts and engagement with all parties.

In this regard, we recall our continued commitment to the JCPoA, agreed with Iran on July 14th, 2015 and unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council. We urge Iran once again to reverse its decisions to reduce compliance with the deal and to adhere fully to its commitments under it. We call upon Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA in the framework of the JCPoA and its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.

Conscious of the importance of collective efforts to guarantee regional stability and security, we reiterate our conviction that the time has come for Iran to accept negotiation on a long-term framework for its nuclear programme as well as on issues related to regional security, including its missiles programme and other means of delivery.

We are committed to continuing our diplomatic efforts to create conditions and facilitate dialogue with all relevant partners interested in de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, in the interest of preserving international peace and security, building upon our joint declaration on July 14th, 2019 and G7 conclusions adopted in Biarritz. We urge Iran to engage in such a dialogue and refrain from further provocation and escalation.

Published 23 September 2019
Last updated 24 September 2019 + show all updates

24 September 2019 Added translation
24 September 2019 Added translation
23 September 2019 First published.

Healthcare for everyone must prioritise women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, says UK at UN General Assembly

The International Development Secretary, Alok Sharma, has announced new funding that will provide millions more women and girls with access to family planning – a sign of the UK’s commitment to women and girls’ rights around the world.

There are women in the developing world who are unable to exercise their rights over their body because they can’t access contraception. Speaking at an event at the United Nations General Assembly, Alok Sharma said the world cannot achieve universal health coverage without prioritising universal sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) access for women and girls.

With this programme and other ongoing DFID-funded family planning programmes, such as WISH, UK aid is collectively going beyond the ambition set out at the 2017 Family Planning Summit of reaching 20 million women a year.

The programme announced today will provide £600 million over 2020-2025 and will buy family planning supplies for millions more women and girls in the world’s poorest countries each year. This includes those affected by humanitarian crises, such as Syria, Yemen and Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh – helping to fulfil that unmet need and save the lives of tens of thousands of women. It will also give them access to life-saving medicines in hospitals, which can help prevent death in childbirth.

The new funding represents a significant uplift in the UK’s already world-leading support for family planning and will transform access to it.

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma said:

The UK has been at the forefront of global efforts to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls living in the world’s poorest countries.

Between April 2018 and March 2019 alone, UK aid reached at least 23.5 million women and girls. But there are still millions more who are being denied their rights to decide what is right for them.

This UK aid will help give millions of women and girls control over their bodies, so they can choose if, when and how many children they want. That is a basic right that every woman and girl deserves.

Over the next five years, this new UK aid support (£600 million from 2020-2025) will:

give over 20 million women and girls access to family planning per year. This is 5 million more women per year than the UK’s previous reproductive health supplies programme
prevent more than 5 million unintended pregnancies per year
prevent at least 1.5 million potentially-fatal unsafe abortions per year
save an estimated 9,000 women’s lives per year from complications in pregnancy or childbirth.

Notes to editors

This package includes a renewed investment in UNFPA Supplies, which operates in 46 countries, representing those with the highest rates of maternal mortality and lowest rates of modern contraceptive use.

The UK has been at the forefront of global efforts to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and girls living in the world’s poorest countries.

From 2013-2020, the UK invested £356 million in a reproductive health supplies programme, which provided family planning for 15 million couples a year.
In 2018, the UK announced our flagship comprehensive SRHR programme – Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) – will ensure six million couples can reliably gain access to life-saving voluntary contraception and the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care in 24 countries in Africa and 3 countries in Asia, every year of the programme.

Since 2012, millions more women and girls have access to modern contraception, in large part thanks to the work of UK aid. Between April 2018 and March 2019 alone, UK aid reached at least 23.5 million women and girls, preventing millions of unsafe abortions and saving thousands of women’s lives.

Every day at least 20,000 adolescent girls become pregnant. There are at least 38 million adolescent girls in developing countries who are sexually active but want to avoid or delay pregnancy, only 15 million of whom are using modern contraception. Providing adolescent girls with access to the contraceptive choices they want would prevent 6 million unintended pregnancies and 1.9 million unsafe abortions, saving 6,000 maternal lives each year.

Family planning is one of the best investments in development. According to the Copenhagen Consensus, family planning is among the most cost-effective interventions – long-term benefits accrue from avoiding unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and averting infant and maternal deaths. Every $1 invested in meeting the unmet need for contraceptives in the long-term can yield up to $120 in accrued annual benefits.

PM meeting with PM Michel of Belgium: 23 September 2019

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Michel of Belgium had a 30 minute tete-a-tete at the UN General Assembly today.

They discussed Brexit and the Prime Minister underlined his determination to find a deal and to leave the EU on 31 October.

They also discussed foreign policy issues including Iran and the importance of deescalation in the region.

Published 23 September 2019

PM meeting with PM Ardern of New Zealand: 23 September 2019

The Prime Minister met Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today at the UN General Assembly.

They discussed Brexit and underlined their shared commitment to agree an ambitious free trade deal after the UK leaves the EU.

They also spoke about the close bilateral relationship between our countries and the importance of our intelligence-sharing cooperation through Five Eyes.

They discussed Iran’s destabilising activity in the region and the need for dialogue and deescalation, and agreed on the importance of international cooperation to protect shipping in the Gulf.

Prime Minister Ardern thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s support on the Christchurch Call to tackle terrorist use of the internet and they welcomed the progress being made in formalising the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

Published 23 September 2019

PM meeting with PM Khan of Pakistan: 23 September 2019

The Prime Minister met Prime Minister Khan of Pakistan today at the UN General Assembly in New York.

They discussed the strong bilateral relations between the UK and Pakistan, and the upcoming visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The leaders spoke about regional issues, including tensions with Iran and peace efforts in Afghanistan. They also discussed Kashmir and Prime Minister Khan underlined his concerns about the current situation.

Published 23 September 2019