Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government of Sudan to prevent atrocities in that country; and whether they plan to deploy any members of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict team of experts to Sudan or neighbouring countries.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread and underreported in Sudan. Cases have increased significantly since the start of the conflict. As part of the UK's Official Development Assistance to Sudan and neighbouring countries, which now stands at £226.5 million, we provide support to survivors of SGBV through the Sudan Humanitarian Fund. On 26 September, the UK convened an event at the UN General Assembly with Dutch and Swiss partners to address SGBV in Sudan, drawing international attention to the plight of women and girls. We have also pivoted our existing programmes to focus more on prevention, protection and care for rape survivors, including the provision of clinical treatment, dignity kits and psycho-social services. While there is no plan to deploy members from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict team of experts at this time, we continually keep all available levers to prevent and respond to SGBV in Sudan under review.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the £113 million aid package for Sudan announced in November will be committed to addressing conflict-related sexual violence.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread and underreported in Sudan. Cases have increased significantly since the start of the conflict, particularly in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan. As part of the recent £113 million uplift, we will continue to support the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) which provides flexible, multi-sector support to NGOs, including the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs). We have pivoted our existing programmes to focus more on prevention, protection and care for rape survivors, including the provision of clinical treatment, dignity kits and psycho-social services. While there is no plan to deploy members from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict team of experts at this time, we continually keep all available levers to prevent and respond to SGBV in Sudan under review.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding the implementation of the recommendations from the 2021 Ethiopia scoping mission by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). We worked with partners on the recommendations of the 2021 PSVI Team of Experts (ToE) scoping mission to Ethiopia. We enhanced domestic capacity to monitor and document CRSV cases, facilitated a PSVI ToE-led workshop for civil society, commissioned research into the dynamics of CRSV, collaborated with external partners to increase CRSV data analysis and coordination, and embedded longer-term gender expertise. We also provide financial support for gender-based violence services in Ethiopia, including psychosocial support to survivors and enhancing protection work.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to reviewing the Geneva Conventions and legal standards for humanitarian treatment and protection of civilians during war.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including the Geneva Conventions of 1949, to be respected around the world. International Humanitarian Law provides the minimum level of compliance required by parties to armed conflict. However, parties to the Geneva Conventions can choose, as the UK does, to implement policy that goes beyond these legal obligations, providing greater protection for civilians during war. Promoting IHL compliance is the cornerstone of UK humanitarian policy, as is evidenced by our activities recorded in the UK Voluntary Report on the Domestic Implementation of IHL.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian and healthcare situation in Gaza; and what representations, if any, they have made to the government of Israel regarding the reported systematic targeting of civilians and critical infrastructure.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic, and reports of continued destruction of health infrastructure, civilian detentions and deaths are deeply troubling. It is unacceptable that northern Gaza now has no fully functioning hospitals after strikes on Kamal Adwan hospital resumed this week. On 5 November, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Middle East raised the UK's grave concerns that Kamal Adwan continues to come under fire with the Israeli Ambassador. This Government has been clear that Israel must do much more to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, including the medics northern Gaza desperately needs. The Foreign Secretary raised this with the then Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, on 28 October. We continue to work with our international partners including at the UN to put pressure on Israel to show the world it is complying with international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the government of Uganda in supporting armed groups allegedly responsible for human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, considering the aid and economic partnership between the United Kingdom and Uganda.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have consistently condemned in the strongest terms the actions of all armed groups including the UN-sanctioned M23 and reiterated our full support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We call on all parties to respect UN obligations and international law. Counter-terrorism and regional security is a shared priority for the UK and Uganda. We prioritise supporting engagements in Uganda that contribute to stability. Uganda has an important role to play, including by working with the government of the DRC on the joint Operation Shujaa to counter the Daesh-aligned Allied Democratic Forces in Eastern DRC.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Rwandan cross-border military operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, considering the responsibilities of Rwanda under the UN Charter and International Law.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are closely monitoring the situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including any cross-border military operations. We continue to privately engage with both DRC and Rwanda at the highest levels to encourage de-escalation of violence and meaningful engagement in political peace processes. We call on all parties to respect UN obligations and international law. The Foreign Secretary raised the conflict in eastern DRC with the Rwandan Foreign Minister in October. I visited Rwanda in September, where I encouraged delivery on commitments made under the ceasefire brokered by Angola as part of the Luanda peace process.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of Rwanda in the exploitation and forcible extraction of natural resources, such as coltan, gold and diamonds, and other precious minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Illicit mining remains a problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and supports the models of armed groups, exacerbating the conflict and its humanitarian consequences. We are determined to work with partners to find solutions, particularly given the increasing global reliance on the DRC's critical minerals for the green energy transition. The UK supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which aims to improve transparency and governance in the mining sector.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Rwanda concerning their reported support for the M23 rebel movement and their alleged role in unlawful killings, war crimes and sexual violence in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In October, the Foreign Secretary raised the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with the Rwandan Foreign Minister. I visited Rwanda in September and met with President Kagame and urged cooperation with negotiations under the Luanda process. In August, I visited both Angola and DRC and met with Presidents Lourenço and Tshisekedi and welcomed the ceasefire and continued cooperation. Women and girls in DRC face some of the highest rates of sexual violence globally. Through funding of civil society partners, the UK is strengthening access to justice for survivors.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to comply with the International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014 in conditioning the £370 million in development funding for the government of Rwanda, in relation to the allegation of its role in fuelling conflict-related sexual violence.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Our Official Development Assistance (ODA) portfolio in Rwanda is explicitly designed to support women and girls: gender equality is a significant or principal objective of all our programmes. In all our programme business cases we provide evidence as to how the interventions will impact on gender equality and we then assess progress against this at each Annual Review. The UK is a member of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and is a partner under the platform for action promoting the rights and wellbeing of children born of conflict related sexual violence.