Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they provide assistance to parliamentarians visiting Iraqi Kurdistan.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can support parliamentarians' visits overseas that support parliamentary business and the UK's objectives. An appropriate level of assistance from the FCDO is dependent on resource implications and capacity issues of individual missions, including the British Consulate General in Erbil.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through Official Development Assistance to support the rights of women and girls in Iraq, including in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Countering the rollback of and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of the UK's programming and policy work in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Alongside Official Development Assistance (ODA), programmes are also delivered through the UK Integrated Security Fund (UKISF), which is funded through both ODA and non-ODA sources.
While the £2.7 million Women's Voices First programme completed in May 2024, its second phase will provide up to £5 million further over the next 3 years. This continued UKISF programme helps to strengthen grassroots Iraqi women's rights organisations and women-led organisations, advances locally led approaches, and contributes to inclusive peace and security in communities, across Federal Iraq and the KRI.
The UK is also funding the International Organisation for Migration to provide capacity building support to the General Directorate of Survivors Affairs, and to civil society organisations, to advance the Yazidi Survivors' Law and deliver mental health and psychosocial support for Yazidi and other minority survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
In addition, the UK also helps to advance family planning and sexual and reproductive health initiatives through the £14 million Demographic Transition in Iraq project.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Rwanda regarding their support for the rebel group M23 and the possibility of the group's withdrawal from Goma and other territories it has occupied.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the UN Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls.
The Foreign Secretary has spoken with President Kagame and President Tshisekedi to call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic talks. The UK has been at the forefront of encouraging regionally-led peace efforts, including the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam 7-8 February committed to resuming dialogue and negotiations with all state and non-state parties and supporting this with AU-appointed facilitators, as well as calling for improved humanitarian access.
In the UK's statement on the situation in eastern DRC, we called for the immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. We have been clear with Rwanda that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to facilitate dialogue and to explore options for a political settlement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the UN Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls.
The Foreign Secretary has spoken with President Kagame and President Tshisekedi to call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic talks. The UK has been at the forefront of encouraging regionally-led peace efforts, including the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam 7-8 February committed to resuming dialogue and negotiations with all state and non-state parties and supporting this with AU-appointed facilitators, as well as calling for improved humanitarian access.
In the UK's statement on the situation in eastern DRC, we called for the immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. We have been clear with Rwanda that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent occupation of the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the rebel group M23.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the UN Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls.
The Foreign Secretary has spoken with President Kagame and President Tshisekedi to call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic talks. The UK has been at the forefront of encouraging regionally-led peace efforts, including the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam 7-8 February committed to resuming dialogue and negotiations with all state and non-state parties and supporting this with AU-appointed facilitators, as well as calling for improved humanitarian access.
In the UK's statement on the situation in eastern DRC, we called for the immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. We have been clear with Rwanda that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community.