Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps to hold the Myanmar military to account for the killing, maiming sexual violence against children identified in the UN Secretary-General's Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, published on 9 June 2020.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is clear that the Myanmar Military is responsible for gross human rights violations across the country. This includes grave violations against children. On 23 June, I [Minister Adams] spoke to the Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation. I [Minister Adams] encouraged Myanmar to continue to engage with the International Court of Justice process, and highlighted the need for dialogue to deescalate the conflict in Rakhine which has seen a significant increase in crimes against children in the first half of this year. The UK has already imposed sanctions, through the EU, on members of the Myanmar military responsible for serious human rights violations. The UK led the international effort to establish the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM), which will collect and preserve evidence for us in future domestic or international accountability processes.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Russia's attempts to develop a military airbase close to NATO's southern flank in Libya; and what steps he is taking with the UK's allies to tackle that potential threat.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We remain concerned at recent reports of Russian fighter jets being deployed into Libya, and growing evidence of Russian involvement in the conflict, including the use of Private Military Companies. We take very seriously any reports of breaches of the UN arms embargo. Russia has a responsibility to uphold UN Security Council Resolutions and international law. External interference is exacerbating the conflict in Libya and undermining the UN-led political process. We regularly discuss with NATO allies our responses to potential threats from Russia.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic steps he is taking to help tackle disinformation on the covid-19 pandemic internationally.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Transparency and accuracy of information is essential for an effective global response to the pandemic. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is leading the UK's cross government effort to address disinformation and misinformation. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is supporting this effort. We are helping to identify disinformation narratives about the UK from foreign actors. We are working with international partners to better understand the scale, scope and impact of disinformation and help shield our citizens so they can get the right information to protect themselves and save lives. We are building international cooperation among like-minded nations to enable us to tackle the threat of disinformation.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how his Department is supporting British Overseas Territories to deal with the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on their (a) economies and (b) healthcare systems.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is firmly committed to supporting the Overseas Territories in dealing with Covid-19. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development are leading a cross Whitehall effort, working closely with the Overseas Territories governments, and taking a needs-based approach to providing support. The Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development is in regular contact with the political leaders and Governors of the Territories. The impact of the pandemic on the Territories' economies and healthcare systems varies, and our support is being calibrated accordingly.
Just as the UK is doing, we are looking to Overseas Territories to make full use of their financial resources in order to address the needs of their people. Requests for further support to complement comprehensive economic local response plans are being considered on a needs basis. In the Territories which are in receipt of financial assistance from DFID, the UK Government will continue to provide the support needed to ensure delivery of essential services and to protect their economies.
In the areas where it's needed, the UK Government is providing support to strengthen the ability of the public health systems of the Territories to deal with the significant challenges from Covid-19, through provision of essential medical supplies, equipment and personnel.