UN General Assembly: Foreign Secretary says global action will help drive UK government priorities

• Yvette Cooper calls for action on security, migration, climate, economic growth and development at her first UN General Assembly meeting as Foreign Secretary 
• Drivers of migration must be tackled by conflict prevention, ensuring the international refugee system can meet the challenges of the 21st century, and supporting refugees to stay close to their home countries. 
• UK will also seek urgent progress towards peace in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, in concert with partners around the world.   

The UK delegation will arrive at the 80th high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York today (Monday 22nd September) aiming to drive forward diplomatic resolutions to the ongoing crises in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and advance British priorities in areas including security, climate change and growth.    

The Foreign Secretary's UNGA agenda also reflects the personal priorities she has set out in her new role, including tackling the root causes of illegal migration, pursuing the international networks behind people-trafficking and other trans-national organised crime, and putting violence against women and girls back on the global agenda. 

Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:  

“At this moment of intense global instability and conflict, UK diplomacy and leadership has never been more important. Innocent civilians are suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. Countries worldwide are dealing with high levels of migration including displaced and trafficked people. And climate change is not just a future threat to our survival, but a source of chaos and suffering across every continent today. 

“This week at the UN General Assembly we will be pursuing progress across all those challenges, in particular by strengthening the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East, and our coalition against Russian aggression in Ukraine. And I am personally determined to build support for unified action on two crises that too many countries are dealing with in isolation: the scourge of organised immigration crime; and the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.  

“We cannot only face the effects of global challenges when they arrive on our doorstep. As Foreign Secretary, I know that it's only by being a proactive partner for progress and peace abroad that we will achieve security and prosperity at home. From security to economic development, global action at the UN will make a direct contribution to the priorities we are delivering in the UK.” 

At the UN Security Council, which will be attended by President Zelenskyy, the Foreign Secretary will make clear that Ukraine's security is our security, and that Putin's reckless and barbaric violation of the UN Charter will not go unchallenged. She will call on Russia to end its increasingly indiscriminate attacks on the Ukrainian people and to engage meaningfully in a serious search for peace. She will also reaffirm that UK support for Ukraine is stronger than ever, and we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in pursuit of a just and lasting peace.  

Following the UK's historic decision to recognise the State of Palestine alongside key allies including Australia and Canada, the Foreign Secretary will use the UN General Assembly to build international consensus on a comprehensive framework for peace in the Middle East. In a series of bilateral meetings at the UN, the Foreign Secretary will work with international partners to advance critical elements of this framework, including transitional governance, and security arrangements to ensure violent terrorists like Hamas have no role to play in the future of a Palestinian state.

This is how the UK will help build the foundations of a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state that can contribute to lasting regional stability and supports the security of both Israel and Palestine. 

The UK's approach is focused on the importance of getting desperately needed aid into Gaza and also supports essential democratic reforms, and builds on landmark commitments secured from the Palestinian Authority to implement crucial governance improvements, including holding elections within a year of a ceasefire based on electoral laws that require all participants to renounce violence. 

The Foreign Secretary has also made it one of the UK's key summit priorities to promote international engagement on the drivers of mass migration and the fight against people-trafficking. In meetings with the G20 and the G7, as well as at the IOM's ‘Migration at a Crossroads' event, the Foreign Secretary will outline the challenges facing democracies from major shifts in illegal and irregular migration – and the need for Foreign Ministers to prioritise migration in their portfolios. She will highlight the need for novel approaches to asylum and resettlement, and the importance of modernising the international approaches to refugee support.  

She will also highlight the need to take directed action in regions to support source countries linked to high levels of migration. At the Sudan Ministerial Conference, the Foreign Secretary will push for greater momentum behind peace efforts in Sudan and will bolster efforts to help those fleeing horrific violence in the region, including the investment of £36 million to support Sudanese refugees in Eastern Chad. Not only will this aid help those living through the world's biggest humanitarian crisis, but it will help people to stay within their immediate region, meaning that they are better able to return when conditions allow. 

UK growth and investment will be bolstered by the UK ministerial team at UNGA, who will position the UK as the premier destination for global investment, from clean energy to financial services and advanced manufacturing. Meetings with key partners will strengthen the UK economy through meaningful partnerships that leverage emerging technology to address shared global challenges, create jobs, boost productivity, and improve living standards for families and communities across Britain.   

With Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in attendance, the UK is also expected to launch a new approach to tackling the nature and climate crisis at UNGA. This will accelerate cooperation with the private sector to deliver green growth domestically, while protecting future generations from climate breakdown. Funding will include international climate finance from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget and direct UK investments in climate and nature. The new approach will also make it easier for the UK finance sector to invest in solutions to the climate crisis. Ranked the world's top sustainable finance centre, the City of London is uniquely positioned to do this.  

Alongside the Foreign Secretary and Energy Secretary, the UK's delegation at UNGA will be led by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who will deliver the UK's address to the General Assembly on behalf of Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. 

Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, said:  

“It's a privilege to lead the UK delegation at this year's UN General Assembly, working with world leaders on the defining challenges of our time. 

“In an era of century defining wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, we reaffirm our commitment to the United Nations and the values of its Charter, set down 80 years ago.  

“At the same time, a new technological frontier is upon us. The use of artificial intelligence is growing exponentially, and the UN must help ensure it serves humanity and freedom.  

“This week, my focus will be on two priorities: ending conflict and shaping AI for the common good — the values and the future the United Nations was built to uphold.”

As one of the longest-standing and most active supporters of the UN Peacebuilding Fund, the UK will use UNGA to pledge further support to help reduce instability, support inclusive peace processes and tackle conflict drivers of irregular migration in contexts like South Sudan, the Sahel, and the DRC. This includes investment in the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, supporting Somalia in its fight against terrorist organisations such as Al-Shabaab. UK action in Somalia will help tackle drivers of illegal immigration and deliver humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable. The UK is also announcing further support to UNICEF to help strengthen UN monitoring and reporting in conflict zones, including tackling impunity for perpetrators committing grave violations against children.   

As the UN turns eighty, the UK ministerial delegation will rally support for the UN Secretary General's UN80 reform initiative, strengthening the UN and ensuring it can continue to deliver its' vital functions for the next eighty years. 

Minister for Development, Baroness Chapman, said:   

“The UN turns 80 at a time of immense global instability, as the world faces a growing climate crisis and multiple humanitarian emergencies. These challenges demand a new approach.  

“The UN has done more than any other international organisation to lift people out of poverty, eliminate diseases and uphold human rights - helping deliver peace and security for us all. But it is in need of reform. The UK is backing efforts to help the UN change – and have an even greater impact – so it can continue to deliver for those who need it most.”  

Notes to Editors:  

• The UK delegation at UNGA is: