Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Article (a) 18 and (b) 19 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on passenger ferry services operated between Dover and Calais.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We have made no such assessment of cross channel passenger ferry services.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) allows a coastal State to claim a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles.
UNCLOS Part II, Section 3 sets out the rules on "Innocent passage in the Territorial Sea". Articles 18 and 19 define the "Meaning of passage" and "Meaning of innocent passage". In the territorial sea, all ships enjoy the right of innocent passage (defined in the Convention as passage, which is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State).
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the UN Security Council to insist on unfettered media and humanitarian NGO access to the occupied territory of Western Sahara.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined. The UK strongly supported UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2548 on 30 October 2020, which renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for 12 months. In doing so, we continue to stress the importance of improving the human rights situation in Western Sahara and the Tindouf camps, and encourage the parties to work with the international community to develop and implement independent and credible measures to ensure full respect for human rights, bearing in mind their relevant obligations under international law.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the UN Security Council to give MINURSO the legal mandate to monitor and report on human rights in the territories controlled by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente polisario and report the findings directly to the UN Security Council.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Human rights is a UK priority. 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.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the UN Security Council to send a fact finding mission to investigate the human rights of Saharawis in the (a) occupied territory and (b) prisons in Morocco.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Human rights is a UK priority. 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 and in the Tindouf camps. We have discussions with Morocco on human rights and prison conditions. The UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last made representations to (a) his Moroccan counterpart and (b) the Moroccan Ambassador on the continuing hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario Front resulting from the Moroccan breach of the 1991 ceasefire agreement in Western Sahara.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara and note reports of breaches on both sides. We are in regular contact with the parties, including Morocco. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will raise in the UN Security Council the ongoing instability in the Mahgreb following the renewed hostilities in the Western Sahara.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara and have regular discussions with the UN, both in New York and in the region, as well as with Council members. The UN Security Council was briefed on Western Sahara in December. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. We strongly support the UN Secretary General's efforts to appoint a Personal Envoy as soon as possible.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of application of the Geneva Conventions to the conflict between Western Sahara and Morocco.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We continue to monitor closely the situation in Western Sahara and to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. The UK's position remains unchanged. We continue to regard the status of Western Sahara as undetermined and fully support the UN's efforts to secure a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the conflict that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his US counterpart to encourage the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We regularly discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, including Cuba, with our US counterparts, and this will continue with the new US administration. The United Kingdom has repeatedly made clear that it opposes the US embargo against Cuba, which we see as counterproductive. The UK considers the extraterritorial effects of the embargo, in particular those stemming from the activation of Titles III and IV of the Helms Burton Act, to be illegal under international law. We look forward to discussing the situation in Cuba with the new US Administration, and sharing thoughts on the positive developments in the UK's relationship with Cuba in recent years.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will make representations to the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK on the repression of Sahrawi civilians in the territories of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation, as a result of the escalation of the conflict between the Polisario Front and Morocco.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. Support for human rights is a priority around the world, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ask Her Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco to make representations to the Moroccan authorities on the travel ban imposed on Aminatou Haidar, winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have been monitoring the case of Aminatou Haidar. Support for human rights is a priority around the world, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly.