Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of recent attacks on Afro-Brazilian religious temples in Brazil; and what discussions she has had with her Brazilian counterparts on protecting freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to protecting freedom of religion or belief, as guaranteed under international human rights law. During the G20 Energy and Environment Working Group in October, the Minister for Equalities met Brazilian Minister for Women Marcia Lopes to discuss challenges faced by marginalised communities. In the build-up to COP30 in November, the UK organised a visit for a group of MPs to a 'Quilombo', home to a community targeted with violence and discrimination. This and other Afro-descendant communities are supported by the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities (AMCAT) programme, which strengthens tenure security, territorial governance and personal protection for Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the Amazon Basin. The UK and Brazil remain committed to ensuring the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities are protected.