Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to increase trade-related capacity-building assistance to developing countries, including support for building their capacity to meet product regulations and standards; and if she will take steps to enhance Aid for Trade initiatives through (a) the Enhanced Integrated Framework in the Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals and (b) other measures.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK supports the provision of trade-related capacity-building assistance to developing countries, and the importance of enhancing Aid for Trade commitments. Language on this is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
Aid for Trade is a vital ingredient for helping developing countries build their capacity to trade. The UK spends around £1 billion annually on Aid for Trade, and DFID is working alongside other donors, multilateral organisations, and recipient countries, to enhance the effectiveness of Aid for Trade initiatives.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to co-operate globally to reduce substantially international tax evasion and avoidance in the Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK supports a target to cooperate globally to reduce substantially international tax evasion and avoidance. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
At last year's Lough Erne G8 summit, leaders agreed to introduce a new international standard of automatic exchange of information to help countries combat tax evasion. We are working in the G20 to develop a roadmap that identifies obstacles to developing country participation in this new global standard. We are also working in the G20 to identify Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) issues most relevant to developing countries and to recommend actions to address them.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target that by 2030 countries progressively introduce broader measures of progress beyond gross domestic product into national accounting, with supportive statistical capacity building in developing countries in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK supports the target that by 2030 countries progressively introduce broader measures of progress beyond gross domestic product into national accounting, with supportive statistical capacity building in developing countries. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to substantially strengthen capacities for data collection and statistical analysis relevant to sustainable development by 2020 with a focus on generating timely and high-quality data disaggregated, as appropriate, by income, age, race, ethnicity and rural urban location in Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK supports the target to by 2020, substantially strengthen capacities for data collection and statistical analysis relevant to sustainable development with a focus on generating timely and high-quality data disaggregated, as appropriate, by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and rural/urban location. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to ensure that adequate policy space is given to developing countries by the international organisations to establish and implement their policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK agrees with the importance of ensuring that developing countries design and own national policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development. Language on the adequate policy space is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to ensure that all cities are accessible and offer opportunities to persons with disabilities by 2030 in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK agrees that all cities should be accessible and offer opportunities to persons with disabilities by 2030. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to retrofit existing industries on global level based on energy and resource-efficient technologies and environmentally sound industrial processes by 2030 in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK supports a target to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to reduce to five per cent or below the transaction costs of migrants' remittances, including regulatory and administrative costs in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK supports the target of reducing the average global cost of remittances to 5.0%. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to enhance global co-operation to facilitate orderly, safe, responsible migration and mobility of people, including through implementation of planned and managed migration policies that facilitate migrants' contribution to sustainable development in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
As we have already made clear, the UK recognises that the potential for migration to be a positive force for developing countries is increased when migration is safe, legal and through regular channels; and as such global migration can contribute to sustainable development. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with regional organisations in Pakistan and neighbouring countries about honour killings.
Answered by Justine Greening
Following the brutal murder of Farzana Parveen in Lahore on 27 May, I raised this issue at various levels in the Government of Pakistan. The Foreign Secretary and senior HMG officials in Pakistan have also publically and privately condemned the appalling crime of ‘honour killings' and called for immediate action to bring the culprits of the 27 May attack to justice.
HMG regularly engages with the government and civil society in Pakistan on women's rights and violence against women, including so-called 'honour killings'. Across DFID's programmes in Pakistan we are helping women and girls to live healthy and secure lives.