Foreign Secretary: UK must step up its role as a good global citizen
Media freedom, security and international rule of law are on the agenda at the United Nations international summit in New York in September 2019.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will champion the UK’s role as a ‘good global citizen’ when he attends the UN General Assembly in New York this week.
He will join the Prime Minister and other Cabinet members at the international summit, which brings together world leaders from over 190 countries to discuss diplomatic relations and address burning foreign policy and security issues. He will use the event to reinforce the UK’s commitment to democracy, freedom, and the rules-based international system.
On Wednesday, the Foreign Secretary will host an event on media freedom where he will speak alongside international lawyer and UK Special Envoy Amal Clooney at an event announcing the first wave of at least 26 countries joining our new Media Freedom Coalition, founded by the UK and Canada.
He will confirm the opening of the Global Media Defence Fund, backed by £3 million of UK funding to train journalists, help keep them safe, and give them much needed legal assistance in dangerous environments – from the battlefields of Afghanistan to cartel violence in Mexico.
The UK will also host an event bringing together government representatives and legal experts to shine a spotlight on the international community’s concerns over Iran’s troubling human rights record. The Foreign Secretary will condemn the practice of detaining and mistreating dual nationals on spurious charges in a flagrant disregard for international law.
Ahead of his visit, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:
As we leave the EU, the UK will walk tall in the world and step up our commitment to being a good global citizen. Our message to the United Nations is that we will lead by example and work tirelessly to strengthen the rules-based international system - to tackle climate change, protect journalists from attack, and uphold freedom of navigation on the high seas.
The Foreign Secretary will also use the UN summit to hold a range of high level talks with key counterparts, including the US, France, and Saudi Arabia.
He will attend meetings to discuss the ongoing situation in Syria, and a working lunch of Foreign Ministers representing the 5 UN Security Council members to discuss security matters including North Korea, Afghanistan and Yemen.
Further information
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