Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West MP visited Hong Kong for a two-day programme of engagements. Minister West met with stakeholders across the Hong Kong Government, the business community and the public to discuss areas of co-operation and challenge on areas of contention.

In her engagements with Hong Kong Government officials, the Minister flagged concerns over the erosion of Hong Kong's rights and freedoms, including under the National Security Law.

Minister West met with Regina Ip on 31 October in an official capacity. Human rights were raised as part of the discussion.

The UK will continue to speak often and candidly with Hong Kong authorities across both areas of contention as well as areas for cooperation. Engagement with representatives of Hong Kong and China is pragmatic and necessary to support UK interests.

The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and has restated its importance alongside G7 partners. We consider the Taiwan issue to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo. This includes increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan.

Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is a matter of global concern. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. The UK also opposes any actions which increase the risk of miscalculation in the South China Sea.

We keep potential sanctions under close review, but it would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions as to do so could reduce their impact.

The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the June-October 2024 Hunger Hotspots report. We are the third largest government donor to the World Food Programme (WFP) and so far in 2024 have contributed over $400 million to WFP programs, including in Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan and Haiti. Furthermore, on 17 November the Foreign Secretary announced a major aid increase of £113 million which will support more than one million people in Sudan and neighbouring countries affected by the devastating war in Sudan.

We are also investing in lasting solutions that build food insecure households' resilience to shocks and drive sustainable growth. At the G20 Leaders' Summit on 18 November, the Prime Minister confirmed UK membership of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, to work with global partners, share expertise and unlock finance for interventions that work at scale.

The UK is closely monitoring the potential development of La Niña conditions and in particular the risk of food security impacts in the Horn of Africa and Southern Africa.

The UK is a committed humanitarian donor, channelling over £277 million in Humanitarian Aid to the Africa region in 2023 and is already operating humanitarian programmes in those countries of concern highlighted in the Hunger Hotspots report. Those programmes are standing-by to adapt as required. On 17 November the Foreign Secretary announced a major aid increase of £113 million for people in Sudan and neighbouring countries.

The FCDO's development spending is used to achieve better development outcomes, with a strong focus on poverty reduction and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. UK support is targeted to where it is most needed and effective including, where appropriate, to minority religious or belief communities. Our Equalities Impact Unit raises capability across the FCDO on Equality Impact Assessments and the Public Sector Equality Duty so that decisions on ODA allocations and programmes give due regard to the potential impacts on protected characteristics. Through our annual Management Assurance Process, we assess performance across the FCDO on integrating equality considerations into our work.

The Government has invested in the UK's capacity to monitor atrocities and instability in Burkina Faso, including mass attacks on civilians committed by violent extremist organisations and other actors. The root causes of violence in Burkina Faso are complex: as well as having a basis in religious extremist ideology, Islamic extremist groups have proliferated in the Sahel region due to contested governance, gender and social exclusion, limited economic opportunity and competition over land and natural resources.

The UK remains committed to funding overseas development aid to address the drivers of conflict and reduce the influence of violent extremist organisations in the region, including through providing over £142 million in bilateral overseas development aid to the Sahel this financial year.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. The Foreign Secretary raised human rights in every meeting with his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including during his recent visit to China on 18 October.

More broadly, this Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for all internationally. We will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our positions at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora and through bilateral engagement.

The UK condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's deployment of its troops to the Russian Federation to support Russia's unlawful war of aggression in Ukraine, as the Foreign Secretary made clear in the joint statement he issued on 22 October with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Cho Tae-yul.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor opened an investigation into the situation in Ukraine in March 2022. This includes any past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on any part of the territory of Ukraine by any person from 21 November 2013 onwards. The Prosecutor's investigations are fully independent, and the UK will respond to any requests from the ICC for co-operation with its investigations through the appropriate channels.

We should all be concerned about the implications of deepening Russia-DPRK military cooperation for Europe, the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific region, and the wider world. Our Defence Intelligence has confirmed that 10,000 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia, with a significant proportion heading to fight for Putin in Kursk. A DPRK with improved military technology and enhanced capacity to export weapons could fuel instability in vulnerable conflict areas around the world. Together with our partners, we are closely monitoring the situation and its implications. The UK's support for Ukraine is ironclad. The UK has provided £12.8 billion in military, humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine since 2022.

The UK respects Pakistan's right to choose its own international partners. The Foreign Secretary raised UK concerns relating to Russia's illegal war in Ukraine with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar of Pakistan at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on 25 October 2024. President Putin's invasion of Ukraine is a serious violation of the UN Charter and we are clear that engagements with the Russian Government should not be treated as business as usual. We continue to discuss global peace and security with Pakistan at Ministerial and official levels.

We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights internationally, most recently in statements at the UN General Assembly on 8 October and at the UN Human Rights Council on 9 October. Officials have directly pressed the Taliban to reverse their repressive 'vice and virtue' law and that we consider it to be a grotesque backwards-step.

We are aware of calls for the inclusion of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Afghanistan attended an event in Parliament on this on 29 October. There are complex legal and political questions associated with gender apartheid and we will take these into account when forming our position.

Jimmy Lai's case remains a priority for the Government. We continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution of Jimmy Lai and immediately release Mr Lai. In a recent visit to Beijing, the Foreign Secretary met with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing and called for Mr Lai's release.

This government seeks to engage with Hong Kong authorities to pursue UK interests, while defending the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. We will support UK business to engage with China, including Hong Kong, while being open-eyed to any risks and ensuring security and resilience.

We are aware of reports of the desecration of Ahmadi mosques and graves in Pakistan. The UK strongly condemns all instances of hate or violence directed towards Ahmadiyya Muslims and other marginalised religious communities in Pakistan. The Minister for Afghanistan and Pakistan underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when he met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Azam Tarar on 4 September. On 28 October, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan raised concerns around threats of violence directed towards Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan with the Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Alongside our diplomatic engagement, we continue to support projects promoting the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan, including facilitating interfaith dialogue and protecting marginalised communities from hate speech online.

The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Catholic Bishops.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. The Foreign Secretary has raised human rights with his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including during his recent visit to China on 18 October.

More broadly, this Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.

The UK is supportive of the citizen-led Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and recognises the critical life-saving work they provide for communities in Sudan. The UK is one of the largest funders of the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) which supports the Emergency Response Rooms, as well as a consortium of International non-governmental organisations delivering protection services. Last year, we provided £23 million to the SHF. On 6 August, the Minister of State for Development met with representatives of the ERRs at the forefront of the humanitarian response in Sudan to better understand the challenges they face. We will continue to support the use of cash through a range of partners.

The UK condemns the appalling violence in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, including the impact this has had on the Saudi Hospital. The UK is funding the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) which is providing support to the Saudi Hospital. The UK is one of the largest donors to the SHF.

The UK condemns the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi, and all others who have been detained arbitrarily. The charges against her are politically motivated. At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and in a joint press statement with other international partners in July, we have consistently called for the full implementation of UNSC resolution 2669 (December 2022), which demands the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all those arbitrarily detained.

Resolving the crisis in Myanmar is an important priority for the UK. Diplomatically, the UK uses its penholder role at the UNSC to support ASEAN's leadership and maintain an international spotlight on the deteriorating situation. We also maintain an embassy in Yangon to manage our wide-ranging humanitarian programmes (over £150 million since the coup). Although the UK has not appointed a separate Special Envoy for Myanmar, we have attended, and will continue to attend, Special Envoys' meetings to help resolve the crisis. We are committed to pressuring the military regime to change course through sanctions targeted at stopping its access to finance, arms and equipment. This includes a recent full sanctions programme announced in October 2024.

The UK has announced 19 rounds of targeted sanctions, most recently in October 2024 against suppliers of aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar military.  We continue to support all ASEAN efforts, including the 5 Point Consensus. ASEAN have explicitly asked the UK to back their efforts by keeping the UN Security Council united on Myanmar. In October, Indonesia convened a meeting for Special Envoys from across the international community, including the ASEAN Special Envoy and UN Special Envoy. Several international stakeholders, including the UK, sent senior officials to attend the meeting. The UK also provides aid frequently which supports the role of civil society to promote peace and stability in Myanmar.

The UK strongly condemns reports of attacks on religious minorities in Burkina Faso and has consistently called on all actors in Burkina Faso to respect human rights and adhere to international humanitarian law.

The UK is providing over £142 million in bilateral overseas development aid to the Sahel this financial year, the majority of this is humanitarian aid for displaced people but programmes also promote stability and conflict resolution, provide health services and bolster resilience to climate change.

The UK has issued eighteen rounds of sanctions targeting the Myanmar military regime's access to finance, arms and equipment. This includes six sanctions targeting the import of aviation fuel (three individuals and three entities). The UK continues to consider sanctions on entities and individuals who are involved in supplying the military regime with funding and resources. The UK remains committed to sanctions that directly impact the military regime without adversely affecting the wider population. This will be a key consideration in any future designations.

The UK supports the report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and strongly condemns all human rights violations in Myanmar. The UK continues to use targeted sanctions to pressure the military regime to change course: in February, we issued an 18th round of sanctions, targeting the Myanmar Security Force's access to finance, arms and equipment. Since the coup, the UK has provided more than £150 million for life-saving humanitarian assistance, and support for civil society and local communities in Myanmar. Over 50 per cent of our funding goes directly to local civil society organisations, overcoming humanitarian access restrictions to support the most vulnerable and hard to reach communities.

We condemn Iran's restrictions against Freedom of Religion or Belief. The continued systematic targeting of the Baha'i community, which includes unfair arrest and detention, land grabs, and denial of burial rights, is unacceptable. We are committed to working with international partners to hold Iran to account for its repression of the Bahai's, and other religious minorities, including at the UN Third Committee.

The UK strongly condemns all human rights abuses in Myanmar. There must be accountability for the atrocities committed. In May, the UK coordinated a statement with partners calling for an immediate end to violence from all sides in Myanmar. In July 2024, the UK's joint declaration of intervention, together with Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, was accepted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case alleging Myanmar has perpetrated genocide against the Rohingya. The UK has provided £800,000 to the UN's Independent Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) and established the Myanmar Witness programme to gather and preserve evidence of human rights violations in support of future prosecutions.

We are deeply concerned about the Rohingya communities' situation in Rakhine state, Myanmar and were shocked by the attack on civilians fleeing Maungdaw in August. We continue to work with members of the United Nations Security Council and other international partners in calling for the protection of civilians by all parties and the need for unhindered humanitarian access to ensure support can reach the most vulnerable. We will continue to work with international partners to ensure there is accountability for acts committed against the Rohingya, including through the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Since 2017, the UK has provided over £48 million in aid including cash assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene services to the Rohingya and other Muslim minorities in Rakhine state. The UK has announced 19 rounds of targeted sanctions, most recently in October 2024 against suppliers of aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar military.

It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether crimes against humanity or genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process.

Regardless of any court's decision, this Government will stand firm on human rights, including China's repression of Uyghurs and others in Xinjiang. This includes raising our concerns at the highest levels of the Chinese government, and coordinating efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations.