Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Gabon.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The human rights situation in Gabon remains a matter of concern with continued allegations of serious and persistent human rights violations and abuses. The non-resident British Ambassador raised the need for progress on good governance, human rights and democratic issues when he met with President Bongo in September.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the situation in South Sudan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The situation in South Sudan is appalling. Conflict has killed thousands and forced over 4 million to flee their homes. It has created a humanitarian catastrophe, food insecurity is at its worst in South Sudan's seven year history. An estimated 7 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year.
Only political stability can end the humanitarian crisis. We welcome the resumption of the High Level Revitalisation Forum (HLRF) talks on 17 May. However, we are disappointed that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) signed by all parties in December has not held, and that the HLRF has so far failed to generate serious commitments from the parties to compromise.
We strongly condemn ongoing violations of the COHA, and urge the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to take immediate action to ensure that those who undermine the peace process face consequences for their actions, to leave the parties in no doubt about the region's commitment to peace.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the situation in Zimbabwe.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the statements from President Mnangagwa on his intention to implement a wide range of economic and political reforms, including his commitment to holding free and fair elections this year. Implementation of these reforms will be critical for Zimbabwe to realise its desire for international re-engagement.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India concerning the decision to refuse entry on 17 July to pupils and staff from Poynton High School who had intended to visit projects supported by the charity India Direct.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We were made aware of this case only after the pupils and staff from Poynton High School had returned to the UK. It would appear that the group had the wrong category of visa for their trip. This is therefore a matter for the Indian authorities.
We have, however, attempted to make contact with the Head Teacher from Poynton High School, and the Member for Macclesfield (David Rutley). We have also lodged an enquiry with the Indian High Commission in London to try and help the school establish what category of visa they should re-apply for.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Somalia.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The human rights situation in Somalia continues to be blighted by serious violations and abuses perpetrated by state and non state actors. A 2016/2017 electoral process resulted in a peaceful transfer of power, and increased representation of women in parliament. However, there were increased Al Shabaab attacks in the electoral period, including against civilians. 2016 saw a marked increase in the number of children involved in armed conflict, and frequent reports of civilian casualties in armed conflict. Sexual violence remains endemic. Access to justice remains very restricted. The Committee to Protect Journalists' annual Impunity Index named Somalia, for the second time in 2016, as the worst place in the world to be a journalist. The death penalty continues to be applied and carried out.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Myanmar.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Despite considerable progress towards improving the rule of law in Burma in recent years, we remain deeply concerned about ongoing human rights violations by the military in Burma. These include violations of civil and political rights, conflict-related violations including sexual violence, and widespread and systematic discrimination against Muslims in Rakhine State. I raised concerns with the Burmese authorities about a range of human rights issues when I visited in November with a focus on conflict related sexual abuses and Rakhine. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) made representations at the highest levels to both the civilian and military administration when he visited in January. In addition to political advocacy, the UK co-sponsored a Resolution at the Human Rights Council in March raising international concerns and mandating a UN Fact Finding Mission to look into the recent reports of widespread human rights violations in Rakhine State. We also fund project work through NGOs in Burma that provide practical support to promote human rights on the ground.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Nigeria.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Boko Haram have committed horrendous atrocities against communities in Nigeria and the wider region. We estimate that over 20,000 people have been killed by the group. The Nigerian armed forces have severely weakened Boko Haram, but the group remains a threat to security in the region. We remain committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram and are providing a package of military and intelligence support.
We are also concerned by credible reports of human rights violations by the Nigerian security forces and the accidental bombing by the Nigerian Air Force in January of a camp for displaced people in Rann. We continually make clear to the Nigerian authorities the importance of upholding human rights standards for all, including protecting civilians in conflict areas and detention. The military support that we are providing is designed not only to counter terrorism, but also to improve human rights standards.
We welcome President Buhari's commitment to improve the human rights situation, for example, his commitment to overhaul the Nigerian armed force's rules of engagement and to ensure that human rights violations by the security forces are investigated and appropriate action is taken. We also welcome the news that the Nigerian Air Force has launched an investigation into the tragic incident in Rann. Nevertheless, despite these positive steps, more needs to be done. We continue to work with the Nigerian government, non-governmental organisations and civil society to improve the security situation and human rights for all in Nigeria.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Yemen.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are deeply concerned by recent developments relating to the Baha’i community in Yemen. The Houthis and all parties in Yemen must respect the freedom of religion and the rights of all Yemenis.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government of Cote d’Ivoire is committed to making progress in the field of human rights with the support of UN technical assistance. We are aware of the positive work of the National Commission for Human Rights in Côte d’Ivoire (CNDHCI), especially on national reconciliation, an area which remains important for community and social cohesion. The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) mission is coming to an end later this year with work being handed over to the Government of Cote d’Ivoire. We expect the Government to maintain a strong focus on the promotion and protection of human rights, and on the process of reforming the security sector.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the political and human rights situation in North Korea.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK continues to be deeply concerned about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) aggressive and threatening behaviour, including two nuclear tests in 2016 and numerous ballistic missile tests. These tests are a violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) and demonstrate the DPRK's flagrant disregard for its international obligations. In response to the DPRK's nuclear tests, the UK strongly supported UNSCRs 2270 and 2321 which aim to restrict the DPRK's ability to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. More recently, we have been at the forefront of efforts within the EU to adopt additional measures to further disrupt the DPRK's proliferation activity.
As I stated in my response to written question HL1917, the UK has grave concerns about the serious and systemic human rights violations in the DPRK. We raise these concerns with the DPRK through our Embassy in Pyongyang and in international fora. The UK recently supported a new resolution at the UN Human Rights Council which aims to take forward the recommendations of the UN Group of Independent Experts Report on accountability. This is an important step forward in ensuring those responsible for human rights violations in North Korea are held to account. We will continue to work closely with partners to maintain international attention on the DPRK's appalling human rights record.
Our most recent assessment of the human rights situation in DPRK can be found in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Human Rights Report 2015. The 2016 FCO Human Rights Report will be published in late spring 2017.