Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have raised the issue of abuses committed against women from minority communities in Syria with the United National Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict; and if so, what action has followed.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We work closely with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and have a longstanding partnership with her office. Officials have discussed conflict-related sexual violence around the world including Syria. With UK funding, both UN Action and the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict plan to undertake work in Syria to explore opportunities to improve services for survivors of conflict related sexual violence, including psychosocial and legal support.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of violence committed against women from minority communities in Syria, including Alawite, Christian, Druze, Kurdish, and Turkmen groups, given the UK’s commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, including women, and an improved response to sectarian violence. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Syrian Government during his recent visit to Damascus and offered UK support. Syria remains a focus country in the UK's 5th National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, guiding our efforts in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325. UK funding supports Syrian women's rights organisations to promote gender equality, strengthen women's roles in peacebuilding, and increase their participation in political and public life. Thirteen years on from the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, the UK is proud of its leadership on this issue and continues to fund programmes in Syria which document human rights violations and support the trial and convictions of perpetrators of these crimes.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Syria regarding the protection of women from ethnic and religious minority communities; and how these efforts reflect the UK’s obligations under the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, including women, and an improved response to sectarian violence. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Syrian Government during his recent visit to Damascus and offered UK support. Syria remains a focus country in the UK's 5th National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, guiding our efforts in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325. UK funding supports Syrian women's rights organisations to promote gender equality, strengthen women's roles in peacebuilding, and increase their participation in political and public life. Thirteen years on from the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, the UK is proud of its leadership on this issue and continues to fund programmes in Syria which document human rights violations and support the trial and convictions of perpetrators of these crimes.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are supporting the documentation and investigation of crimes of sexual and gender-based violence committed against minority women in Syria, and what support they are providing to local or international organisations working with survivors of sexual violence from Syria's minority communities as part of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports documentation and investigation of sexual and gender-based violence against women in Syria through the Integrated Security Fund, funding evidence collection and prosecution efforts. We co-fund Syria-specific best practice guidance and, through the Global Survivors Fund, have provided physiotherapy, psychosocial and financial support to hundreds of Syrian survivors living in Turkey since 2022.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that women in Syria, including those from minority groups, are included in peacebuilding and transitional justice processes, in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, including women, and an improved response to sectarian violence. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Syrian Government during his recent visit to Damascus and offered UK support. Syria remains a focus country in the UK's 5th National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, guiding our efforts in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325. UK funding supports Syrian women's rights organisations to promote gender equality, strengthen women's roles in peacebuilding, and increase their participation in political and public life. Thirteen years on from the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, the UK is proud of its leadership on this issue and continues to fund programmes in Syria which document human rights violations and support the trial and convictions of perpetrators of these crimes.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any training provided in the United Kingdom or by UK personnel to members of the Israel Defence Forces includes content aligned with the principles of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security; and what steps they have taken to ensure such training supports the prevention of gender-based violence.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. UK training courses promote British values, including respect for and adherence to human rights.
Fewer than ten Israel Defence Forces (IDF) personnel have been trained on non-combat military academic courses in the UK each year since 2020. The exact number of IDF personnel and which courses they are on is being withheld in order to protect personal information.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a mandatory Collective and Individual Training Objective in Command and Staff training for UK Defence, this includes training courses delivered to international defence students. The UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include both the theory and the practical application of IHL.
Likewise, the UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include Protection of Civilians (POC), both at the tactical and operational level. At the tactical level, UK Defence courses include mandatory judgmental training to ensure that a distinction is made between combatants and civilians. At the operational level, POC is integrated into both theoretical and scenario-based training. This is to ensure both UK and Overseas trainees know their responsibility for the application of the Law of Armed Conflict in subsequent operational deployments.
The Ministry of Defence aims to incorporate content aligned with the principles of the Women, Peace and Security agenda into all its training, including UK training courses offered to international students.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any training provided by the United Kingdom to members of the Israel Defence Forces includes instructions in international humanitarian law and the laws of armed conflict; and what steps they have taken to ensure that that content is delivered and upheld.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. UK training courses promote British values, including respect for and adherence to human rights.
Fewer than ten Israel Defence Forces (IDF) personnel have been trained on non-combat military academic courses in the UK each year since 2020. The exact number of IDF personnel and which courses they are on is being withheld in order to protect personal information.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a mandatory Collective and Individual Training Objective in Command and Staff training for UK Defence, this includes training courses delivered to international defence students. The UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include both the theory and the practical application of IHL.
Likewise, the UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include Protection of Civilians (POC), both at the tactical and operational level. At the tactical level, UK Defence courses include mandatory judgmental training to ensure that a distinction is made between combatants and civilians. At the operational level, POC is integrated into both theoretical and scenario-based training. This is to ensure both UK and Overseas trainees know their responsibility for the application of the Law of Armed Conflict in subsequent operational deployments.
The Ministry of Defence aims to incorporate content aligned with the principles of the Women, Peace and Security agenda into all its training, including UK training courses offered to international students.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether training provided by the UK to the Israel Defence Forces includes instruction on the protection of civilians in armed conflict; and what assessment they have made of how that training aligns with the commitments by the UK under international humanitarian law.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. UK training courses promote British values, including respect for and adherence to human rights.
Fewer than ten Israel Defence Forces (IDF) personnel have been trained on non-combat military academic courses in the UK each year since 2020. The exact number of IDF personnel and which courses they are on is being withheld in order to protect personal information.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a mandatory Collective and Individual Training Objective in Command and Staff training for UK Defence, this includes training courses delivered to international defence students. The UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include both the theory and the practical application of IHL.
Likewise, the UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include Protection of Civilians (POC), both at the tactical and operational level. At the tactical level, UK Defence courses include mandatory judgmental training to ensure that a distinction is made between combatants and civilians. At the operational level, POC is integrated into both theoretical and scenario-based training. This is to ensure both UK and Overseas trainees know their responsibility for the application of the Law of Armed Conflict in subsequent operational deployments.
The Ministry of Defence aims to incorporate content aligned with the principles of the Women, Peace and Security agenda into all its training, including UK training courses offered to international students.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what training they have provided to members of the Israel Defence Forces in the United Kingdom since 2020; how many personnel received that training in each year; and what were the stated objectives of the training.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. UK training courses promote British values, including respect for and adherence to human rights.
Fewer than ten Israel Defence Forces (IDF) personnel have been trained on non-combat military academic courses in the UK each year since 2020. The exact number of IDF personnel and which courses they are on is being withheld in order to protect personal information.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a mandatory Collective and Individual Training Objective in Command and Staff training for UK Defence, this includes training courses delivered to international defence students. The UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include both the theory and the practical application of IHL.
Likewise, the UK training courses being provided to Israel Defence Forces personnel include Protection of Civilians (POC), both at the tactical and operational level. At the tactical level, UK Defence courses include mandatory judgmental training to ensure that a distinction is made between combatants and civilians. At the operational level, POC is integrated into both theoretical and scenario-based training. This is to ensure both UK and Overseas trainees know their responsibility for the application of the Law of Armed Conflict in subsequent operational deployments.
The Ministry of Defence aims to incorporate content aligned with the principles of the Women, Peace and Security agenda into all its training, including UK training courses offered to international students.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have received from the Judicial College regarding the compulsory digital training on domestic abuse introduced for family judges, magistrates, and legal advisers in October 2021; including on (1) how many individuals have completed the training, (2) how frequently the training is delivered or refreshed, and (3) what evaluations, if any, have been conducted on its effectiveness in supporting judicial understanding of domestic abuse in the family courts.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave to question HL7248 on 19 May: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.