Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans are in place to ensure (a) the protection of and (b) assistance to human rights defenders in overseas states.

The UK recognises the important work that human rights defenders (HRDs) do to protect and defend the full range of human rights. Our network of embassies and high commissions will continue to work with HRDs, using the recently updated UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders. We support HRDs in a variety of ways: sometimes through financial support, but more often the value we provide is by getting to know prominent HRDs and supporting them either publicly or privately. There is no single template for doing this. It is for Heads of Mission to decide how to implement and use the guidelines, in a manner appropriate to the local context. The UK will continue to use the multilateral system to press for strong guidelines for the treatment of human rights defenders by states. At the high-level meeting on HRDs at the UN of 18 December, we called on governments to allow HRDs to fight for human rights; and enable civil society to engage and challenge governments without fear. In November, we co-sponsored a new UN General Assembly resolution on freedom of assembly and association, further strengthening support for civil society and human rights defenders.