Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the UN Security Council to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the human rights of Saharawis in (a) occupied Western Sahara and (b) prisons in Morocco.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 1 June, the Foreign Secretary endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. The UK is continuing to coordinate closely with the UN Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara to support the UN-led process aimed at finding a resolution to the conflict. We hope and intend to work together with stakeholders to encourage dialogue and compromise, with the aim of achieving a peaceful resolution that upholds the dignity and rights of the people of Western Sahara and contributes to long-term regional stability. The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the UN Security Council to (a) give the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara the legal mandate to (i) monitor and (ii) report on human rights in the territories controlled by the (A) Kingdom of Morocco and (B) Frente Polisario and (b) for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara to report the findings to the UN Security Council.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK believes there is an urgent need to resolve this long-held dispute. That is why the Foreign Secretary announced on 1 June that Morocco's autonomy proposal is the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. To this end, we are working with stakeholders to support the UN-led process and encourage dialogue and compromise, with the aim of achieving a peaceful resolution that upholds the dignity and rights of the people of Western Sahara and contributes to long-term regional stability. We will continue to work closely with the UN Personal Envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to ensure that, in the instance of any settlement, the rights and freedoms of the Sahrawi people are adequately protected in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on the expulsion of journalists (a) Matteo Garavoglia and (b) Giovanni Culmone from El Aaiun on 27 April 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have had no such discussions regarding these two individuals. Human rights forms part of our regular bilateral dialogue with Morocco. During the second UK-Morocco Informal Dialogue on Human Rights, held in Rabat on 30 April 2024, we discussed areas of mutual interest, including freedom of expression, empowerment of women, media freedom, and judicial reforms.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with (a) the UN Security Council and (b) his Moroccan counterpart on ensuring access to the occupied territory of Western Sahara by (a) the media and (b) humanitarian NGOs.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. Officials, including up to ambassador level, also engage on these issues with the Moroccan Government and authorities. The UK continues to regularly meet and consult regional and international partners to discuss the issue of Western Sahara, including those from the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the UN, civil society, and the broader international community.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April to Question 42840 on Western Sahara: Human Rights, what discussions he has had with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Western Sahara on the adequacy of the number investigations undertaken by the Moroccan National Human Rights Council following allegations of human rights abuses in Western Sahara since 2015.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco and Western Sahara, and consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards, avoiding any action that may endanger human life. The UK engages regularly with Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara, most recently at senior official level on 1 April. The Minister for Africa last met with him in September 2024.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on granting people with arrest warrants issued against them by the International Criminal Court access to UK airspace.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Airspace access is not within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's policy responsibilities. The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for airspace management and related policies in the UK.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ask the UN Secretary General to investigate (a) how many allegations of human rights abuses have been made to the Moroccan National Human Rights Council in Western Sahara and (b) whether those allegations have been investigated in each year since 2015.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We engage regularly with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Western Sahara.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in the occupied territory of Western Sahara.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We engage regularly with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Western Sahara.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Morocco on the expulsion of (a) Dolores Travieso Darias, (b) Flora Moreno Ramos and (c) Silvestre Suarez Fernandez from El Aaiun.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office have had no such discussions regarding these three individuals.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has considered taking steps to help ensure that (a) Eritrean and (b) other non-Ethiopian federal forces honour the terms of the Ethiopia-Tigray Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, signed on 2 November 2022.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The full implementation of the 'Agreement for Lasting Peace through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities' in Pretoria in November 2022 is key to peace and stability in Northern Ethiopia. The UK continues to be at the forefront of diplomatic and development efforts to sustain the agreement and encourage political dialogue. We regularly engage the parties to the agreement and the African Union guarantors to reiterate the importance of full implementation. We most recently issued a statement to this effect on 13 March alongside the US, EU, and 22 other countries. Furthermore, we are supporting the African Union Monitoring Verification and Compliance Mechanism.