Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her Chilean counterpart on political stability in that country.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We have a close and longstanding bilateral relationship with Chile. This includes cooperation on the pandemic and global health issues, human rights, science, defence and security. The Minister for the Latin America attended the inauguration of President Boric on 11 March and had a number of productive meetings with the new government, including Foreign Minister Andrea Urrejola. The Prime Minister spoke to President Boric on 26 April.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Glasgow North East to the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean of 11 May 2022 on the safety of a human rights activist in the Gambia.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The letter has been responded to.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in the US government on the exclusion of (a) Cuba, (b) Venezuela and (c) Nicaragua from the Ninth Summit of the Americas in June 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has not discussed the US Government's exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the Ninth Summit of the Americas in June 2022 with her US counterpart.
Asked by: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean on 26 April that “conflict and horrendous sexual violence in South Sudan risks undermining commendable recent progress and leadership implementing the 2018 Peace Agreement”, what assessment they have made of the stability of the peace in process in South Sudan.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement remains the best prospect to a lasting end to conflict in South Sudan. Full implementation is needed to address the instability and humanitarian crisis that affect millions of South Sudanese. However progress is slow. The international community has needed to maintain pressure for the Parties to deliver their commitments.
Recent incidents of violence have put the progress that has been made since 2018 at risk. We have made our concerns clear in Juba and at the UN Security Council. Renewed public commitment by the Parties to the Peace Agreement and progress on unifying the armed forces are welcome. Given the slow pace of implementation and continued incidents of violence we have made clear that South Sudan's leaders must continue to deliver progress. We also urge the region, as guarantors of the Peace Agreement, to use their influence with the Parties to deliver progress.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
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 support investigations into the involvement of (a) Russian mercenary groups, and (b) Russian military personnel in reported attacks on civilians in (i) Moura, (ii) Nioni, and (iii) Hombori in Mali during March and April 2022.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The presence of the Wagner Group in Mali risks destabilising the wider region and undermining security for local populations. Following a CT operation carried out by the Malian Armed Forces in Moura, with the alleged involvement of Wagner Group, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Vicky Ford, called for an urgent, transparent and impartial investigation to bring those responsible for these attacks to justice. She drew attention to the surge in alleged human rights abuses since the deployment of Wagner Group to Mali and urged the Malian authorities to end all ties with the mercenary group, to facilitate unfettered access for the UN's peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to conduct an independent investigation.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department last discussed trade union rights with her Colombian counterpart.
Answered by Vicky Ford
UK Ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights issues with the Colombian Government. Most recently, Lord Ahmad discussed our concerns with President Duque during the United Nations Security Council meeting on Colombia earlier this month. The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Vicky Ford MP, also raised these same human rights concerns in her call to Vice President Ramirez in February.
Through our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF) programme, which has provided £69 million in support of peace agreement implementation, security, and stability in Colombia since 2015, we will continue to prioritise funding interventions to protect human rights defenders, including trade unionists and social leaders.
Colombia is a UK 'Human Rights Priority Country,' and we consistently raise our concerns regarding violence against human rights defenders and social leaders at the UN Security Council. We look to the Colombian Government to expand its presence in conflict-affected areas, and strengthen the institutions that can improve the security of citizens and investigate and prosecute the criminal actors responsible for violence. We will continue to raise our concerns with the relevant state actors in Colombia.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 143578, whether the updated guidance in the Public Contracts Regulations will explicitly incorporate provisions for UK incorporated companies operating globally, to help ensure adequate protections for citizens of foreign nations, particularly in Latin America.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
The Regulations require contracting authorities to exclude bidders where they have established by verification or are otherwise aware that the bidder has been convicted of certain offences. These include offences related to participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud, terrorist offences, money laundering or terrorist financing, and child labour and other forms of trafficking in human beings. These requirements apply both to convictions in the UK and equivalent convictions overseas. In certain circumstances, civil matters may be relevant to the discretionary exclusion grounds, for example, grave professional misconduct which renders the supplier’s integrity questionable.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Argentine counterpart on reports of a further military deployment in Tierra del Fuego, particularly on the security of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
UK Government ministers and officials are in regular contact with their Argentine opposite numbers. For example, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean met with Foreign Minister Cafiero on 11 March. The United Kingdom has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands and surrounding maritime areas, and no doubt about the principle and the right of self-determination for the Falkland Islanders. The UK Government remains absolutely committed to the protection of the Falkland Islands and its population. Our forces in the Falkland Islands are defensive and the levels are kept under review: the UK undertakes regular assessments of possible threats to the Islands to ensure that an appropriate defence capability is maintained.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria regarding Christian persecution in that country.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government is concerned by insecurity across Nigeria; this violence is having a devastating impact on affected communities of all faiths and ethnicities. We assess that the principal causes of violence are complex and multifaceted and are often linked to criminality and competition over resources. We continue to urge and support the Nigerian Government to take action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence and ensure the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.
The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regularly raises insecurity in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government, including during her visit to Nigeria in February, where she discussed this issue with Foreign Minister Onyeama. During her visit, the Minister held detailed discussions with regional governors, community leaders and religious leaders about the causes of violence. Additionally, on 1 February, the Minister also discussed insecurity with Nigerian National Security Adviser Monguno during the inaugural dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.
We will continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her letter of 21 March 2022 to the International Development Committee entitled Update on FCDO structures, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the leadership changes outlined in that letter on the newly launched Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation, announced in the letter of 9 February 2022 from the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to the International Development Committee; and to which Director General that Office will report to.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We are witnessing a profound geopolitical shift following Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. The FCDO is adapting its internal leadership arrangements and structures to ensure it is equipped to meet immediate and long-term global challenges. Implications for specific Directorates/teams are under review.