Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) China, (2) Pakistan, and (3) Russia, regarding the situation in Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HMG continues to galvanise the international community, and bring together the widest possible group of influential countries, to deliver on UK strategic priorities and exercise the maximum moderating influence on the Taliban that we possibly can. This has included calls and meetings between the Prime Minister and his counterpart in Pakistan, and between Ministers and their counterparts in Pakistan and China. The UK drove the adoption of Security Council resolution 2593 alongside France; we are pressing for further discussions amongst the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council and we plan to host an event at the UN General Assembly later this month.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in the United Nations to highlight human rights abuses in China.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has led international efforts to hold China to account for its human rights violations in Xinjiang. On 22 June, a global UK diplomatic effort helped deliver the support of 44 countries for a statement on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet at the UN Human Rights Council. This followed a statement by 39 countries at the UN General Assembly Third Committee in October 2020. The UK led the first two statements on Xinjiang at the UN, in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and the FCDO has utilised its diplomatic network to raise the issue up the international agenda. The Foreign Secretary urged China to grant urgent and unfettered access to Xinjiang for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights or another independent fact-finding expert in a personal address to the UN Human Rights Council on 22 February. We will continue to work closely with our partners and take every opportunity to hold China to account for its human rights violations at the UN.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide in 2021.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
2021 marks 26 years since the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which saw more than 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys murdered, and over 20,000 women and children forcibly expelled from their homes. The UK remembers all victims and pays its respects to the survivors. The UK continues to fight for justice and an end to impunity: this year Radovan Karadzic, convicted in part for his role in the Srebrenica genocide, was transferred to the UK to serve his life sentence. HMG's commemorative activities include a video message from the Foreign Secretary, to be shown online as part of Remembering Srebrenica's programme of events, and a statement commemorating the anniversary. The FCDO hopes to host Remembering Srebrenica's in-person commemoration when COVID-19 restrictions allow. The British Embassy in Sarajevo, alongside its project funding for the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, will join commemorations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote internationally the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has made a number of political commitments to respond to alleged genocide and other atrocities. Where there is a risk of atrocities, we use diplomacy to highlight our concerns, including through the United Nations. As a party to the Convention on the Crime of Genocide, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the convention. We have co-sponsored resolutions on the Prevention of Genocide and on commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect populations from genocide and other mass atrocities at the 43rd and 44th sessions of the UN Human Rights Council.
Since the majority of mass atrocities occur in and around conflict, the government believes a focus on conflict prevention is the best means to prevent most mass atrocities. Her Majesty's Government takes a consolidated, whole-of-government approach, using our diplomatic, development, defence, and law enforcement capabilities, to help pursue global peace and stability. We support work that seeks to address the root causes of conflict and drivers of instability, through tackling corruption, promoting good governance, improving access to security and justice, and furthering inclusive economic development. This approach aims to foster peaceful societies where atrocities are less likely to take place.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to protect the Rohingya community in Myanmar.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine, including 128,000 who have been confined to camps since 2012. These communities face significant discrimination, including restrictions on freedom of movement and access to healthcare. The Foreign Secretary and Minister Adams both raised the use of discriminatory laws to disenfranchise the Rohingya with Myanmar's government prior to their elections in November 2020. The Prime Minister called State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi after the elections and reiterated the UK's concern at the plight faced by the Rohingya. We have urged the Government of Myanmar to comply with the International Court of Justice's provisional measures ruling which would ensure that the Rohingya are protected from further atrocities. The UK has provided over £44 million to all communities in Rakhine since 2017, including over £25 million for the Rohingya. We are the largest donor to water, hygiene and sanitation in the camps and displacement sites.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the interests of Gibraltarians.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 31 December the UK, working side by side with the Governments of Gibraltar and Spain, reached agreement on a political framework to form the basis of a separate treaty between the UK and the EU regarding Gibraltar. This covers issues of key importance to Gibraltar and the surrounding region, and the Governments of both the UK and Gibraltar judge that it provides a firm basis to safeguard Gibraltar's interests. We remain steadfast in our support for Gibraltar and its sovereignty.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress of securing a lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is a strong supporter of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue, based on the internationally accepted model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. We welcome the UN Secretary General's commitment to explore convening an informal five-plus-UN meeting with the parties.
We continue to discuss the Settlement process with the parties, including the leaders of the Cypriot communities and the Guarantor Powers as well as with the UN. On 27 October, the Prime Minister spoke to President Anastasiades and emphasised the UK's willingness to play a more active, supportive role in the settlement process. He also discussed the Cyprus Settlement with President Erdogan on 28 September and Prime Minister Mitsotakis on 20 October. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the Settlement process with Foreign Minister Christodoulides on 7 October and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu on 19 October. We continue to encourage all sides to engage constructively and demonstrate they are committed to making progress towards a settlement. Ultimately, it is for the sides to agree on the details of any final deal; this will require the agreement of the two Cypriot leaders, their respective communities and the support of Greece and Turkey.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Cyprus on the long-term future of Cyprus.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is a strong supporter of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue, based on the internationally accepted model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. We welcome the UN Secretary General's commitment to explore convening an informal five-plus-UN meeting with the parties.
We continue to discuss the Settlement process with the parties, including the leaders of the Cypriot communities and the Guarantor Powers as well as with the UN. On 27 October, the Prime Minister spoke to President Anastasiades and emphasised the UK's willingness to play a more active, supportive role in the settlement process. He also discussed the Cyprus Settlement with President Erdogan on 28 September and Prime Minister Mitsotakis on 20 October. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the Settlement process with Foreign Minister Christodoulides on 7 October and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu on 19 October. We continue to encourage all sides to engage constructively and demonstrate they are committed to making progress towards a settlement. Ultimately, it is for the sides to agree on the details of any final deal; this will require the agreement of the two Cypriot leaders, their respective communities and the support of Greece and Turkey.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learned from (1) New Zealand, and (2) Germany, with regard to handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK has followed closely policy measures taken by other countries over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In particular, given the global nature of the pandemic, the International Comparators Joint Unit (ICJU) was established in April 2020 as a joint unit between the FCDO and the Cabinet Office. The ICJU works closely with the FCDO's overseas network to understand how other countries, including New Zealand and Germany, are responding to the Covid-19 pandemic to identify possible lessons learned and to help inform UK policy decisions. ICJU includes analysts, data scientists, economists, and social researchers. Analysis by the ICJU is shared widely across government departments making decisions on the UK's Covid-19 response as well as the Devolved Administrations.
We have also engaged with counterparts in New Zealand and Germany on a wide range of Covid-19 issues. The Foreign Secretary worked with German Foreign Minister Maas to help shape a strong G7 response to the initial Covid outbreak. Both the Foreign and the Health Secretaries have been in contact with their German counterparts throughout the Covid crisis. There have been virtual meetings between both countries' health ministries and there continue to be regular official level interactions with state health ministries and local public health authorities, as well as a regular exchange between the Robert-Koch-Institute and Public Health England. The Foreign Secretary has also spoken to New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Peters to discuss our Covid-19 response.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of Confucius Institutes by the government of China.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Confucius Institutes are affiliated to the Chinese Ministry of Education, and the programme is overseen by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (referred to as Hanban), which is a Chinese Government entity. Their stated aim is to promote Chinese language and culture and promote cultural exchanges internationally. Concerns have been raised in a number of countries about the impact of Confucius Institutes on academic freedom at host institutions.
UK higher education providers that host Confucius Institutes are responsible for ensuring their partnerships are managed appropriately with the right due diligence in place. The Government will continue to support the sector to promote mutually beneficial international partnerships in line with UK values. As the Minister for Asia, Nigel Adams MP, made clear in a Westminster Hall Debate on 7 October, we will not tolerate any attempts to interfere with academic freedom or freedom of speech and encourage any institutions concerned about their international collaborations to contact the Government.