Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the bombing of Tishreen Dam in northeastern Syria; what is the potential humanitarian impact; and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since late 2024, ongoing fighting between the Syrian National Army and Syrian Defence Forces, as well as airstrikes, have affected Tishreen Dam, placing civilians at risk as well as depriving over 400,000 people of water and electricity. Ongoing damage to the dam could lead to the loss of lives and livelihoods of up to one million people should the dam collapse. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funds humanitarian agencies who are undertaking critical repairs. We continue to call on all parties to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers, safe access to affected areas for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as to protect civilian infrastructure.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of Turkish attacks on Kurds in the Rojava region of northeastern Syria in the last six months.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are concerned by increased tensions in northern Syria and the impact this may have on civilians and stability in the region. Our priority is de-escalation, and we are in regular contact with both Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to this end. We are urging all sides to refrain from activity that will lead to further loss of civilian life, or damage to civilian infrastructure, to avoid further destabilisation and civilian suffering in the region. We continue to advocate for an inclusive political transition process that is representative of all Syrians, including Kurdish communities.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to join proceedings against Afghanistan (1) brought by Germany, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands before the International Court of Justice for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or (2) referred to the International Criminal Court by Chile, Costa Rica, France, Luxembourg, Mexico, and Spain regarding the situation of women and girls.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government supports the initiative to refer the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and we welcome the continued focus on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan by the International Criminal Court. We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions. As the Foreign Secretary said on 24 August, the exclusion of women from all aspects of public life is another tragic setback for Afghanistan. We are discussing with international partners ways to hold them accountable. More broadly, officials regularly press the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions, both bilaterally and with international partners.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to include specific references to older women and widows in their National Statement for the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK's National Statement will highlight our commitment to reaffirming the principles of the Beijing Declaration and putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. It will also highlight the UK's commitment to promoting the rights and freedoms of all women and girls in all their diversity, including those of all ages. We support a strong and active civil society voice at CSW. The FCDO and OEO will consult with a range of civil society organisations, including women's rights organisations before and during CSW itself.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult with a range of civil society organisations representing a diversity of women’s voices for their National Statement at the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK's National Statement will highlight our commitment to reaffirming the principles of the Beijing Declaration and putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. It will also highlight the UK's commitment to promoting the rights and freedoms of all women and girls in all their diversity, including those of all ages. We support a strong and active civil society voice at CSW. The FCDO and OEO will consult with a range of civil society organisations, including women's rights organisations before and during CSW itself.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last undertook a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS); when they will they undertake a JACS update; and whether there will be a focus on particularly vulnerable groups, including consideration of atrocities against women and girls and members of the Hazara community.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government conducted a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) for Afghanistan in 2019. Given the sensitive context, this document has not been made public. An internal review of the 2019 JACS undertaken in July 2022 judged that the underlying conflict drivers had not changed. We continue to monitor the situation in Afghanistan closely, with a focus on the impact on the most vulnerable, drawing on internal assessments and external expert analysis. The decision to publicly release UK-commissioned reports and assessments is made on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan following the recent introduction of the law on "the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice" and the ban on them training in any medical capacity.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is deeply concerned at reports of a ban on women accessing medical training in Afghanistan and have repeatedly and strongly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls. Officials have directly pressed the Taliban to reverse their repressive so-called 'vice and virtue' law and have been raising the issue of the Taliban ban on women accessing medical education and training in Afghanistan since 4 December. We consider the Taliban's actions to be short-sighted and a grotesque backwards-step. Our ongoing support to those Afghans most in need is more essential than ever, and we remain committed that at least 50% of those reached by UK aid are women and girls.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when was their last engagement with the Taliban, what was discussed and whether the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan was raised in those exchanges.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, both bilaterally and internationally. Officials from the Doha-based UK Mission to Afghanistan continue to press Taliban acting ministers and Afghan officials on human rights abuses in Afghanistan. Officials visit Kabul regularly, raising issues directly with senior members of the Taliban, including their unacceptable policies towards women and girls. Most recently, on 16 December, officials raised the ban on women accessing medical education and training in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban to reverse the ban.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Taliban they have sanctioned so far and how this compares with the sanctions imposed by other NATO member countries.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's human rights abuses, both bilaterally and internationally. The UK imposes UN sanctions on the Taliban, which lists 135 individuals and five organisations. The Government has not introduced sanctions on the Taliban since they took power in 2021, but we keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact. The EU and the US have imposed human rights sanctions on members of the Taliban since 2021, and we remain in close contact on this and other ways to hold the Taliban accountable.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are providing aid to the government of Chad to help, and ensure the security of, refugees arriving in that country from Sudan; to support the local host community; and to prevent an outbreak of conflict.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Sudan's displacement crisis is the largest in the world. 11 million people have been forcibly displaced and over 900,000 refugees and returnees have arrived in Chad. The UK recognises the severity of the crisis and has provided £55.8m to support the response in Eastern Chad since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023. We have also played a significant role in drawing international attention to the conflict, notably through the Duchess of Edinburgh's visit to Adre, Eastern Chad, in October this year, where she met with refugees crossing the border.