Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Development of 28 November 2024 on UK Leadership on Sudan, Official Report, column 945, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the Jeddah process; and if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of those discussions for making progress to a sustainable end to the conflict in Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary has discussed the situation in Sudan with both his US and Saudi counterparts this past week. The UK has consistently called upon the warring parties to fully implement the commitments made in the Jeddah Declaration and commit in good faith to mediation talks, including through the UN Security Council resolution we co-penned with Sierra Leone, which was cynically vetoed by Russia in November. We will continue to pursue all diplomatic avenues, including as UN Security Council penholder on Sudan, to maintain collective pressure on both sides to protect civilians, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process.

On the conflict in Gaza, this government has been clear; we are committed to pursuing a lasting solution to the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, including through achieving a two-state solution. We continue to support efforts to this end through our aid programmes, which assist civil society in Israel and Palestine on a range of issues, including peacebuilding and conflict resolution.