Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to Sudanese leaders concerning the safety of leaders of civilian movements in that country; in particular, Yasir Arman.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We are pursuing all diplomatic avenues to end the violence and de-escalate tensions. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Development and Africa are in regular touch working with international partners to engage all parties in Sudan. We have led calls with the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, regional groupings and the UN Security Council to discuss the situation and coordinate a response.
In a public statement by the Quad (KSA, UK, US, UAE) and the Trilateral Mechanism (AU, UN and Governmental Authority on Development) we have publicly welcomed the extension of the ceasefire by 72 hours. This initial stage of diplomacy, establishing a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities, will help ensure unimpeded humanitarian access.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to sanction officials of the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region who are responsible for enforcing the Hong Kong national security law against pro-democracy campaigners.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have made clear our strong objection to the National Security Law (NSL), which is being used to stifle opposition and criminalise dissent in Hong Kong. We have taken a number of measures in response to the situation in Hong Kong, including the bespoke immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)s), the suspension of the UK-Hong Kong extradition treaty and the extension of the arms embargo applied to China to Hong Kong. We keep all potential sanctions designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions measures as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Myanmar regarding the six-year prison sentence imposed on the former President of the Kachin Baptist Convention, Reverend Dr Hkalam Samson, on 7 April; and what steps they have taken in response to the sentence.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the arbitrary detention of politicians, civil society members and journalists by the military regime, including the former President of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), Reverend Dr Hkalam Samson. On 18 April, the UK Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief called for his immediate release and for the release of all those arbitrarily detained in Myanmar. On 21 December 2022 the UK coordinated a landmark UN Security Council Resolution which urged immediate action by the military regime to release all those in arbitrary detention.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China regarding the imprisonment of the British citizen Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary set out our views regarding developments in Hong Kong with State Councillor Wang Yi in February. We continue to use our channels with the Chinese Government to make clear to the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities our strong opposition to the National Security Law. The deliberate targeting of journalists and businessmen such as Mr Lai is unacceptable. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific met representatives of Mr. Lai's international legal team on 10 January and raised Mr Lai's case with Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, on 18 April. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong authorities. Diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong will continue to attend Mr Lai's court proceedings.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to request that the UN send a fact-finding mission (1) to determine, and (2) to report on, the detention conditions of Armenian Prisoners of War in Azerbaijan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government welcomed the most recent return of prisoners of war in November 2022 and return of remains of the deceased in December 2022. The Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty MP, continues to urge both parties to settle all outstanding matters related to the conflict, noting that diplomacy remains the only way to secure stability and peace in the region. He did so most recently during his visit to Baku on 22 February and during a call on 18 January to Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan. The UK Government continues to urge both parties to use existing channels, including talks facilitated by the EU and US, to settle all outstanding matters including the returns of prisoners of war and remains of the deceased and as such has no plans to request a United Nations fact-finding mission at this time.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they plan to make, if any, to the government of Azerbaijan for the immediate release of all Armenian Prisoners of War.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government welcomed the most recent return of prisoners of war in November 2022 and return of remains of the deceased in December 2022. The Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty MP, continues to urge both parties to settle all outstanding matters related to the conflict, noting that diplomacy remains the only way to secure stability and peace in the region. He did so most recently during his visit to Baku on 22 February and during a call on 18 January to Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan. The UK Government continues to urge both parties to use existing channels, including talks facilitated by the EU and US, to settle all outstanding matters including the returns of prisoners of war and remains of the deceased and as such has no plans to request a United Nations fact-finding mission at this time.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reported violations of human rights in Azerbaijan recorded by Amnesty International and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), what plans they have, if any, to introduce more comprehensive sanctions on Azerbaijan than the 1992 OSCE arms embargo, refined in 2014.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government will not speculate on future sanctions designations. During his recent visit to Baku on 22 February the Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty MP, raised concerns over human rights in Azerbaijan with Foreign Minister Bayramov. This followed previous engagements by the UK's Ambassador to Baku and diplomats in London. The UK Government will continue to raise allegations of human rights violations directly with the Government of Azerbaijan.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to work with international partners to arrange the deployment of UN Peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
If an independent mission was requested by the parties to the conflict and welcomed by them, and would contribute to a peaceful solution and resolution of all outstanding matters between them, then the UK would, in principle, support it.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with government of Azerbaijan about opening of Lachin Corridor in both directions, further to the International Court of Justice’s Order of provisional measures on the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; and what assurances they have received from the government of that country on the matter.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has noted the International Court of Justice's judgments, and continues to call for immediate action to re-open the Lachin Corridor and restore the flow of goods and people into Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on 2 March, our Ambassador stated that the parties to the conflict must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict and to resolve all outstanding tensions. This followed engagements by the Minister for Europe with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments over January and February this year.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the ruling of the International Criminal Court on 22 February that the government of Azerbaijan must end the blockage of the Lachin corridor, what representations they are making to the government of Azerbaijan to open the Lachin corridor.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has noted the International Court of Justice's judgments, and continues to call for immediate action to re-open the Lachin Corridor and restore the flow of goods and people into Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on 2 March, our Ambassador stated that the parties to the conflict must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict and to resolve all outstanding tensions. This followed engagements by the Minister for Europe with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments over January and February this year.