Latest news with #GlobalJusticeNow
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
UK Government response to Israel 'gravely inadequate', 15 human rights groups say
Global Justice Now, Amnesty International, Christian Aid and Muslim Aid are among the organisations that have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, criticising the UK Government's response to Israel's attacks on Gaza and the blockade of humanitarian aid. Last week, the Labour Government announced it had suspended talks over a new trade deal with Israel and placed sanctions on three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organisations supporting violence against the Palestinian community. The UK Government also announced it would review its 2030 Road Map for bilateral relations with Israel. READ MORE: Why the UK media 180 on Gaza is too little, too late However, it was revealed that the UK Government sent a spy plane to surveil Gaza just hours after Lammy announced that Labour had ended talks towards a free trade deal with the country. The organisations behind the letter also argue that the UK Government's 'actions' do not 'materially deter Israel's atrocities in Gaza or address the state-sanctioned structural drivers of settlement activity'. Those who have signed the letter have called for the UK to urgently enact the following 'concrete actions to save lives and prevent further atrocities', including: A suspension of all arms transfers to Israel. While the UK Government has suspended some arms licenses to Israel which it says could be used in Gaza, the vast majority remain in place. Suspension of the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement (TPA). The text of the UK-Israel TPA, which provides privileged trade terms between the two countries, identifies 'respect for human rights and democratic principles' as an 'essential element' of the agreement. On May 21, the European Union, whose agreement with Israel contains an identical human rights clause, announced it would review its own trade agreement with Israel on this basis, and the signatories argue the UK must follow suit. Suspending the agreement would halt the privileged trade terms established by the TPA, with trade between the countries then conducted via WTO rules. A ban on trade and investment in Israel's illegal settlements. While the UK Government's position is not to encourage trade with or investment in Israel's illegal settlements on the West Bank, it has so far refused to ban such economic relations. The letter adds that 'these measures should be conditional not only on an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza, but on Israel's full compliance with international law across the occupied Palestinian territory'. It comes as the Israeli military continues its ground assault in northern and southern Gaza, and amid warnings from the UN human rights chief that Israel's bombing and forced displacement of Palestinians amounts to ethnic cleansing. Tim Bierley, campaigner at Global Justice Now, said actions speak louder than words and for as long as the UK Government keeps trading with Israel, it is complicit in the country's actions. He said: 'For all its rhetoric, the UK's response to Israel's latest escalations and deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza amounts to little more than a performative slap on the wrist. 'Actions speak louder than words, and as long as the UK continues to arm Israel and trade with it as normal, our government is deeply complicit in Israel's actions. The UK must enact a full arms embargo and apply real economic pressure until Israel complies fully with international law.' Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK's crisis response manager, has called on the UK Government to use 'all' the diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure that international law is central to all agreements made with Israel. He said: 'The UK Government is still failing to challenge the root causes of this decades-long crisis and ongoing genocide, namely Israel's system of apartheid, the illegal occupation and a toxic climate of impunity. 'Now is the time for the UK Government to use all economic, political and diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure that international law is central to all bilateral and multilateral agreements with Israel so these do not contribute to genocide or other crimes under international law.' Charles Lawley, director of communications and advocacy at Action For Humanity, added that the solution for Starmer's government is clear: end all arms transfers and suspend all trade ties with Israel. He said: 'The UK's latest measures do nothing to ease the suffering in Gaza and offer only the illusion of action while lives are lost. This pattern of half measures is not new, but it must end. "In the face of famine and mass bombardment, symbolic gestures are not just inadequate; they are a betrayal of the UK's legal and moral obligations. 'The solutions are clear: end arms transfers to Israel and suspend all trade tied to the occupation. The Government's refusal to act decisively, despite knowing what's required, is a wilful evasion of responsibility – one that signals an awareness of complicity in atrocity.' A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: 'We stand firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, its inadequate plan for aid delivery, and we continue to demand that a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza takes place immediately. 'If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.'
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
UK urged not to exploit poor countries in rush for critical minerals
The risk of neocolonial exploitation in the global rush for critical minerals must be addressed by the government as it formulates its official supply chain strategy, say civil society campaigners. They have said the scrabble for access is being greenwashed as wealthier economies around the world attempt to line up a host of minerals that are essential to the manufacture of hi-tech products, including cobalt, lithium and nickel. While the importance of such minerals to the green transition is often touted, with many crucial to the manufacture of turbines, solar panels and other low carbon energy sources, campaigners point out that much of the demand comes from the arms and consumer tech industries. 'To have a chance at success, the green transition cannot be built on the exploitation of poorer countries by unaccountable corporations,' said Cleodie Rickard, the policy manager at Global Justice Now. 'That's why the UK government must seize the opportunity to set out a new approach in its upcoming critical minerals strategy. That starts with delineating which minerals are really critical for what end, and prioritising those needed for public goods of a green future – not the likes of arms companies' profits.' By 2040, the world is expected to need four times as many critical minerals as it does today, and while the US deal with Ukraine for access to its mineral wealth has hit the headlines, deals have also been struck more quietly around the world, away from public attention. The UK government has already signed non-binding agreements with Saudi Arabia, Australia, Kazakhstan and Zambia in an effort to corner their mineral resources, and is this year poised to publish a 10-year critical minerals strategy to support the 'industries of tomorrow'. But in a joint briefing released on Thursday, 17 organisations, including the Trade Justice Movement, Global Justice Now, Corporate Justice Coalition and Friends of the Earth say that without safeguards, the UK and other powerful nations risk perpetuating a system of neocolonial exploitation that 'sacrifices justice for the sake of convenience'. The increased levels of mining needed to extract minerals risks disrupting ecosystems and creating water scarcity, as well as workers' rights abuses, violation of Indigenous rights and occupational safety and health issues. The new strategy, they say, must clearly differentiate between minerals needed for the energy transition, and commit to limiting extraction and the principles of the circular economy. It must also ensure that bilateral agreements with producer countries respect core UN and International Labour Organization human rights and labour rights conventions, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Paris agreement on climate change. Tom Wills, the director of the Trade Justice Movement, said: 'The UK's approach to securing critical minerals must not repeat the mistakes of the past, where the drive for resource extraction left behind a trail of environmental degradation and human suffering. 'The UK has a responsibility to lead a sustainable and fair global transition to clean energy which prioritises both environmental protection and human rights. We cannot afford to perpetuate a system that sacrifices justice for the sake of convenience.' The Department for Business and Trade, which is responsible for the UK's critical minerals strategy, has been contacted for comment.
The Guardian
18-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump's second state visit to UK to be disrupted by ‘even bigger' protests
Donald Trump's second visit to the UK later this year will be disrupted by 'even bigger' protests than those that coincided with his state visit in his first term, campaigners have vowed. On Thursday Trump let slip that he expects to visit the UK in September, after Keir Starmer handed him a personal invitation from King Charles III during his visit to the White House in February. The Stop Trump coalition has predicted its protests will surpass demonstrations that coincided with Trump's state visit in 2019 when up to 250,000 took part in a 'carnival of resistance'. Zoe Gardner a spokesperson for the coalition said: 'This time it will be even bigger, uniting campaigners across a huge range of issues. We are confident that the disgust at Donald Trump is just as strong across the country.' Protesters plan to dust off a blimp of Trump dressed in a nappy, that was the focal point of previous anti-Trump protests, but also replace it with a larger version. Gardner said: 'The blimp will be there or something even bigger and better. The blimp itself still exists, but we are thinking we want to take the next step and do something even more exciting.' The coalition is hoping the London mayor will again grant permission for anti Trump blimps to fly over the capital. Gardner said: 'Last time Sadiq Khan gave us permission to fly it. He will probably do so again, but we will have to get various permission from the GLA and the police. It might be different from last time but we are confident that a lot of people will want to come out onto the streets and show their disgust.' The demonstrations will be a test for the police even with tougher laws available to crack down on protests and activism. Gardner said: 'We want it to be a defiant but joyful celebration of all the things that Trump hates, such as the rights of LGBTQ people, the rights of women, the rights of migrants and refugees, union power and workers rights. It will celebrate every marginalised group in society.' The demonstrators will also target the tech and business leaders that have backed Trump. Gardner said: 'If we had one strapline it would be 'Stop Trump and fight the oligarchy'. We are against empowering the super rich, including treating Gaza like real estate and chumming up to Putin and the tech billionaires who are looking to the UK for tax breaks.' Giant papier-mache models of the tech leaders that appeared at Trump's inauguration including Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk will make an appearance at the protests, Gardner said. As will a dancing troupe of chlorinated chickens to mock the UK's planned trade deal with the US. The coalition has the support of a number of campaigns including Global Justice Now, the US leftist group the Indivisibles Movement, as well as a groups backing Palestine and Ukraine. Starmer offered the UK visit as part of a charm offensive towards Trump aimed at trying to secure a favourable trade deal with the US. Gardner predicted that the protesters will vent their anger at Starmer as well as Trump. Gardner said: 'Starmer should be shamed by these demonstrations. The whole country has been embarrassed by his display of rolling over like a pathetic poodle to whatever Trump does. Starmer's approach of sucking up is not getting us anywhere. She added: 'We are looking for anyone who has a fun idea to come forward, because we really want to show Trump what we think of him.'
