Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of women and girls held in sexual slavery by Daesh; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
It is difficult to estimate accurately the number of women and girls held in sexual slavery by Daesh. Ultimately the only way to free these women is to finally defeat Daesh and liberate all remaining areas under their control. We must also ensure that those women and girls who have been victims of sexual violence are supported properly and that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice. The UK is urging justice and accountability for the survivors of sexual violence and for an end to the stigma that they, and children born of rape, face. Our work includes leadership in ensuring the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2379 on Daesh Accountability; and contributing £1m to support the establishment of a UN investigative team that will collect evidence of Daesh crimes in Iraq.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Iraq and (b) the Kurdistan Regional Government on protection and support for victims of sexual violence by Daesh.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We raise the protection needs of the victims of Daesh atrocities with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government regularly. We have made clear, through our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate General in Erbil, the importance of protecting civilians and of Iraq's meeting its human rights responsibilities, which includes ensuring the rule of law. We welcome the commitments of Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi to investigate all allegations of human rights abuses and violations, including those committed against minorities, and to hold those responsible to account.
In March, the Minister for the Commonwealth and UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, visited Iraq including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Minister launched the UK's Fourth National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and encouraged efforts to hold Daesh to account for its crimes, build support for survivors of sexual violence and, end the stigma attached to victims of those crimes.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the UK is providing to victims of sexual violence by Daesh.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The UK took the lead in the passage of UNSCR 2379, which mandates the establishment of an investigative team to collect evidence of Daesh atrocities, including the horrific crimes of sexual violence. UK aid has enabled the UN Trust Fund to support the Free Yezidi Foundation, which is running a women’s and children’s centre which provides safety and support for women who have suffered at the hands of Daesh. We have also built the capacity of Iraqi Non-Government Organisations to tackle the stigma experienced by victims/survivors of sexual violence in conflict
A member of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts completed a scoping mission on documenting and investigating conflict-related sexual violence in Daesh–held territory.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Iraqi government on measures to assist Yazidi refugees to return to their homes.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Through our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate-General in Erbil we consistently urge the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure the safe, voluntary and unhindered return of all Internally Displaced Persons, including Yazidis, supported by the prospect of genuine community reconciliation. I raised this issue with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office during my visit to Iraq in September 2017 and the Prime Minister did so with Prime Minister Abadi during her visit to Iraq on 29 November 2017. Ensuring that all Iraqis are able to return to their homes safely will be critical to post-conflict stabilisation efforts.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times and on what dates the Government has raised the issue of slavery in Libya in discussion with the Libyan Government or has otherwise made representations to that government on that subject.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is determined to eliminate the scourge of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking. The UK regularly raises with the Libyan Government the need for wider respect for human rights and accountability across the country. During his visit to Libya in August the Foreign Secretary raised with Prime Minister Serraj the importance of offering humanitarian support to migrants and the need to respect human rights. I also raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Libya, including the issue of slavery, with the Libyan Deputy Prime Minister at the Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome on 1 December and welcomed the investigation into this issue. The British Embassy to Libya has further underlined our concerns about these reports in our recent discussions with the Libyan Government, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
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 ensure that evidence of rape and sexual assault by the army in Myanmar is collected from refugees in Bangladesh.
Answered by Mark Field
The FCO sent two Deployable Civilian Experts to Bangladesh on 14 November, with support from the cross-Whitehall Stabilisation Unit. They will carry out an assessment of the extent of reported sexual violence, the current response to the needs of victims of gender based violence (GBV) in Bangladesh, and identify gaps in service provision and provide recommendations for the UK. They will also conduct a thorough review of the investigation and documentation of sexual violence, through use of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict and make rapid recommendations on possible UK support in this area.