Written Question
Monday 11th January 2021
Asked by:
Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question
to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he made an assessment of the human rights record of the government of Rwanda before agreeing to attend the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting with Rwanda.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Commonwealth places a high priority on being a community of peaceful, democratic countries which promote and protect shared values, including the rule of law and human rights. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) - of which the UK is a current member, is the custodian of these fundamental values.
Rwanda has made huge strides over the past two decades. It has a strong track record of equality of women in Rwanda's cabinet and parliament, and there have been significant improvements in healthcare, reconciliation, development and prosperity. However, the UK remains concerned by Rwanda's overall human rights record and regularly raises specific cases of concern with the Rwandan Government. We continue to encourage Rwanda to model Commonwealth values of respect for human rights and rule of law as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter, and to match its impressive development progress with gains in civil and political rights.
Rwanda was selected at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 (CHOGM18) as the host of the 26th CHOGM. The summit, re-scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2021 presents a valuable opportunity for Heads to meet and for the Commonwealth family to demonstrate how, by upholding and promoting the principles of the Commonwealth, a bright common future can be built for all. The UK plans to attend in our capacity as Chair-in-Office.
Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 26 Nov 2020
International Development and Gender-based Violence
"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Rees. I congratulate the hon. Member for Totnes (Anthony Mangnall) on securing this very important debate. He talks very passionately about the issues for women, in particular, in regions of unrest and war.
On that note, I would like to …..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 26 Nov 2020
International Development and Gender-based Violence
"I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I recognise what he is saying, and he makes a powerful point. However, I do not recognise the idea that this is hollow. That is whataboutery, and we are not here for whataboutery. We are here because every life matters, as we …..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 26 Nov 2020
International Development and Gender-based Violence
"Is the money that the Minister is talking about affected by the recent announcement on development funding being cut?..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 Nov 2020
Official Development Assistance
"From actively breaking international law in a “very specific and limited” way to breaking commitments on international aid, does the Foreign Secretary not realise how his Government are slowly weaning Britain from its role as a world leader, day by day making us more irrelevant on the world stage? Every …..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 12 Nov 2020
Refugee Communities: Covid-19
"It is an honour to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Catherine West), who speaks passionately and eloquently about this issue. I echo her request for clarification on the ability of asylum seekers and refugees to work. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for …..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Mon 12 Oct 2020
China’s Policy on its Uyghur Population
"In debates such as this, it is an honour to follow the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael), who rightly quoted a newspaper on what the Jewish community has said. My speech is about genocide and why the Government are not calling it what it is.
We …..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 24 Sep 2020
Occupied Palestinian Territories
"The hon. Gentleman is making an important speech, but would he be kind enough to outline whether the settlements are illegal or not?..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 24 Sep 2020
Occupied Palestinian Territories
"Some 103 years ago, the Palestinians were abandoned when our then Foreign Secretary decided unilaterally to facilitate the establishment of a new state for one people in another people’s homeland. In 1948 the Palestinians were abandoned when that state was established, and in 1967 they were abandoned again when much …..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 24 Sep 2020
Occupied Palestinian Territories
"I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. Indeed, she and I were in Palestine last year, visiting the Palestinians, and we saw at first hand what happens. I agree and would go further: as my hon. Friend the Member for Aberavon said earlier, it is not even paused; the …..."Naz Shah - View Speech
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