Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the children and armed conflict agenda will be reflected within the strategic conflict agenda.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict. In the coming months, we will be reviewing the UK's approach to tackling violent conflict, and will continue to ensure that the children and armed conflict agenda is reflected in this.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, published on 21 June; and what steps they are taking to hold to account perpetrators of violations against children.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary-General's Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) shows how far we still need to travel to end the suffering of children. The UK is particularly concerned about the increase in violations committed against children in countries already on the Council's agenda, like Somalia. We have called on the Secretary General to ensure that next year's report includes the plight of children in Ethiopia and Mozambique. As a member of the UN Security Council CAAC Working Group, the UK applies diplomatic pressure to perpetrators to enter into UN action plans to verify and release any children associated with armed groups and forces, to prevent re-recruitment and ensure the provision of appropriate reintegration and rehabilitation assistance. Recently, we have negotiated strong calls to action for parties to conflict in Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that children in Bahrain have been arrested and had confessions coerced from them, what assessment they have made of the government of Bahrain's compliance with international (1) human rights law, and (2) standards in the treatment of detained children.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are following recent juvenile detention cases in Bahrain, which are pending legal proceedings, and will continue to monitor them and raise them if/when appropriate. We understand they are being supervised by social work specialists. We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to follow due process in all cases and to meet its international and domestic human rights commitments, including in the case of juveniles.
We believe the recent ratification of the Correctional Justice Act is a positive step. We note that this law will be enforced 6 months after its ratification on 18 February 2021. We understand that Article 87 will permit a Judicial Committee to hear cases and potentially replace penalties that were decided before the law was enforced. We will monitor the implementation of this new law, in light of international human rights standards.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have been made to the government of Bahrain to secure (1) the release of, and (2) access to medical treatment for, Sayed Hasan Ameen.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have followed the detention of Sayed Hasan Ameen who was arrested with others for arson, endangering the lives and property of others, and preparing and possessing Molotov cocktails. We understand his case is pending legal proceedings, and is being supervised by social work specialists. We will continue to monitor and raise this case if/when appropriate. The Government of Bahrain has been clear that access to medical care for those in detention is provided in line with the constitution of Bahrain.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether information on grave violations of international law against children in situations of armed conflict is taken into account during Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is an active permanent member of the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict. These violations include: the recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against children, killing and maiming of children, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access to children in conflict.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated its guidance on Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) in 2017 by written ministerial statement. Since then, information on its implementation has been included in the FCO's Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. The OSJA guidance applies to issues of international humanitarian law as well as human rights risks. As part of implementation of the OSJA guidance, Her Majesty's Government missions pool expertise from a range of sources including civil society partners and international organisations, according to the situation in the country concerned. This includes relevant UN sources of expertise.
The UN CAAC Working Group focuses on responding to the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC which lists governments and armed groups for committing grave violations against children. As a member of the group, the UK applies diplomatic pressure to listed parties to enter into concrete UN action plans to verify and release any children associated with armed groups and forces, to prevent re-recruitment and ensure the provision of appropriate reintegration and rehabilitation assistance. We ensure that the technical assistance we provide is in line with international standards, and fully complies with our human rights obligations.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what, if any, information contained within the annual and country-specific reports of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict is taken into account during Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is an active permanent member of the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict. These violations include: the recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against children, killing and maiming of children, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access to children in conflict.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated its guidance on Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) in 2017 by written ministerial statement. Since then, information on its implementation has been included in the FCO's Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. The OSJA guidance applies to issues of international humanitarian law as well as human rights risks. As part of implementation of the OSJA guidance, Her Majesty's Government missions pool expertise from a range of sources including civil society partners and international organisations, according to the situation in the country concerned. This includes relevant UN sources of expertise.
The UN CAAC Working Group focuses on responding to the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC which lists governments and armed groups for committing grave violations against children. As a member of the group, the UK applies diplomatic pressure to listed parties to enter into concrete UN action plans to verify and release any children associated with armed groups and forces, to prevent re-recruitment and ensure the provision of appropriate reintegration and rehabilitation assistance. We ensure that the technical assistance we provide is in line with international standards, and fully complies with our human rights obligations.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether independent experts on children and armed conflict are consulted as part of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessment process to ensure UK overseas security and justice assistance work meets our human rights obligations and our values.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is an active permanent member of the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict. These violations include: the recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against children, killing and maiming of children, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access to children in conflict.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated its guidance on Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) in 2017 by written ministerial statement. Since then, information on its implementation has been included in the FCO's Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. The OSJA guidance applies to issues of international humanitarian law as well as human rights risks. As part of implementation of the OSJA guidance, Her Majesty's Government missions pool expertise from a range of sources including civil society partners and international organisations, according to the situation in the country concerned. This includes relevant UN sources of expertise.
The UN CAAC Working Group focuses on responding to the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC which lists governments and armed groups for committing grave violations against children. As a member of the group, the UK applies diplomatic pressure to listed parties to enter into concrete UN action plans to verify and release any children associated with armed groups and forces, to prevent re-recruitment and ensure the provision of appropriate reintegration and rehabilitation assistance. We ensure that the technical assistance we provide is in line with international standards, and fully complies with our human rights obligations.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times, in the last three calendar years, following assessment via the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessment process, UK justice or security assistance (1) to any state has been refused, and (2) projects have been modified, on the basis that there was considered to be serious risk that any such assistance would directly or significantly contribute to violations of the right of the child, including the use of UK assistance in hostilities.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated its guidance on Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) in 2017 by written ministerial statement. Since then, information on its implementation has been included in the FCO's Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. Information on the number of times that projects informed by the OSJA guidance have been either refused or modified on the basis of specific forms of human rights risks, is not held centrally nor readily available. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure it is in line with international standards, and fully complies with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when a communiqué from the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council in London on 4 and 5 December 2018 will be published.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Government and the Overseas Territories developed an Action Plan as a more effective tool for measuring progress following the Joint Ministerial Council. I laid a Written Ministerial Statement on 17 December 2018 (HLWS1153) which covered the main issues in the Action Plan. The next Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council will take place in London on 26 and 27 November 2019.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 28 January (211613), what is the schedule for technical workshops between the UK and the British Overseas Territories for the establishment of public registers of beneficial ownership; and what are the agendas for each of those workshops.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
My Department is working with other Government Departments on the support and expertise the UK Government can offer the Overseas Territories. As part of that, we plan to hold a technical workshop this summer, and are currently liaising with the Overseas Territories to agree the issues they would find it most useful to cover in the workshop. These issues could include policy, technical and legal areas.