Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the extensive damage in Sri Lanka from torrential rain and a cyclone, what consideration they have given to providing extra and urgent practical support.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the topical statement made by the Foreign Secretary in departmental oral questions on 2 December, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
"May I send my condolences and those of the Government to all those who have lost loved ones in the deadly storms in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam? Many have lost homes and livelihoods. I praise the emergency responders who have worked tirelessly and are committed to helping those affected, often at great personal risk.
"In response to requests for support that we have already received, the UK is providing £1,000,000 to address immediate humanitarian needs in Sri Lanka and has contributed £800,000 in response to the multiple typhoons that have struck Vietnam. The UK is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide further support as needed."
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to following the example set in the Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty by recognising publicly that the formal statehood and sovereignty of small island states will not lapse under international law even in the event of catastrophic sea level rise.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Sea level rise is a matter of critical concern particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We have taken careful note of the Pacific Islands Forum 2023 Declaration on the continuity of statehood in the face of sea level rise and are considering its content in detail. The UK also welcomes the International Law Commission's ongoing work on these issues. We also continue to work with SIDS to drive global ambition of emissions reductions, and support adaptation and resilience in SIDS including through programmes such as the global £500 million Blue Planet.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with other countries on ways to formally recognise the legal continuity of small island developing states under international law, notwithstanding the existential threat posed by human-caused sea level rise.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Sea level rise is a matter of critical concern particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We have taken careful note of the Pacific Islands Forum 2023 Declaration on the continuity of statehood in the face of sea level rise and are considering its content in detail. The UK also welcomes the International Law Commission's ongoing work on these issues. We also continue to work with SIDS to drive global ambition of emissions reductions, and support adaptation and resilience in SIDS including through programmes such as the global £500 million Blue Planet.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the position adopted in the Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise, published in August 2021 by the Pacific Islands Forum, including that no state should lose territory of any kind as a result of human-caused climate change.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We acknowledge that sea level rise poses challenges with respect to the stability of maritime boundaries and we recognise that this is a significant concern for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other coastal countries including the UK. We have taken careful note of the Pacific Islands Forum declaration on this topic and are considering it in detail. The UK acknowledges that this is a matter of considerable importance to (SIDS) who are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We continue to work with SIDS to drive global ambition of emissions reductions, and support adaptation and resilience in SIDS including through accessing finance. The UK Government has a number of programmes which will support SIDS and which aim to strengthen resilience against climate change, such as the global £500 million Blue Planet Fund.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to ensure that states currently at risk from sea-level rise will not lose their current territory and other entitlements under international law.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We acknowledge that sea level rise poses challenges with respect to the stability of maritime boundaries and we recognise that this is a significant concern for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other coastal countries including the UK. We have taken careful note of the Pacific Islands Forum declaration on this topic and are considering it in detail. The UK acknowledges that this is a matter of considerable importance to (SIDS) who are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We continue to work with SIDS to drive global ambition of emissions reductions, and support adaptation and resilience in SIDS including through accessing finance. The UK Government has a number of programmes which will support SIDS and which aim to strengthen resilience against climate change, such as the global £500 million Blue Planet Fund.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) economic, (2) logistical and (3) technological support they are providing to ensure that sea-level rise does not endanger the continued existence of Small Island States.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Building resilience to the impacts of climate change, economic shocks and natural disasters is at the heart of the UK vision for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Our £11.6 billion commitment for climate finance and our role as a major contributor to global climate funds has enabled the UK to support SIDS resilience. We will provide $2 billion to the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) second replenishment (2024-27). This equates to £1.623 billion and is the biggest single funding commitment the UK has made to help the world tackle climate change. We provide approximately £200 million of aid annually to SIDS, including:
• the £36 million Sustainable Blue Economies (SBE) programme supporting development of prosperous ocean-based economies while protecting nature and increasing climate resilience.
• £40 million 'Small Island Developing State Capacity and Resilience' (SIDAR) programme, supporting better access to funding and building state resilience.
• The UK's £350 million Caribbean Infrastructure Fund supports resilient infrastructure for states acutely vulnerable to natural disasters as does our £10 million contribution to the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) facility (announced at COP26 by PM Modi and PM Johnson). We are also providing further support to SIDS through other global Blue Planet Fund programmes, including being part of Defra's Ocean Country Partnership Programme (£65 million), the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (£33 million), and Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (£13.9 million).
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) economic, and (2) technological support they are providing, alongside the foreign aid budget, to ensure that Small Island States, particularly those that are Commonwealth members, are equipped to deal with any loss or damage that may arise due to sea-level rise.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) play a leading role on climate action due to their unique moral voice and climate vulnerability. The UK has aimed to drive support on their climate adaptation and mitigation priorities. The SIDS4 conference in May 2024 will be a once-in-a-decade opportunity for transformational action and the UK is working to drive momentum for an ambitious offer on climate action. The UK recognises some SIDS face existential threats from climate change and is committed to ensuring the package of recommendations of the new loss and damage fund and funding arrangements, as developed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)'s Transitional Committee, is agreed at COP28.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the foreign aid budget for Small Island States at risk from climate change; and to make commitments within that budget to combat the effects of sea-level rise.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The PM reaffirmed at COP27 that we are delivering on our commitment to spend £11.6 billion International Climate Finance (ICF), which includes £3 billion for nature. To ensure ICF supports the most vulnerable experiencing the worst impacts of climate change, we will triple our funding for adaptation from £500 million in 2019 to £1.5 billion in 2025, in addition to ensuring a balance between mitigation and adaptation spend. We will ensure continued support to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to improve their climate resilience.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they have not yet published the Human Rights and Democracy Report 2021.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We intend to publish the FCDO's 2021 Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report in due course.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they have given to the government of Sri Lanka to help meet that country's emergency needs for (1) life saving drugs, and (2) other medical equipment.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is closely monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka, particularly as it relates to the supply of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment supplies. The UK contributes to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) Operation in Sri Lanka. The DREF is supporting the Sri Lanka Red Cross with an allocation of CHF691,002 in response to shortages and civil unrest. It will support with the provision of essential medicine, first aid and psychosocial support. We are also working to support the United Nations (UN) and its agencies in the coordination of their response based on the UN's recent joint Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan, launched on 9 June. This called for US$47.2 million to provide life-saving assistance to 1.7 million people who are most at risk and need immediate support. The World Bank have announced assistance of US$400 million, which includes funds to meet medicines and medical equipment needs. The UK is a major donor of the UN and World Bank.
The UK recognises the difficult economic situation and welcomes the ongoing in-depth discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on reforms needed to bring the economy back to a sustainable path. The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on 30 May and underlined the UK's continued support to the people of Sri Lanka during these economic difficulties.