Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with international partners to ensure that humanitarian aid can be provided to (1) those who have been displaced by the conflict in Sudan, and (2) those who remain within Sudan; and what is their assessment of the likelihood of famine in Darfur, given the existing number of people experiencing emergency levels of hunger.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The conflict in Sudan has created a manmade humanitarian disaster with 8.5 million people facing emergency or famine conditions. For the first time, over 755,000 people are projected to be at risk of famine (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification 5). The UK is working with international partners, including the UN, other donors and humanitarian agencies, to improve and increase the delivery of aid into Sudan. The UK is also helping those fleeing to neighbouring countries, with £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan, and £15 million to Chad.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, which warns that Sudan risks becoming an ideal environment for international terrorist and criminal networks, and predicts the expansion of affiliates of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the region.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We note the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community. We work closely with international partners, including the US, and we continue to support mediation efforts and urge both warring parties to engage constructively to secure a ceasefire and prevent the conflict spreading further.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of South Sudan to ensure that the elections which will take place in that country on 22 December will be free and fair.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK, and Troika (US, Norway), continue to press for implementation of South Sudan's Peace Agreement and a peaceful transition to democracy. We will continue to support the UN Mission in Sudan, who are mandated to support preparations for elections, including through the provision of technical assistance to electoral institutions.The UK also uses its position as a permanent member in the UN Security Council to express concern about the lack of progress in fulfilling necessary electoral preconditions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which Ministers will attend the United Nations Summit of the Future in New York in September 2024; and what outcome they will aim to achieve.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK delegation for the United Nations General Assembly High Level Week will be determined in the coming weeks. We expect broad attendance, reaffirming the UK's position as a strong supporter of multilateralism and the focus on delivering globally on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 23 July (HL8), what is their assessment of the likelihood of famine in Darfur, given the existing number of people experiencing emergency levels of hunger.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The conflict in Sudan has created a manmade humanitarian disaster with 9.25 million people facing emergency or famine conditions. For the first time, over 755,000 people are projected to be at risk of famine (IPC 5). This financial year, UK bilateral ODA to Sudan will increase to £92 million, with a significant amount going towards humanitarian aid. UK support is being delivered through the UN and other trusted partners and is providing nutrition, safe drinking water, medical care and shelter. The UK also continues to pursue all diplomatic avenues to press the warring parties into a permanent ceasefire, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, protect civilians and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking with international partners to end the current conflict in Sudan and prevent further civilian casualties.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK supports and works alongside international partners to press the parties to agree to a permanent ceasefire, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, protect civilians, and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process. The UK will also continue to use its position as penholder at the UN Security Council to urge the warring parties to achieve a ceasefire, increase much-needed humanitarian assistance and access and ensure the protection of civilians. On 13 June, the UNSC adopted a UK-led resolution demanding a halt to the Rapid Support Forces' siege of El Fasher and calling on warring parties to seek an immediate cessation of hostilities and safe, unimpeded humanitarian access.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of indigenous peoples in the remediation and mitigation of biodiversity loss.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) play a critical role in the protection and restoration of biodiversity. IPLCs are stewards of 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity¹. Evidence suggests that where IPLCs hold secure governance rights to forests, communities provide better protection and management, deforestation rates are lower, and carbon storage higher². Biodiversity indicators show significantly lower declines in land managed by Indigenous Peoples, and these lands are at least as diverse or more so than protected areas³. The UK is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which recognises ’the dependency of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) on biological diversity and their unique role in conserving life on Earth’⁴. The UK supported the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and is fully committed to promoting and protecting human rights for all individuals, including Indigenous People, without discrimination on any grounds. The UK also supports Voluntary Guidelines on Governance of Tenure (VGGT)⁵; these embody international provisions requiring the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from Indigenous Peoples to any project that may affect them.

At COP26 the UK Presidency led a $1.7bn Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Tenure Pledge (the Pledge)⁶ from 23 public and private donors to advance support for Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ (IPLC) tenure rights in tropical forest countries, running from 2021-2025. The Pledge has led to a step-change in international attention on the central role local and Indigenous communities play in climate mitigation, protecting nature and biodiversity, and the critical role of tenure security in sustainable land use. The UK is delivering our Pledge commitment of £163m through ODA programmes across FCDO, DESNZ and DEFRA.

¹ The role of Indigenous Peoples in Biodiversity Conservation: World Bank Document
² By the Numbers: Indigenous and Community Land Rights | World Resources Institute (wri.org)
³ The Economics of Biodiversity Dasgupta Review 2021
⁴ Working Group on Article 8(j) (cbd.int)
⁵ Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure | Governance of Tenure | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)
⁶ https://ukcop26.org/cop26-iplc-forest-tenure-joint-donor-statement/; https://landportal.org/iplc/forest-tenure-donor-pledge

Found: Q76 Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I shall address these questions to Josh.

Found: non-inquiry session) Tuesday 14 May 2024 4 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Ricketts (The Chair); Baroness

Found: Q69 Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In answering our Chair's question at the beginning, Mr Jones, you

Found: UK-EU relations Tuesday 7 May 2024 4 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Stirrup (The Chair); Baroness