Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he is taking steps to impose sanctions on Major General Alexis Rodríguez Cabello.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is concerned by the recent steps taken by Venezuela, with respect to the Essequibo region of Guyana. We believe the unilateral actions of Venezuela are unjustified and should cease. The UK is clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration. The UK has sanctioned 41 Venezuelans under our Venezuela Autonomous, Global Human Rights and Global Anti-Corruption frameworks. We do not have sectoral sanctions on Venezuela and are not at present considering changes to our sanctions position. It is a longstanding policy that we do not comment on future sanctions designations as to do so may reduce their impact. We keep our sanctions under review and reserve the right to introduce further measures.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will take steps to support Moroccan efforts to tackle the Polisario Front.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. The FCDO regards the Polisario Front as a pro-independence movement and party to a UN-mediated dispute. The UK Government closely follows the security situation in the Western Sahara and maintains a regular dialogue with international counterparts, including Morocco.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. The UK welcomes the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visit to Western Sahara. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent reports he has received on (a) economic and (b) political developments in the Western Sahara.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon receives reports on Western Sahara in his capacity as FCDO Minister of State for North Africa. Officials regularly meet and consult with international partners to discuss the issue of Western Sahara, including those from the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the UN, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations, and the broader international community. This includes meetings up to and including at Ambassadorial level by His Majesty's Ambassadors to Rabat and Algiers, and at Permanent and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN-level in New York.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is not a party to proceedings in the International Court of Justice between Venezuela and Guyana over the demarcation of their border. The UK is clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration and we continue to support this decision. We urge the parties to resolve this issue peacefully.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent representations he has received on the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is not a party to proceedings in the International Court of Justice between Venezuela and Guyana over the demarcation of their border. The UK is clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration and we continue to support this decision. We urge the parties to resolve this issue peacefully.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if his Department will take steps to support Guyana in the border dispute with Venezuela.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is not a party to proceedings in the International Court of Justice between Venezuela and Guyana over the demarcation of their border. The UK is clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration and we continue to support this decision. We urge the parties to resolve this issue peacefully.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to UNSC resolution 2703, if his Department will act as a mediator with (a) Algeria and (b) other stakeholders to help find a solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 2703 on 30 October, which renewed the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) mandate for 12 months. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and welcome the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visits to the region, including to Western Sahara. We will continue to engage key partners to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the ACAPS Briefing Note: Algeria: Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf, published on 9 January 2022, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help ensure (a) independent and (b) continuous human rights monitoring in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps, as we regularly make clear to the parties. We have consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara. The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life. We regularly discuss migration and treatment of refugees with partners, including through our embassies, and we remain committed to supporting them to manage this effectively.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to UNSC resolution 2703, what steps his Department plans to take to encourage Algeria to allow UNHCR to freely conduct a census in the Tindouf camps.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 2703 on 30 October, which renewed the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO's) mandate for 12 months. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. The UK welcomes the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visit to Western Sahara. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.