Minister of State Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(): Today, HM
Government is publishing its first sanctions strategy.
The world is more complex and more dangerous. It is marked by
hostile states, terrorist organisations, cyber threats, criminal
gangs, and a whole range of challenges to our interests and
values.
Sanctions are an important tool we have to respond. In recent
years, the UK has built formidable sanctions capability and
transformed its use of sanctions as an instrument of foreign and
security policy. Working alongside our partners and allies, our
carefully deployed sanctions are tackling malign activity and
making a difference – from disrupting Russia’s war machine to
confronting human rights abuses and violations in Iran.
Our new sanctions strategy sets out our approach and priorities
since the passage of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act
2018. It covers our objectives; the responsible design and
targeting of sanctions; and how we collaborate across Government
and with international partners and the private sector to
maximise impact. It emphasises our renewed push to bear down on
efforts to get around our sanctions and the further investment
made in strengthening sanctions implementation and enforcement.
It underlines that the UK remains fully committed to working with
allies to pursue all lawful routes through which Russian assets
can be used to support Ukraine.
Sanctions remain a mainstay of our response to Russia’s illegal
invasion of Ukraine. We are publishing the strategy as we prepare
to mark two years on from that terrible and illegal step and as
we demonstrate further the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine.
This includes today’s announcement of a package of over 50
designations targeting the Russian military-industrial complex
and Russia’s major revenue-generating industries, including
energy and metals.
And following the tragic news of Alexei Navalny’s death, the
House will have seen our announcement of the targeted designation
of six individuals heading up the penal colony where Alexei
Navalny suffered such brutal mistreatment by the Russian
authorities.
Sadly our sanctions remain all too necessary in other parts of
the world. We have used sanctions in support of regional
stability in the Middle East and Red Sea by targeting Hamas
leaders and financiers, key Houthi figures involved in attacks on
shipping in the Red Sea and extremist settlers in the West Bank.
We have also used our sanctions this year to target malign cyber
actors, entities propping up the brutal Myanmar military regime
three years after the coup, and those undermining peace and
stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We will also be publishing a Post-Legislative Scrutiny Memorandum
for the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 in early
March. The Memorandum provides a summary and a preliminary
assessment of the provisions and implementation of the Act –
including the legislative amendments that have come before this
House to strengthen our approach.
I thank the House for the continued support and engagement to
ensure our sanctions are as effective as possible in advancing
global peace and security and protecting the UK.
