Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that perpetrators of grave violations of children’s rights by all parties to the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia are held to account.

We are extremely concerned by reports of widespread human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia committed by all sides to the conflict including against children. All those responsible for human rights violations and abuses should be held to account.

The Foreign Secretary, as Chair of the G7 Foreign and Development Minister's meeting, made a statement on 12 December 2021 that called for an additional independent investigation into human rights violations as recommended by the Joint Investigation report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The UK supported the Human Rights Council resolution of 17 December 2021 that mandates an independent and transparent mechanism for investigation and redress of human rights violations. On 21 January I announced £14.5 million of new funding to the crisis in Ethiopia of which £4.5 million is for peacebuilding and human rights. Part of this funding will go towards building the capacity of the EHRC, including their capacity to effectively and safely investigate human rights violations, which will support efforts to hold perpetrators to account for abuses, including violence against children and conflict-related sexual violence. The UK will continue to support the UN and independent, transparent and impartial investigations and will work to ensure that those responsible for atrocities are held to account.