Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the UN on the potential merits of taking further steps to help protect (a) members of expert panels mandated by the Security Council and (b) other UN (i) investigators and (ii) researchers from reprisals for their work.

The UK Mission to the UN regularly engages with the UN regarding personnel issues, including the general safety and wellbeing of its staff. This engagement includes frequent contact with Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on safeguarding procedures against reprisals for those who cooperate with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the UN more broadly. Concerning individual cases, the UK Mission to the UN has held recent discussions with the Security Council Affairs Division regarding the safety of Panel of Expert members.