Syria: Druze Community
Debate between Lord Hain and Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I welcomed the noble Lord’s concerns at the time; he was right to raise them. We were at the forefront of lifting sanctions at that point. I still think that was the right decision, because in order to get the stability and security that Syria needs and that we all want to see, it is important that the Government of Syria are able to do what is necessary to rebuild the economy there and support the strengthening of the state. That was the right decision at that point but, clearly, we keep all these issues under very close review. I confirm to the noble Lord that we work as closely as possible with our international partners, because, as he suggests, the stability of Syria is so important to the entire region.
Lord Hain (Lab)
My Lords, I welcome what my noble friend the Minister has said, including on sanctions, and emphasise what she has also indicated, that this is a very complex situation. The portrayal of the Syrian conflict by the noble Lord, Lord Cameron, when he was Prime Minister, as being between an evil dictator, which Assad was, and the people, was too simplistic. This is a divided society with all sorts of divisions and proxies—Sunni proxies and Shia proxies—and Turkey playing a distinct and sometimes malevolent role. Therefore, this needs to be approached in a very careful way, which I hope she will do.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I completely agree with my noble friend. He has been following these events and has himself been involved at various points over the years. With regard to what he said about Assad, we were all glad to see him go. We now face a situation where a nascent Government have formed a Cabinet that is pluralistic; we welcome that, but we need a Government who are properly representative of Syria. They need to be able to strengthen their provision of public services to achieve security for their population. To do that, they need their population to return, and we are helping with that as well. There is a great deal to do. My noble friend’s point about the complexity, and the long-term commitments that will be required to ensure the future for Syria that we all want, is a point very well made.
Gaza: Peace Talks
Debate between Lord Hain and Baroness Chapman of Darlington(7 months, 2 weeks ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Chapman of Darlington) (Lab)
My Lords, resolving the conflict has been a priority since day 1 of this Government. The fighting must stop and all sides must seize the opportunity to open a pathway to lasting peace and stability. We are encouraged by the progress being made on ceasefire negotiations and urge all parties to show the flexibility needed to reach an agreement. We continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire and secure the safe release of hostages in co-ordination with international partners.
Lord Hain (Lab)
My Lords, does my noble friend not agree that Palestinians, Israelis and indeed the whole world need a permanent ceasefire—not a quick fix, but a real end to hostilities? All the hostages should be out and Palestinian civilians should be returned to what little remains of their Gaza homes north and south. There should be no more starvation—which means preserving UNRWA—no reduction in the size of this integral part of the state of Palestine and no Israeli settlements. A Marshall-type plan is needed for the recovery of Gaza, with everyone held to respecting international law. Surely, this is the only path to real and stable peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. How will the Government help achieve that?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I thank my noble friend and acknowledge the work that he did as Minister for the Middle East and North Africa. He is absolutely right that a permanent peace is what we need to seek. A ceasefire would only ever be the first step. The hostages must be released and be home with their families. We also agree on the importance of UNRWA being able to continue its work. My noble friend asked about reconstruction. We are thinking very much about the next phase of planning in Gaza and building up its governance and security institutions. This must be predicated on tangible progress towards a Palestinian state.
Chagos Islands
Debate between Lord Hain and Baroness Chapman of Darlington(9 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
We consider this issue closely. I draw noble Lords’ attention to the fact that Mauritius is a close ally of ours and of India, and it does not take part in the Chinese belt and road initiative. It is our view that the stable, secure and long-term arrangement we now have protects the Chagos Islands from any interest from any other parties that we would not wish to see.
Lord Hain (Lab)
As a Minister of State who dealt with this matter a quarter of a century ago, I applaud the Government for reaching an agreement. Does the Minister agree that if the treaty were somehow derailed by some of its critics, surely the losers would be not just our country but the United States, Mauritius, the Chagossians themselves, the United Nations General Assembly, the Commonwealth, the African Union and international law?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
It is hard to believe that it was 25 years ago. We are confident about this treaty and the fact that it secures our presence in the Indian Ocean. We accept that when there is a change of Government questions are raised and it is right that new Governments will want to cast their own eyes over the deal that has been done. We respect that and will co-operate, but we are confident that we can answer any concerns that may exist, because we think this is the right thing for us, for Mauritius and for the Chagos Islands, in securing our security.
International Anti-Corruption Court
Debate between Lord Hain and Baroness Chapman of Darlington(11 months, 3 weeks ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Chapman of Darlington) (Lab)
My Lords, this Government will drive a powerful agenda to tackle corruption and kleptocracy, working at home and with international partners. Addressing the issue of impunity for the most egregious acts of corruption is vital. International engagement will be crucial, including discussions around the proposed international anti-corruption court, which we will certainly engage with as they arise. We are also considering how to build on the world-leading capabilities in the National Crime Agency, among other areas.
Lord Hain (Lab)
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for her encouraging Answer and also applaud the Foreign Secretary for backing a new international anti-corruption court. It is vital to combat the transnational networks of corrupt politicians, officials, bribe payers and money launderers who act with impunity to enrich themselves, London and the UK overseas territories being havens for corrupt billions. A diverse group of eminent experts has just met in Hamburg to develop a draft treaty, so when do the Government intend to hold discussions with other interested Governments, especially the main victims in the global South, on the urgent necessity to establish the court?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I am grateful to my noble friend for both his Question and his decades-long mission on this topic. He is absolutely right to want to hold our feet to the fire on this. Tackling illicit finance across the UK, its overseas territories and the Crown dependencies, as well as working with partners internationally, is a priority for the Government, and the Foreign Secretary recently stated in the other place that he intends to take up these issues “with full vigour”. The Government are certainly interested in the progress of discussions around the establishment of the court. We are mindful of the importance of the issues that the noble Lord raises and the need to work in tandem with our international partners to explore the proposals for the court and to tackle illicit financial flows more broadly.