Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had on human rights in Mexico with President Peña Nieto during his visit to London in March 2015.
Answered by Lord Swire
The UK and Mexico share an excellent – and rapidly developing – bilateral relationship, which has been further strengthened by the State Visit of President Enrique Peña Nieto. As the Joint Declaration, signed on 4 march by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and the Mexican Foreign Minister makes clear, finding ways to work together to improve the lives of people in both countries and to build respect for human rights is central to our bilateral relationship. During their meeting on Wednesday, the Prime Minister and President Pena Nieto discussed a wide range of issues, including on human rights and rule of law. They also agreed on the importance of accountability, transparency and open government. The President also held discussions with both the Deputy Prime Minster and the Leader of the Opposition.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise the issue of human rights in Mexico at the current session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Answered by Lord Swire
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) to the House on 3 March, Official Report, column 803, in which he said "We have a strong relationship with Mexico. We use that to seek improvements to Mexico’s human rights record and to give Mexico practical help in trying to improve its judicial and police systems in particular".
UK priorities at the current session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva are: the renewal of UN mandates on Syria, Burma and Iran; increasing international attention on Libya, Ukraine and DPRK; responding to UN reports on Gaza and ISIL activity in Iraq; and thematic resolutions on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Combating Religious Intolerance and Privacy.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support cultural exchanges between artists and educators in the UK and their counterparts in Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The British Council maintains a full-time office in Gaza, with a staff of three who are involved in supporting UK – Gaza interaction in the fields of culture and education. Access restrictions together with our current travel advice warning against travel to Gaza, makes this work hard. However, despite these difficulties, our ongoing commitment has recently yielded various training events for Gazan educators in the West Bank, and Gazan delegates attending the 2014 British Council regional workshop, on “Cultural Leadership and Innovation”, in Beruit.Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions the UK Ambassador to Ethiopia has been afforded a consular visit to Mr Andargachew Tsige; and when it is intended that the next such visit will take place.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Our Ambassador in Ethiopia has been granted consular access to Mr Andargachew Tsege on two occasions and Ministers have repeatedly raised this consular case with the Ethiopian Government. The UK government’s aim is to have regular and private consular access to Mr Tsege. This has not been forthcoming despite repeated requests. We will continue to urge the Government of Ethiopia to allow this, along with a guarantee that legal due process will be followed and confirmation that the death penalty imposed on him in absentia will not be carried out.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on (a) the adoption of a new global army plan and defence strategy, (b) other reforms in the security sector and (c) legislation creating specialised mixed chambers.
Answered by Lord Swire
Efforts to stabilise the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) require a reformed army, police and justice sector that can provide effective security across the whole country and an end to the culture of impunity. It is crucial that the security sector operates under democratic control and follows the rule of law, and it and the justice system are responsive to the needs of the Congolese people. We are committed to engaging closely with the new Government of National Unity appointed by President Kabila in December 2014 on national reforms. The DRC made a commitment to deepen security sector reform as part of the regional agreement, the Peace, Stability and Cooperation Framework, signed in Addis Ababa in 2013. Senior officials at the British Embassy in Kinshasa regularly meet with DRC Government Ministers and officials to encourage further steps to implement the reforms necessary for a more effective, accountable and responsive security sector with greater number of perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses brought to justice.Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Democratic Republic of Congo on the arrest and incommunicado detention of 12 activists after protests in January 2015 against revision of the electoral law.
Answered by Lord Swire
During the recent period of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa were in regular contact with the DRC authorities, and urged all parties to exercise calm and restraint. Officials also highlighted the importance of allowing those who wished to protest peacefully against the proposed electoral reform bill to be allowed to do so. This was echoed in an Foreign and Commonwealth Office statement https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fco-expresses-concern-over-violence-in-drc issued on 19 January.
On 25 January a revised electoral law was passed, and on 26 January an FCO statement https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-welcomes-new-electoral-law-and-cessation-of-violence-in-drc welcomed the revised electoral law, which sought to address some of the protestors’ concerns. We are pleased that calls for an end to violence were heeded but are concerned that - according to UN reports – as many as 300 people remain in detention following the demonstrations, including some who have not had access to a lawyer. Of those currently being held, the UN estimates that at least 11 are believed to be in ‘incommunicado’ detention, including Christopher Ngoyi.
Officials continue to raise the ongoing detention of protestors at the highest level. On 11 February, EU Head of Mission in Kinshasa issued a joint statement expressing concern at arrests and arbitrary detention of political activists by the security services. Those imprisoned for peacefully exercising their right to free speech must be released without delay.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with the government of Ethiopia the possible return of Mr Tsige to its jurisdiction since 2004.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
It is longstanding policy and practice to neither confirm nor deny whether an extradition request has been made or received, nor whether discussions have taken place. We continue to press the Ethiopian authorities for regular consular access.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the start of the military operations against the Democratic Republic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and the planned closures of internally-displaced persons camps in North Kivu province on the humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answered by Lord Swire
On 30 January the government of the DRC announced that military action had begun against the FDLR, but it is our assessment that comprehensive operations are yet to fully commence. Officials at the British Embassy in Kinshasa have reiterated to the government of the DRC that international expectations remain high: the threat posed by the FDLR to civilians and to the security and stability of the region must be tackled.
We are also clear that the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) must ensure efforts to minimise the impact on civilians remain forefront in planning for military operations against armed groups. We are working closely with the humanitarian community and MONUSCO to this end. This includes liaising with, and providing financial support for, organisations working up contingency plans for any potential humanitarian impact.
We are also actively engaged with humanitarian organisations and the DRC government to ensure that any approach to the IDP camps around Goma complies with humanitarian law and the Kampala Convention.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the planned closures of the internally-displaced persons camps in North Kivu province and the start of military operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Swire
On 30 January the government of the DRC announced that military action had begun against the FDLR, but it is our assessment that comprehensive operations are yet to fully commence. Officials at the British Embassy in Kinshasa have reiterated to the government of the DRC that international expectations remain high: the threat posed by the FDLR to civilians and to the security and stability of the region must be tackled. We are also clear that the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) must ensure efforts to minimise the impact on civilians remain forefront in planning for military operations against armed groups. We are working closely with the humanitarian community and MONUSCO to this end. This includes liaising with, and providing financial support for, organisations working up contingency plans for any potential humanitarian impact. We are also actively engaged with humanitarian organisations and the DRC government to ensure that any approach to the IDP camps around Goma complies with humanitarian law and the Kampala Convention.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Bahrain on recent decisions to deprive people in that country of their nationality without due process; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The British Ambassador to Bahrain has raised the revocation of citizenship of 72 Bahraini nationals at Ministerial level with the Government of Bahrain on 4 February. All of the individuals affected have the right to appeal. The British Embassy in Bahrain will continue to follow these cases closely.