Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will support adoption of UN sanctions against those who impede implementation of the 31 December agreement on the Democratic Republic of Congo and who commit human rights violations in (a) that country and (b) the Kasai region of that country.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The political and human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is deeply concerning. The UK has supported the adoption of EU sanctions against individuals responsible for obstructing the democratic process in the DRC and who have committed human rights violations in the Kasai region and elsewhere. Should there continue to be no progress towards full implementation of the 31 December agreement and a continuation of the human rights violations taking place across that country, including in the Kasais, the UK would support further pressure on those responsible. While action by the UN Security Council is one option, we would also consider further EU sanctions, if required.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart on plans to combat anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination at the 2018 World Cup in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We want UK fans to be able to enjoy a safe and secure visit to Russia for the World Cup next year. As part of the Be on the Ball campaign, the FCO has published specific travel advice for the World Cup (www.gov.uk/russia2018).
Regular meetings take place between UK officials and the Russian authorities to discuss preparations for major sporting events. For example, a UK delegation attended the Confederations Cup this month.
We also regularly raise our concerns with the Russian authorities on their human rights record.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations on antisemitism to his (a) Russian, (b) Polish, (c) Latvian, (d) Lithuanian, (e) Saudi Arabian and (f) Malaysian counterparts since he took office.
Answered by Lord Sharma
Combating all forms of discrimination, including anti-semitism, remains an important part of the Government's human rights work internationally. Through our membership of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), we actively supported the adoption of a Working Definition of Antisemitism in 2016. The UK is now encouraging individual states to adopt the definition domestically. Since 2010, the UK's Special Envoy for post-Holocaust issues has played an important role in driving a more coherent and strategic approach to our work in this area, including on anti-semitism. The current Special Envoy Sir Eric Pickles raised antisemitism during his recent visits to Poland in October 2016 and March 2017.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times he has discussed anti-Semitism with his international counterparts in the last calendar year.
Answered by Lord Sharma
Combating all forms of discrimination, including anti-semitism, remains an important part of the Government's human rights work internationally. Through our membership of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), we actively supported the adoption of a Working Definition of Antisemitism in 2016. The UK is now encouraging individual states to adopt the definition domestically. Since 2010, the UK's Special Envoy for post-Holocaust issues has played an important role in driving a more coherent and strategic approach to our work in this area, including on anti-semitism. The current Special Envoy Sir Eric Pickles raised antisemitism during his recent visits to Poland in October 2016 and March 2017.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to promote provision of resources to the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo sufficient to protect civilians and support the organisation of free, fair and credible elections in 2017 in that country.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The recent renewal of the MONUSCO mandate on 31 March focussed the mission on the protection of civilians and supporting the implementation of the 31 December political agreement, including elections. The UK successfully shaped Security Council negotiations to ensure the mission has the necessary resources to fulfil its core mandate.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will take steps at the UN Security Council or the UN Human Rights Council to support the creation of an international investigation into human rights violations in the Kasai provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK supports the UN Group of Experts in their investigations into the causes and drivers of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including human rights violations in the Kasai provinces. I made a statement on 29 March expressing my sincere condolences for the deaths of two of their members in the region. The UN Security Council has called on the Government of the DRC to swiftly investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. We welcome the UN inquiry into the events and their commitment to do everything possible to ensure that justice is done.