HM Government

This new guidance is primarily aimed at those with a responsibility for security at crowded places and those who own or run businesses, organisations, amenities or utilities. Some of the terminology may be unfamiliar to some readers. However, we hope the advice can also be of use to anyone who wishes to improve their own security.

The new Crowded Places guidance for the UK has been written by NaCTSO with the support of The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and over 100 subject matter and academic experts. It covers the key areas of protective security including physical, personnel, personal and cyber. It provides guidance on how different sectors can act to help make their business, institutions or organisations safer. Its purpose to support those who are charged with security at crowded places mitigate the threat and help make the UK less vulnerable to an attack. The guidance is interactive and designed to assist crowded place sectors assess the risk and build a security plan to help mitigate that risk and recover more quickly should there be a terrorist attack.

As the terrorist threat evolves the guidance has been designed to be a living document taking the best advice from some of the UKs leading experts and organisations. There are many links within the guidance directing you to websites providing support in your planning.

The foundation for the ability to manage during a crisis lies in the preparations we make. It is important that we all recognise the risks, develop security plans, train our staff, carry out rehearsal exercises and understand our roles and responsibilities. Leadership will come from all levels within an organisation during an incident but must come from the top to change the security culture.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi said:

Terrorist attacks are rare in the UK, but recent events have shown that an attack could happen anywhere and without warning. Those locations either public or private where large groups of people gather, for reasons such as entertainment, business, transportation, sporting or social occasions, have always been preferential targets for terrorists. Terrorism has evolved in recent times, with many conflicts overseas influencing terrorist acts in the UK. Social media in particular is being manipulated to incite, inspire and enable groups and individuals to target these crowded places.

The UK Threat level from International Terrorism is ‘SEVERE’, which means that an attack is highly likely. Such an attack can come in many forms, not just a physical but it can include interference with vital information or communication systems, causing disruption and economic damage. Against this background there is a need to make our crowded places as accessible as possible and to minimise the threat. However there is a balance to be achieved where we must all take responsibility for security to mitigate the threat and impact of terrorism.

This new and updated guidance is intended to give protective security advice to those responsible for managing the security of crowded places. Every location is different and I would urge those of you who hold this responsibility to review your security using the information in this guidance to reassure yourselves around your Security Plan.

Guidance within this booklet is intended to not only make the UK more resilient to a terrorist attack but also to support our fight against other crimes. If you have any information about suspicious behaviour or activity you can report it in confidence, either by calling the police or making an online report. Thank you once again for the contributions that I know you are making already.

You play a key role in preventing and protecting communities against terrorism.

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Thank you Mr President.

I would like to thank the Presidents of the Tribunal and the Mechanism and the Prosecutor for their reports and their presentations. And, at the outset, let me reiterate the UK’s continued support for the ICTY and the Mechanism, and for all that they do to end impunity for the most serious international crimes.

Mr President,

As the ICTY progresses through its final year, the international community as a whole must continue to support the Tribunal so that it leaves behind a continuing and enduring legacy.

Completion of its judicial work remains the priority. We welcome that the Tribunal remains on track to deliver its final judgments in the cases of Mladic and Prlic et al before the end of the year. Let me commend the work of the judges and staff, as well as the Tribunal’s efficiency measures, such as the Prosecutor’s “one office” policy, which have made this possible. We are also pleased that the transfer of residual functions from the ICTY to the Mechanism remains on track.

We are, however, very much aware of the challenges that the ICTY faces. We share the Tribunal’s concern over continued staff attrition and we welcome measures taken to address this. We hope staff will feel able to see their work through to the finish.

Mr President,

The UK is very concerned that – over two years on – the arrest warrants for the three individuals in the Jojic et al contempt case have still not been executed. We strongly urge Serbia to cooperate fully with the ICTY in all respects, including complying with its international obligations in this matter. Failure to do so risks undermining central principles of international justice and the rule of law by allowing those suspected of interfering with witnesses to avoid accountability.

It is essential that the ICTY’s vast experience and lessons learned are not lost – its legacy must reflect its achievements and make a lasting contribution to regional peace and stability. We are therefore pleased to note its forward-looking approach to maximising digital outreach and transforming the ICTY’s website into a permanent repository for the Tribunal’s digital legacy.

The legacy of the ICTY should be a clear and resounding message to those who commit these crimes; you cannot escape justice. Whether it takes two years or twenty, history will eventually catch up with you.

Mr President,

With regard to the Mechanism, the Mechanism has entered an important phase, shortly commencing a retrial in Stanisic and Simatovic and undertaking complex appeals in Karadzic and Seselj. We look forward to the Mechanism’s continuous, expeditious and efficient treatment of these cases, and to receiving updates as they progress.

We remain concerned that the situation of Judge Akay has not yet been resolved, and by consequent ongoing delays in the Ngirabatware case. We hope that a pragmatic resolution can be found as quickly as possible.

We fully support co-ordination between the Prosecutor’s Office, national enforcement agencies and Interpol in regards to apprehending the eight remaining fugitives, and we welcome the Prosecutor’s initiatives to improve tracking activities. We hope they can be brought to justice soon, and we urge all States to cooperate to this end.

We also welcome the relocation of two further acquitted and released persons from Arusha and support the Mechanism in its ongoing work in this respect, recognising the challenges.

Mr President,

In addition to the work of the Mechanism and the ICTY, there can be no doubt that effective national prosecutions are vital in achieving justice for the victims of atrocities and holding perpetrators to account for their crimes.

So we are troubled by the Prosecutor’s report for the ICTY that regional judicial cooperation is moving in the wrong direction. It is imperative that all States work together to achieve justice. We strongly urge all relevant authorities to initiate discussions immediately to remove any barriers to investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. And we call on regional States to work with the Office of the Prosecutor in order to develop practical proposals to improve the situation as soon as possible. Individuals suspected of war crimes cannot continue to be shielded from justice simply by virtue of their location.

We are also deeply disturbed by the Prosecutor’s reports, both for the ICTY and the Mechanism, of denial of crimes – in particular genocide – and revisionism. If such crimes are to be prevented in future, it is essential to accept the ICTY and Mechanism’s findings and rulings on the tragic events of the not-so-distant past.

Thank you Mr President.

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Thank you Mr President.

At the outset let me thank Council members for your words of condolence and support here and elsewhere following the horrific attack in London this weekend. The perpetrators sought to terrorise us, to divide us. But make no mistake, they will fail. Together, we will defeat them, and we will need Security Council unity and activism against this terrible scourge.

Turning to this afternoon’s session, I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing and I want to join others in paying tribute to you, your Excellency President Morales, for your leadership in bringing this crucial issue of transboundary water security to the Security Council.

It is an issue, which we used not to discuss in this Chamber, but I think it’s one that warrants our fullest attention. The stakes are high; over three quarters of UN Member States share river basins with another country and over 2 billion people live in shared river basins in the developing world.

Sadly, we know what can happen when the water runs dry. In Somalia, drought is driving the acute food shortage that threatens to tip over once again in to famine. One powerful lesson from the last famine in Somalia six years ago was that famine is not simply about food, but also about water. In north-eastern Nigeria, lack of water is exacerbating the man made crisis, as we saw for ourselves when we visited in March. Thousands of displaced people, the majority of whom are women and children, have become sick from diseases spread by dirty water and poor hygiene as the conflict continues.

We have to act – and we have agreed to act. Through the Global Goals, we all committed to deliver improved water security, improved access to drinking water and sanitation, and stronger transboundary water management.

And yet, the outlook for 2030 is fragile. We are simply not on track. The UN estimates that by the time we’re supposed to have achieved Global Goal 6, demand for water in many developing countries will outstrip supply by 40%. If such scarcity is combined with weak governance, population growth, migration and climate change, we may face a potential upsurge in global conflict in the future.

This, therefore, is a clear call for preventative diplomacy, as so many of my colleagues have already said –all of us in this room have a part to play, Mr President.

In South Asia, for example, the United Kingdom has provided 30 million dollars towards water governance over the past five years. One billion people across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan rely heavily on just three rivers. And despite facing similar problems posed by water demand and climate change, regional collaboration between these countries is limited.

That’s why we have supported a regional approach to these rivers in order to address the shared challenges of development and climate change. We’re working with the World Bank’s South Asia Water Initiative, bringing together different disciplines and experiences –technical and political – across the region so that together we can identify and resolve challenges affecting these transboundary waters.

But to tackle this problem on a global scale, we’ll need more than bilateral or regional action. We’ll need to work together, through this institution and others. Holding this briefing is an important step, but this effort needs to be sustained; we cannot solve it through one meeting a year.

The G20 also has a role to play, including through incentivising water cooperation. This isn’t just an issue for the developing world; the OECD and Global Water Partnership estimate that water insecurity costs the global economy 500 billion dollars every year, and yet we fall a long way short of meeting the 198 billion dollars of global investment that is needed every year for water governance and infrastructure.

So we need to see investment in the institutions and infrastructure to deliver improved water security within states and between states. Building effective institutions and delivering better governance is just as critical as building infrastructure. The G20 can play a critical role through diplomatic efforts, development cooperation, and harnessing the potential of the private sector, governments and communities to mobilise investment in water security.

Finally, Mr President, if we’re to make progress on this issue before 2030, we need to see the bigger picture. Across the world, climate change is undermining water security. In almost all climate change scenarios the world’s driest regions become drier and across the globe flooding will become more common. If we aren’t taking steps to address climate change, we are fighting with one hand tied behind our back.

The Paris Agreement provides the right global framework for protecting the prosperity and security of future generations, while keeping energy affordable and secure for our citizens and businesses. The United Kingdom played a major role in securing the Paris Agreement and I’m proud to restate in this Chamber today that we are wholly committed to it.

Thank you Mr President.

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