Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in The Gambia in relation to (a) freedom of expression and (b) freedom of association.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The British Government has a strong relationship with The Gambia and is encouraged by positive progress on the human rights situation since President Barrow took office in 2017. We welcome the commitment of the President and the Government of The Gambia to embrace change by drafting a new Gambian Constitution that has a human rights based approach to development with freedom of expression, freedom of association and media freedom at the heart of it. As the former Foreign Secretary acknowledged at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event on 2 May 2019, The Gambia has made huge strides in improving media freedoms having climbed 30 places in the World Press Freedom Index over the last year.
When our Ambassador for Human Rights visited The Gambia in October, she held constructive meetings across the Government of The Gambia and with civil society on human rights issues. We now look forward to The Gambia’s upcoming Human Rights Universal Periodic Review on 5 November and urge the Government of the Gambia to implement recommendations appropriately in fulfilment of their human rights obligations.
The UK will continue to support The Gambia taking specific action to resolve the challenges still to be addressed so that the human rights of all its citizens are respected and protected.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help promote media freedom in The Gambia.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The British Government has a strong relationship with The Gambia and is encouraged by positive progress on the human rights situation since President Barrow took office in 2017. We welcome the commitment of the President and the Government of The Gambia to embrace change by drafting a new Gambian Constitution that has a human rights based approach to development with freedom of expression, freedom of association and media freedom at the heart of it. As the former Foreign Secretary acknowledged at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event on 2 May 2019, The Gambia has made huge strides in improving media freedoms having climbed 30 places in the World Press Freedom Index over the last year.
When our Ambassador for Human Rights visited The Gambia in October, she held constructive meetings across the Government of The Gambia and with civil society on human rights issues. We now look forward to The Gambia’s upcoming Human Rights Universal Periodic Review on 5 November and urge the Government of the Gambia to implement recommendations appropriately in fulfilment of their human rights obligations.
The UK will continue to support The Gambia taking specific action to resolve the challenges still to be addressed so that the human rights of all its citizens are respected and protected.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the humanitarian crisis in the anglophone region of Cameroon is a priority for his Department.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The British Government remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon. We continue to raise these concerns at the highest levels, including with the Government of Cameroon, at the UN and with international partners. The British Government is providing lifesaving assistance to thousands of people in the Anglophone regions through a £2.5m contribution to the UN's humanitarian response plan. We urge all sides to engage in credible dialogue to tackle root causes of the crisis. Supporting security, stability and good governance in Africa is a foreign policy priority.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the presence of al-Shabaab in Somalia; and what support his Department is providing to the Somali Government to counter the threat of al-Shabaab.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Al-Shabaab represents a serious threat to security and stability in Somalia. The UK provides support to countering that threat through the provision of stipends and training to the African Union Mission in Somalia, which has been successful in driving al-Shabaab out of key urban centres. The UK also has an extensive programme of support to Somalia's security sector reform, which is helping Somalia take responsibility for its own national security, and ensuring it is threatened less by al-Shabaab. The UK also plays a leading role in upholding and strengthening the UN's Somalia sanctions regime that takes measures against those who seek to prevent a peaceful political process and threaten regional stability.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of media freedom in Tanzania since the arrest of investigative journalist Erick Kabendera.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
On 5 August, I said publically that we were concerned at Mr Kabendera's continued detention and that the charges kept changing – a tactic commonly used to stop journalists from doing their job. On 9 August, our High Commission and the Embassy of the United States in Dar Es Salaam issued a joint statement expressing concern about Mr Kabendera's detention and the steady erosion of due process in Tanzania. The British Government believes that media freedom is vital to functioning societies and that journalists must be able to investigate and report as they see fit. The Government of Tanzania is well aware of our stance given that the Foreign Minister Kabudi attended the Media Freedom Conference in London last month.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the prospects for a peace deal in Afghanistan.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
Despite continuing challenges, there is the real prospect of a credible peace process for Afghanistan. Concerted Afghan and international efforts continue, with positive signs including US-Taliban talks; the recent intra-Afghan dialogue co-convened by Germany and Qatar; and the consultative Loya Jirga in Kabul. Intra-Afghan negotiations are now needed to find a sustainable settlement which will assure the country's future peace and stability. It is crucial that the democratically elected National Unity Government plays a central role, and that peace efforts are inclusive, including women and minorities. The people of Afghanistan deserve peace after decades of conflict and insecurity. We strongly believe that a political settlement is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) involvement of civil society in the talks between the US and the Taliban in Afghanistan and (b) rights of women in any agreement that might be reached in those talks.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
Talks between the US Government and the Taliban are a positive step towards an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. Resolution of the conflict will require negotiations between Afghans, including the National Unity Government and the Taliban. We continue to make clear the importance of the involvement of civil society and of women and minorities in the process to shape Afghanistan's future.
Afghanistan is a focus country in the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and a priority country in our efforts to promote women's meaningful inclusion in peace processes. We encourage the Afghanistan Government to bring women into discussions on peace and to ensure the participation of Afghan women in all levels of decision-making, from the local level to the negotiation table. The UK funds programmes in support of this, including a pilot on local approaches to peace, with an emphasis on women, across four districts and two provinces. We also support the "Open Jirga" television programme which provides a platform for women's representation in politics, including on the critical issue of peace.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the decision to move Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to the island of Bhasan Charan, which is at risk of severe flooding and cyclones.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
We have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified and meet international humanitarian principles and standards.
The UK fully supports the UN’s position that full and detailed technical and protection assessments should be conducted of Bhasan Char before any relocations of Rohingya are considered. We welcome the Government of Bangladesh’s commitment to ensure any relocations are voluntary and are conducted in coordination with UN agencies.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what further steps his Department is taking to stop the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the World Health Organization declared the crisis a public health emergency of international concern.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The UK has been one of the major supporters of the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since it began in August 2018. This has included providing significant funding and technical expertise. Two days before the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), on 15 July, DFID announced additional financial and technical support of up to £50 million – recognising the seriousness of the situation in DRC and the high risk of regional spread.
Following the PHEIC declaration, the UK has echoed the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in encouraging countries, companies and individuals to avoid measures that could undermine the response and further fuel insecurity, notably the closure of borders.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sudanese counterpart on the reports of the killing of peaceful protesters in Sudan in June.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
We are aware of the BBC Africa Eye investigation which alleges that senior Sudanese military rulers ordered the killing of protestors on 3 June. In his statement of 3 June, the Foreign Secretary condemned the attack on protestors by Sudanese security forces and said that the Transitional Military Council (TMC) bore full responsibility for these events. The UK has been clear, at both ministerial and official levels, that there must be justice and accountability for atrocities committed both by the former regime and more recently. On 23 June, the UK Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan delivered this message directly to the Sudanese authorities. The UK has also made public statements in multilateral fora such as the EU Foreign Affairs Council (17 June) and the UN Human Rights Council (9 July). We note the agreement between the TMC and Forces of Freedom and Change to conduct a transparent and independent investigation into the violence committed against peaceful protestors on 3 June.