G20 and COP 29 Summits
Lord Bellingham Excerpts(4 weeks ago)
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Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
I thank the noble and right reverend Lord for his recollections. Many people have similar, personal recollections of John. One of his great strengths was his ability to negotiate. Many felt that he would play up to his gruff exterior at times, but anyone who had watched him in a room of people disagreeing find some way to get some kind of agreement would have understood the brilliance of the man in that regard. That plays into COPs, in that people go in with their own objectives and do not always get what they want, but the worst thing they can do is walk out of the room, leave and make no progress. The lesson I take from John’s life is never to give up.
Lord Bellingham (Con)
My Lords, the Ukraine war was a recurring theme at the G20, and it looks very much as though this appalling war of attrition will continue for the foreseeable future. Obviously, funding is a key matter, and I noted the point from the noble Lord, Lord Newby, about frozen Russian assets. Can the Minister elaborate on that and give the House some explanation of whether there will be a breakthrough there?
Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
My apologies: I did not address that point in the time I had. Yes, there are ongoing discussions with others to make further progress on that.
Middle East
Lord Bellingham Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)
The noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, used to say repeatedly that sanctions are effective only if they are actioned in conjunction with our allies. The United States has imposed sanctions on those people—I hesitate to use the term “settlers”—in the West Bank who are determined to undermine and commit violent acts against Palestinian villages, and we have done the same. I agree that we need to work in concert with our allies. These sanctions under the global human rights regime are aimed at individuals, to show that their behaviour is totally unacceptable and that they would not be able to travel or do certain other things globally. We do look at their effectiveness, working with our allies, but they are not designed in quite the same way as sanctions against a state; they are against individuals.
Lord Bellingham (Con)
My Lords, will the Minister find time today to look at the Red Sea crisis? He will be aware that, this month, after a lull, a couple more vessels have been attacked by the Houthis: the tanker “Olympic Spirit” and the container ship “Megalopolis”. So far, 80 ships have been attacked. This has caused huge disruption to international trade, and many shipping companies have now diverted vessels from the Suez Canal, at great expense. Can the Minister say something about the role of the Royal Navy and what has been done to speed up the time it takes to service and refit destroyers and frigates?
Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)
That is the sort of question that I would expect from my noble friend Lord West. The noble Lord raises an important point about the Red Sea. I have initiated government debates in this House on important subjects, because it is important that we hear views from across the House. That is why I initiated a debate on Sudan, which has a huge impact regionally. This afternoon, we have a debate on the Horn of Africa and exactly the issues that the noble Lord raises. I hope that he will have an opportunity to stay and participate in that debate. We need to hear views about how we can respond. The important thing in the whole region is to ensure stability, stop escalation and ensure that the free routes through are maintained. This is not just about the impact on the United Kingdom; it impacts on global trade. It is an essential route.
Sudan
Lord Bellingham Excerpts(3 months, 1 week ago)
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Lord Bellingham (Con)
My Lords, I too welcome the Minister to his new post and congratulate him on the effort that he has so far put into the Sudan agenda. He has gone to New York and has recently attended the APPG on Sudan and South Sudan—he has commitment. It is a pleasure, incidentally, to follow the noble Lord, Lord Browne; to see an emphasis on the whole defence aspect of this, from him and the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Stirrup, was very valuable.
I was fortunate enough to be appointed Minister for Africa exactly 14 years ago. The second country I visited was Sudan. I remember going there with a sense of considerable optimism. Khartoum is a city that always leaves an extraordinary impression. It is not a beautiful city, but it is a compelling one. I think that anyone who has seen dawn break on the banks of the Nile, to the background of prayers blowing from hundreds of mosques, will agree that it is an unforgettable experience. It is a great city, and it is a tragedy to see that half of it has now been reduced to rubble.
I want to take your Lordships back to why that 2010 optimism was created. It was mainly through relentless international pressure and work on Sudan. First, there was the comprehensive peace agreement, which led to the creation of South Sudan. Along with the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton, I had the privilege of going to the celebrations in South Sudan and visited Juba on a number of occasions, and I saw a young country emerging from years of disaster and civil war with great hope. Unfortunately, that hope has also now been diminished, partly because of the strife between the different tribes, the Nuer and the Dinka, and the inability of Salva Kiir and Riek Machar to work together. However, one reason why there was optimism and hope at that juncture was because of the intervention by the UN and the UNMIS force, which is still in place but which at that time had 14,000 personnel.
I also underline the really good work done by UNAMID, the joint AU-UN mission to Darfur. When it was first launched, it had 26,000 personnel and enabled the World Food Programme to launch what was at the time the largest-ever aid operation. In fact, at that time Sudan was host to, I think, one-third of the world’s peacekeepers. Incidentally, between 2004 and 2014, there were 25 UN Security Council resolutions on Sudan. It really was the centre of a lot of world attention and influence. We were indeed making progress and, in spite of al-Bashir’s ruthless military rule, we started to build good relations with the Sudanese Government, so much so that I remember working with the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton, on trade delegations from the UK and the EU to both Sudans at that point.
However, since the outbreak of this truly ghastly civil war, all that optimism has been replaced by a degree of despair. That has been made worse because, as so many noble Lords have mentioned today, this is indeed the forgotten war. With so much attention on Ukraine and Gaza, and on what is happening in the Far East with China, Sudan has been neglected. One of the differences is that, 20 years ago, Sudan was not neglected.
The scale of the crisis is truly mind-blowing. I will not repeat the facts that a number of people have mentioned already, apart from one: half the population is facing food insecurity. As the noble Baroness, Lady Helic, pointed out, we had the first declaration of famine globally for more than eight years. A very large number of people are dying. I just underline one point: unlike 20 years ago, this conflict-driven hunger stalks the entire country.
People have talked about displacement and the refugee crisis. I do not really want to add anything to that apart from to underline the point made by the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury that it is our problem as well. As the noble Lord, Lord Kerr, pointed out just a moment ago, 60% of the refugees assembling in the villages and areas around Calais indeed come from Sudan. It is our problem, and it is one that we have every obligation to address, and urgently.
The noble and gallant Lord, Lord Stirrup, also mentioned young people, and how young children and women are particularly at risk. Is it not appalling that in 2024 there are hundreds of people dying every day and thousands every week from diseases such as cholera, dengue fever and malaria? All are completely avoidable with the right vaccines and immunisation. Although UNICEF is doing its best, more still must be done. When the Minister goes to New York at the end of this month, will he emphasise that point to UNICEF? The work it is doing is incredible but it is not enough.
We should look at some of the predictions of the scale of tragedy that could be before us if action is not taken. A very depressing report was done recently by the Dutch Clingendael Institute that put the figure of potential deaths in Sudan at 10 million over the next two years. We need action on multiple fronts and, in spite of all the other distractions, we absolutely need relentless pressure and consistent energy to try to find a way forward.
I just want to make a number of suggestions, many of which have been made already, but I will add a little to some of them. Obviously, we need full, consistent, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access—that goes without saying. The Tine crossing into North Darfur from Chad has been open for a while and, as the noble Baroness, Lady Helic, pointed out, the Adre border crossing has now been opened, but only for a limited period. Why cannot that crossing be kept open on a permanent basis?
Neither side should impede aid, and there is overwhelming evidence that both al-Burhan and Hemedti have used starvation as a weapon of war. As a number of noble Lords have pointed out, this is a war crime, and it should be investigated and those responsible held to account.
As the noble Lord, Lord Alton, and others have pointed out, we have seen rape used as a weapon of war and genocide taking place. There is overwhelming evidence that the RSF and its militia allies have committed genocidal slaughter of a Massalit tribe. This is ethnic cleansing in 2024, and it needs an urgent investigation. I ask the Minister whether our own war crimes unit can be given further powers of access and resources.
I will make one point, which the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, touched on. Without a UN presence on the ground in Darfur, I do not see how humanitarian access will be guaranteed or a way forward will be found. It is a tragedy that UNAMID, having done so much over so many years, was wound down. I ask the Minister, when he goes to New York, to put re-empanelling UNAMID back on the agenda, as the noble Baroness suggested. It will require a massive leap of faith and substantial resources, but it is an absolute key priority to get that UN force back on the ground in Darfur.
We need to see the sanctioning of key individuals. I have never been a huge supporter of general sanctions but, as noble Lords who have experience of Zimbabwe know, targeted sanctions can have an impact. There are people out there who need to be turned into world pariahs by having targeted sanctions directed at them, so I ask the Minister also to look at that seriously.
Of course, we need more funding. I praise the incoming Government for making a real effort on this front, but more needs to be done. If one looks at the figures one sees that the UN Sudan appeal is only 41% funded.
My final point is that this tragedy is cascading into the regions around. It is going to cause untold issues around the Red Sea, in the Suez Canal and across the Sahel. The one area where we can add value is through our unique relationship with the UAE. Will the Minister confirm to the House that he will use that special relationship to make representations to the UAE to ensure that it stops this meddling and stops this proxy war? The Sudanese people deserve better, and we must make sure that they have a brighter future.
NATO and European Political Community Meetings
Lord Bellingham Excerpts(5 months ago)
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Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his comments. I do not know all the details of what was discussed in the meeting, but yesterday I spoke to the Home Secretary, who told me that the meeting on migration lasted twice as long as was anticipated, such was the range of issues discussed and the willingness of countries to co-operate on that. This issue is quite complex and multifaceted in some ways. One of the reasons we want to ensure the £58 million for Africa and the Middle East that I spoke about is to tackle some of the root causes of why people flee their countries and seek asylum. We should address those issues—conflict, poverty or the effects of climate change—as they will have an impact on why people want to leave. I hope that some of them will be addressed. As I said, I do not have a full readout of the meeting, but it was very long and I am told that it was also very productive.
Lord Bellingham (Con)
My Lords, the Leader of the House mentioned the restoration of funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency. Obviously, she and the Government will be aware of the level of infiltration by Hamas of that organisation. A number of its staff took part in the appalling evil of 7 October. A number of its schools have funded the storage of weapons. Furthermore, Hamas has been using tunnels under its headquarters for terrorism purposes. Can she assure the House that this organisation really has turned a new leaf and sorted out these problems, and has been properly investigated? Can we really be 100% sure that UK taxpayers’ money will not be used to fund terror and spread hatred?
Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord for that question. I reiterate, and will do so, I am sure, on many occasions, that we utterly condemn Hamas—not just for the attacks on 7 October but for its terrorism and the way in which it behaves. That is an unequivocal attack on Hamas. On the allegations that were raised, there was an independent report from the UN, and we are reassured after that report that UNRWA is ensuring that it meets the highest standards of neutrality and strengthens its procedures, including on vetting, so that there is no contact. That does not for one moment take away from the seriousness of the allegations made. I will also say to the noble Lord that the experience that UNRWA has, its logistical capacity, knowledge and infrastructure are the best way of getting aid to where it is desperately needed— I know that he feels the same about the aid issue. Other countries have felt the same, and the EU and Japan have reinstated funding. I am in no way condoning anything that Hamas does—the noble Lord can be reassured on that—but we need to get aid in and have had assurances via the UN and that report.