Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking in response to reports of abuse of LGBTI refugees in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The UK is totally opposed to all forms of discrimination, and works to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBTI people in all circumstances. Through our embassies and high commissions, and through international organisations including the UN, EU, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth, we work to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBTI people and to address discriminatory laws, including those that criminalise homosexuality. In particular, the UK stands ready to support any Commonwealth member wanting to reform outdated legislation that makes such discrimination possible.
Our High Commission in Kampala engages closely with civil society groups in Uganda working to promote inclusivity, diversity, and tolerance, in coordination with our international partners. We continue to support and fund training related to protection of LGBTI rights and provide support to groups working to improve the protection of minority rights. The UK welcomed the decision of the Ugandan Constitutional Court to annul the Anti-Homosexuality Act on 1 August 2014. Our High Commission in Kampala will continue to raise our concerns with the Ugandan Government about any legislation which could lead to persecution and discrimination against LGBTI people.
In Kenya, the High Commission in Nairobi has supported Kenyans from LGBTI groups to attend international forums on LGBTI rights.
We are aware of reports of abuse of LGBTI refugees in Kakuma Refugee camp and have been in close touch with UNHCR, who manage the camp, about how best to help those individuals. In January, UNHCR reported that all LGBTI refugees had been moved from Kakuma to a safe house. UNHCR continues to work closely with a local civil society organisation to help the refugees settle into their new community.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the outcome was of the Warsaw summit on Iran of 13 to 14 February 2019; and what assessment he has made of the level of human rights violations that have recently taken place in Iran.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Foreign Secretary took part in elements of the Warsaw Summit as well as meetings in the margins, in order to pursue further progress towards a peaceful outcome to the conflict in Yemen and to discuss wider thematic challenges in the Middle East. In particular, he hosted a Ministerial Quad meeting on Yemen, which focused on supporting implementation of the Stockholm Agreement. Through the Summit's working groups, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials were able to discuss wider challenges facing the region, including the proliferation of weapons, the need to address humanitarian crises in the region, and how to counter violent extremism.
Iran's record on human rights continues to be of serious concern to the UK, and the FCO has designated it as one of its Human Rights Priority Countries. The continued use of the death penalty, weak rule of law and restrictions on freedoms of expression, religion and belief are deeply worrying. At the upcoming Human Rights Council in March 2019, the UK will strongly support the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote press freedom in Central and Eastern Europe.
Answered by Mark Field
We believe that media freedom is the lifeblood of democracy, and that it is vital to protect the ability of journalists and other media workers to hold the powerful to account. We are concerned by the increase in the number of journalists being targeted because of their work. For this reason we are placing the resources of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office behind a campaign to shine a spotlight on this issue and to galvanise a consensus behind the protection of journalists.
We regularly raise media and press freedom in visits to Central and Eastern European countries as well as in multilateral fora, including the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. We work with media organisations and civil society across the region to deliver projects to protect and support journalists.
Additionally, the UK continues to be vocal in calling for an end to attacks on journalists, including in the case of the horrific murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée in Slovakia in February last year.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government supports the EU in its call for the immediate commencement of a political process that can lead to legitimate free and fair elections in Venezuela.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We are working closely with EU partners, regional organisations such as the Lima Group and like-minded international partners to ensure a peaceful resolution to the current crisis and a return to democracy. We urge all Venezuelans to recognise Juan Guaido as the constitutional interim President of Venezuela until new presidential elections that are free and in accordance with international democratic standards are held.