Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Philippines counterpart on the human rights situation in that country.

The UK is fully committed to the global promotion and protection of human rights. Human rights abuses in the Philippines remain troubling. Our Embassy in Manila is in regular contact with human rights groups and relevant UN bodies on a range of human rights issues. We also work closely with our EU partners to press for investigations into instances of abuse.

I personally raised concerns with the Philippine Ambassador in April 2018, and with the Philippines’ Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs in December 2017. In a statement on 19 June 2018 before the Human Rights Council, the United Kingdom, along with 37 other signatory countries, urged the Government of the Philippines to cooperate with the United Nations system, without preconditions or limitations. We also called upon the Philippines to provide and guarantee a safe and secure environment for all, including journalists and Human Rights defenders.