Lord Bishop of Leeds

The Government takes international parental child abduction (IPCA) very seriously and we recognise the distress of all those affected. While we cannot comment on the details of specific cases publicly without consent, when a British child has been abducted and taken overseas, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) support can include signposting to partner organisations, providing help to families with contacting the relevant authorities abroad, expressing our interest in a case with the overseas government and asking about progress, where appropriate. The FCDO has also published guidance to assist parents affected by IPCA: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/international-parental-child-abduction

The Government takes international parental child abduction (IPCA) very seriously and we recognise the distress of all those affected. While we cannot comment on the details of specific cases publicly without consent, when a British child has been abducted and taken overseas, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) support can include signposting to partner organisations, providing help to families with contacting the relevant authorities abroad, expressing our interest in a case with the overseas government and asking about progress, where appropriate. The FCDO has also published guidance to assist parents affected by IPCA: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/international-parental-child-abduction

The UK strongly lobbied the Government of Iraq to pass the Yazidi Survivors' Law in March 2021. As a ground-breaking piece of legislation, this represented an important first step towards accountability and justice for survivors of Daesh violence. These survivors are predominantly minority women, who suffered from crimes such as conflict-related sexual violence and domestic servitude.

The UK is funding the General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs with £340,000 over three years (2022/23-2024/25), through the International Organization for Migration. This funding will support the law's full, and survivor-centred, implementation. It will also further develop capacity for Daesh accountability and help survivors access mental health and psychosocial support and rebuild their lives.

Furthermore, the UK will continue to work with Iraq and international partners to ensure that Daesh are held accountable for the crimes they have committed, following the closure in September 2024 of the United Nations investigative team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Daesh.

The UK is disappointed that minority communities in Iraq, including Christians and Yazidis, continue to report cases of discrimination, intimidation, and harassment by armed groups. These cases can be exacerbated by their political underrepresentation, limited routes for redress, and protracted displacement.

This is why our programmes, through the UK Integrated Security Fund, tackle the key drivers of instability and aim to support a more accountable, capable, and inclusive society, through effective governance structures.

For example, in 2023, we implemented a £15,000 programme in Bashiqa, in Nineveh Province (an area still recovering from the impacts of Daesh), to improve religious tolerance and social cohesion, through initiatives focussed on arts and culture. This was implemented by The Lotus Flower, a charity supporting women and girls impacted by conflict and displacement, with funding from the UK's John Bunyan Fund for Freedom of Religion and Belief.

Reducing the threat from Daesh and preventing a Daesh resurgence remains a top priority in our relationship with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government.

The UK continues to collaborate with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the international humanitarian community as we collectively seek durable solutions (led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) for those displaced and living in insecure conditions.

Through the International Organization for Migration, the UK is contributing to the immediate stabilisation of those who remain internally displaced by funding quick impact projects and livelihood support activities. For example, we have provided the UN funding facility for stabilisation with £32 million, to restore vital public services such as utilities and education across liberated areas of Iraq. The UK also provides funding to the office of the UN durable solutions adviser to lead the UN's strategic coordination efforts.

We will always strive to ensure that internally displaced persons in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, are protected and that their returns can be safe, dignified, and voluntary.

The UK is committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. We demonstrate this through our engagement, both multilaterally and bilaterally. For example, earlier this month, UK Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, attended the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council and met with counterparts to discuss key issues.

In Iraq, we recognise that continued insecurity is challenging for its religious and ethnic minorities. Through our diplomatic presence, we regularly raise FoRB with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. We also support civil society groups to freely advocate on behalf of minority groups.

FoRB-specific goals are also threaded throughout British Embassy Baghdad's and British Consulate General Erbil's programme work. We are careful to ensure that these focus on local cohesion and minimise the risk of inadvertently exacerbating community divisions.

Countering the rollback of and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of the UK's programming and policy work in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Alongside Official Development Assistance (ODA), programmes are also delivered through the UK Integrated Security Fund (UKISF), which is funded through both ODA and non-ODA sources.

While the £2.7 million Women's Voices First programme completed in May 2024, its second phase will provide up to £5 million further over the next 3 years. This continued UKISF programme helps to strengthen grassroots Iraqi women's rights organisations and women-led organisations, advances locally led approaches, and contributes to inclusive peace and security in communities, across Federal Iraq and the KRI.

The UK is also funding the International Organisation for Migration to provide capacity building support to the General Directorate of Survivors Affairs, and to civil society organisations, to advance the Yazidi Survivors' Law and deliver mental health and psychosocial support for Yazidi and other minority survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

In addition, the UK also helps to advance family planning and sexual and reproductive health initiatives through the £14 million Demographic Transition in Iraq project.

The UK continues to assess the implications for minorities', women's and children's rights following the amendment to Iraq's Personal Status Law was passed by Iraq's Parliament on 21 January. We have long emphasised the importance of any legislative change to be compatible with Iraq's international obligations.

We urge all our partners to uphold international norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can support parliamentarians' visits overseas that support parliamentary business and the UK's objectives. An appropriate level of assistance from the FCDO is dependent on resource implications and capacity issues of individual missions, including the British Consulate General in Erbil.

The UK is committed to protecting women and girls' rights and supports projects that strengthen women-led organisations, support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and increase women's participation in political life.

Through our diplomatic presence, we regularly encourage the Iraqi authorities' role in safeguarding the human rights for all. Countering the rollback of and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of the UK's programming and policy work in Iraq. Following successful lobbying by the UK and our international partners, the amendment to the Personal Status Law maintained the same age of marriage as the current law (18, with 15 on exception).

We urge all our partners to uphold international norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the UN Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls.

The Foreign Secretary has spoken with President Kagame and President Tshisekedi to call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic talks. The UK has been at the forefront of encouraging regionally-led peace efforts, including the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam 7-8 February committed to resuming dialogue and negotiations with all state and non-state parties and supporting this with AU-appointed facilitators, as well as calling for improved humanitarian access.

In the UK's statement on the situation in eastern DRC, we called for the immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. We have been clear with Rwanda that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community.

The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the UN Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls.

The Foreign Secretary has spoken with President Kagame and President Tshisekedi to call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic talks. The UK has been at the forefront of encouraging regionally-led peace efforts, including the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam 7-8 February committed to resuming dialogue and negotiations with all state and non-state parties and supporting this with AU-appointed facilitators, as well as calling for improved humanitarian access.

In the UK's statement on the situation in eastern DRC, we called for the immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. We have been clear with Rwanda that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community.

The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the UN Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls.

The Foreign Secretary has spoken with President Kagame and President Tshisekedi to call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic talks. The UK has been at the forefront of encouraging regionally-led peace efforts, including the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam 7-8 February committed to resuming dialogue and negotiations with all state and non-state parties and supporting this with AU-appointed facilitators, as well as calling for improved humanitarian access.

In the UK's statement on the situation in eastern DRC, we called for the immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. We have been clear with Rwanda that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community.

As announced by the Deputy Foreign Secretary during his visit at the end of March to the Chad/Sudan border to meet refugees from Sudan, this financial year the UK's official development assistance (ODA) will almost double to £89 million to Sudan with most of this going towards humanitarian aid including assistance to address food insecurity. Specifically, our ODA in Sudan will include support to UNICEF to provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas in Sudan, including nutrition, water and hygiene services for 500,000 children under 5. In addition, the UK will be working with the World Food Programme to provide assorted food commodities. The UK's ODA will also increase to £111 million to South Sudan, which will include provision for continued humanitarian support for new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan. We will also continue to provide ODA assistance in Chad in 2024/2025, which will include support for the refugee crisis in eastern Chad such as food, shelter and other assistance by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and through the World Food Programme.

The UK continues to speak out publicly and vigorously to press the warring parties to facilitate unhindered, crossline and cross-border humanitarian access. On 27 February, the UK called for the UN Security Council to convene for a closed consultation in response to the SAF's decision to withdraw permission for the movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies into Sudan from Chad via the Adré crossing. On 20 March, we made a UK intervention at the Security Council highlighting the OCHA White Note's clear warning that obstruction of humanitarian access by the SAF and RSF is resulting in people in Sudan starving. On 8 March, the UK led the Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire for Ramadan and for urgent humanitarian access.

The UK is working with a wide range of partners, including Gulf and African countries, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN, to urge the parties to agree a permanent ceasefire, to allow unfettered humanitarian access, to protect civilians and to commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process. We welcome reported plans to restart talks in Jeddah, jointly led by the US and Saudi Arabia. The UK Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea spends a significant amount of time on efforts to secure peace in Sudan, working closely with other envoys covering Sudan.

There is a UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, which the UN renewed in March 2023. There is also a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan. In our engagement with all our international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict.

The FCDO maintains a relationship with, and supports, the Sudanese diaspora in the UK, including through engagement with them at events and at the monthly meeting between the FCDO and the APPG for Sudan and South Sudan.

The Government has consistently condemned the politically motivated conviction of Vladimir Kara-Murza and called for his release. The conditions in the Omsk penal colony are threatening Mr Kara-Murza's life and his health is deteriorating. He must be released on humanitarian grounds for urgent medical treatment.

We continue to seek consular access to Mr Kara-Murza. Russia has repeatedly denied this, not recognising dual nationals as being in scope of our agreement on consular relations. Officials in London and Moscow continue to raise concerns for Mr Kara-Murza's health with the Russians. Mr Kara-Murza's family receive consular support.

We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Ukraine. This includes widespread destruction of religious sites, and the imposition of restrictive Russian laws in the temporarily controlled territories. The UK is tracking the development of Ukraine's draft law and continues to encourage our Ukrainian partners to ensure that the law is fully aligned with Ukraine's FoRB commitments. We are clear that the only way to restore the full enjoyment of FoRB in Ukraine is for Russia to end its invasion and withdraw its troops.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

On 4 May the UK announced an initial £5 million allocation which will help to provide urgent assistance to tens of thousands of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad fleeing violence in Sudan. We will share details about implementing agencies in due course. Via the UK's diplomatic presence across Africa, we are working to assess the needs of those displaced by the violence in Sudan and who have sought safety in neighbouring countries. The UK is a committed donor in Sudan, having spent over £250 million in humanitarian aid in the last five years.

Protecting minority communities is a key part of the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. I [Lord Ahmad] discussed the need to safeguard the rights of religious minorities during my meeting with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 30 January, and raised proposed amendments to the blasphemy laws. I also discussed the importance of promoting respect for all religions during my meeting with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on 14 December 2022.

Protecting women's rights is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. I [Lord Ahmad] raised forced conversions in my meeting with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, on 14 October 2022. I also conducted a roundtable discussion in Pakistan with human rights stakeholders on 15 October, discussing gender-based violence. In December 2022, the UK announced sanctions against Mian Abdul Haq, a Pakistani cleric who is responsible for the forced religious conversions and forced marriages of non-Muslims and minors.

International Non-Government Organisations (INGOs) are important partners for the UK. They deliver relief to some of the poorest people in Pakistan. The UK government has raised the matter of forced closures of INGOs with the Government of Pakistan and continues to engage on this issue. We continue to urge a clear and transparent process to ensure INGOs can operate effectively in Pakistan.

Pakistan is one of the FCDO's human rights priority countries and protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief is an integral part of our engagement. On 14 October, I (Lord Ahmad) met with Human Rights Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, where he specifically raised Freedom of Religion or Belief. I (Lord Ahmad) also conducted a roundtable discussion in Pakistan with human rights stakeholders and civil society leaders on 15 October to discuss freedom of expression and assembly. On 20 October, the High Commissioner met with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, where he highlighted the UK's commitment to free and open societies, of which the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is crucial. The UK remains committed to working with Pakistan to protect these rights.

The UK is a leading donor in support of Ukraine, with support totalling approximately £3.8 billion. To date, that assistance includes £22 million of support in the energy sector: £7 million for over 850 generators to ensure vital facilities, such as hospitals, have power; £10 million to the Energy Community's support fund to help Ukraine's efforts to repair infrastructure and reconnect households and key facilities to electricity and gas supply; and £5 million for safety and security equipment for the civil nuclear sector.

The UK condemns Russia's intentional bombing of Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure, which is causing widespread destruction. Russia's new wave of bombardments has deliberately targeted critical national infrastructure, leaving as much as thirty per cent of Ukraine's power stations damaged or destroyed. These Russian attacks are also killing innocent Ukrainian civilians, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, and could constitute a breach of international humanitarian law. They are further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis Putin's war has created, with over six million people displaced within Ukraine and over seven million Ukrainians registered as refugees in Europe.

The Prime Minister attended the inaugural Summit of European Leaders in Prague on 6 October. The Prime Minister secured commitments on UK priorities, including demonstrating European support for Ukraine, and energy and illegal migration. The Prime Minister was clear in her engagement ahead of the Summit, including with President Macron on 20 September, that it should not create or duplicate institutional structures (e.g. NATO or the G7), it should be entirely separate from the EU with a non-EU country hosting next, and maintain a wide membership.

The UK Government is deeply concerned by, and condemns, the violence and destruction of property in Kazakhstan in early January, particularly in the city of Almaty. The Government greatly regrets the loss of life and sends its condolences to families of the deceased. We have noted President Tokayev's speeches at the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Summit on 10 January and to the Kazakh parliament on 11 January, where he described the events in Almaty and other cities across Kazakhstan as an attempted coup. We continue to engage directly with the Kazakh authorities to gain further insights into the chain of events.

We have been clear that any international forces should have a clear mission, be time limited and proportionate in any use of force. It is also important that Kazakhstan's sovereignty is respected. President Tokayev informed the Kazakh parliament on 11 January that a phased withdrawal of the CSTO peacekeeping contingent would begin shortly. All of the Russian peacekeeping contingent are now reported to have left Kazakhstan and other CSTO forces are returning to their home countries.

I spoke with the Kazakh Ambassador to the UK on 6 January, with Deputy Foreign Minister Alimbayev on 7 January and with President Tokayev's Special Representative, Erzhan Kazykhan, on 14 January. During these meetings, I underlined the importance of law enforcement responses being proportionate, that due process is followed in the judicial system, and that freedom of speech and expression are respected in line with Kazakhstan's international commitments.

We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan on 23 and 24 June, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Minister responsible for human rights, met Prime Minister Khan, as well as other senior government ministers including Foreign Minister Qureshi, and Human Rights Minister Mazari. During these meetings, Lord Ahmad highlighted the need to address persecution, promote respect for all religions and increase tolerance for religious minorities. Pakistan's receipt of Enhanced Framework trade preferences is subject to conditions, including ratification and effective implementation of 27 Conventions on human and labour rights, sustainability and good governance. This includes complying with those conventions' reporting and monitoring requirements.

The UK strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls' rights and gender equality at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan on 23 and 24 June, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Minister responsible for human rights, met Prime Minister Khan, as well as other senior government ministers including Foreign Minister Qureshi, and Human Rights Minister Mazari. During these meetings, Lord Ahmad highlighted the need to address persecution, promote respect for all religions and increase tolerance for religious minorities. He met interfaith leaders to understand the situation of minorities in Pakistan, particularly the issue of forced conversion and marriage of young girls. In addition to our diplomatic engagement, the FCDO funds programmes in Pakistan that directly address early and forced marriages, gender-based violence and modern slavery.