Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that the electoral commission is genuinely independent prior to the forthcoming elections.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign Secretary met Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo on 20 April and our Ambassador met President Mnangagwa on 5 May to discuss Zimbabwe’s upcoming elections. At these meetings, we were clear that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) must be neutral and enjoy the confidence of all parties contesting the elections. While we welcome the appointment of a new ZEC Chair, the organisation must be scrupulously impartial and ensure it deals with all stakeholders equally.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the European Court of Justice decision on 27 February on the EU–Morocco Fisheries Agreement, they will meet with the new representative of MINURSO to expedite settlement of the Western Sahara status.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
My colleague, the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, has met the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, former German President Horst Koehler, twice in the last two months and our Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Jonathan Allen, has met the new Head of MINURSO, Colin Stewart. They have underlined the UK's firm support for the UN-led efforts to find a solution to the Western Sahara issue. We note the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement. This ruling now passes to the High Court of England and Wales, so it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for cross-straits harmony and stability of the announcement by China on 4 January of four air routes in the Taiwan Straits without prior communication with Taiwan and of Taiwan's belief that this violates the negotiation results reached between the Taipei Airlines Association and China Air Transport Association in March 2015; and what representations they intend to make to the government of China in this regard.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We understand that the opening of the four new air routes in the Taiwan Strait on 4 January is a cause of concern for the authorities in Taiwan.
Her Majesty's Government is assessing whether the introduction of these new northbound flights in the Straits will have any impact on aviation safety in the region.
In line with our longstanding position, we encourage China and Taiwan to engage in dialogue to resolve this issue.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to support the participation of Taiwan in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The United Kingdom believes that Taiwan has a valuable contribution to make on global issues such as the Sustainable Development Goals
The UK's longstanding policy on Taiwan remains the same. The UK supports Taiwanese membership of international organisations where statehood is not a pre-requisite for membership. In situations where Taiwanese membership of international organisations is not possible, we welcome pragmatic solutions that allow Taiwan to contribute to the global good, such as Taiwan's voluntary efforts to support the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take steps to retain Taiwan's place at future assemblies of the World Health Organisation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The British Government was disappointed that Taiwan was not permitted to observe the World Health Assembly this year. We will continue to make the UK position clear ie, that we support Taiwanese participation in international organisations where there is precedent for involvement, where Taiwan can contribute to the global good, and where there is no pre-requisite of nationhood for participation. Given the global reach and often rapid spread of global health emergencies it is of particular importance that all relevant administrations be invited to engage in the World Health Assembly to ensure that discussions on Global Health Security can benefit from their experience and expertise.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the RRS James Cook has been operating in the coastal waters of the Western Sahara; what was the nature of its research; and what instruments it deployed.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The RRS James Cook is part of the Government funded national sustained observational programme called RAPID. This long-term programme’s aim is to monitor the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the North Atlantic at the latitude of 26 degrees north. The MOC determines the Atlantic ocean’s transport of heat, freshwater, carbon, and other environmental properties. It is central to understanding the role of the thermohaline circulation in global climate change. The RRS James Cook recovered and redeployed a number of oceanographic moorings fitted with conductivity and temperature sensors, which were distributed at a range of depths on moorings.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Saharawi authorities have made enquiries about the activities of the RRS James Cook in their territorial waters; if so when they will receive replies; and whether scientific data obtained by the vessel will be shared with the Saharawi authorities, pursuant to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Sahrawi representatives contacted the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) on 3 March 2017 about the work of RRS James Cook in the eastern Atlantic. The UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined and supports UN-led efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution to all parties, which provides self-determination for the Sahrawi people. As a non-self governing territory under Article 73 of the UN Charter, rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea should be provided by the administering power and for the benefit of the people of the territory with a view to promoting their well being and development. The NOC will share information with Morocco, who are the de facto administering power.