Foreign Secretary to condemn Russian atrocities at UN in first overseas trip in his role

James Cleverly will travel to New York today (Tuesday 20 September) to attend United Nations General Assembly high-level meetings this week

the Foreign Secretary will use a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday to call out Russian atrocities

he is also due to hold meetings with his counterparts from the US, Ukraine and India, and attend a G7 foreign ministers’ dinner

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly begins his first overseas trip in his new role today (Tuesday) – arriving at the United Nations in New York for high-level talks as part of the 77th UN General Assembly (UNGA).

During his trip, alongside the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary will meet his global counterparts to take action on a series of global challenges, including Russia’s malign activity and building stability in the Middle East.

Ahead of arriving in New York, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

We live in an increasingly unstable, divided world. As Foreign Secretary, I will work to bring countries together to tackle aggression, overcome challenges and promote our democratic values. We will judge others on actions not words.

Every day the devastating consequences of Russia’s barbaric tactics become clearer. There must be no impunity for Putin’s hostility.

His main event of the week will be a special UN Security Council session on Thursday focusing on the situation in Ukraine and ensuring that Russia does not get away with its actions unpunished. The Foreign Secretary will give the UK’s intervention at the meeting, exposing Russian aggression and tactics as they seek to justify their illegal war.

Cleverly is due to have his first bilateral meeting in his new role with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later today (Tuesday).

He is also due to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Canada’s Melanie Joly tomorrow (Wednesday) and Australia’s Penny Wong on Thursday.

On arrival in New York, he is due to attend a global food security event hosted by the United States, European Union and African Union as 50 million people worldwide face being just one step away from famine.

Also this week, the Foreign Secretary will join partners, including fellow G7 foreign ministers, for an event on nuclear safety, as concerns around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine continue to grow.

Stability in the Middle East will be a recurring theme on the agenda in New York, with discussions set to take place on Yemen, Syria and the Gulf.

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.