Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the review of the Protection of Civilians Strategy, if he will include civilian (a) casualty recording and (b) harm-tracking mechanisms in the Protection of Civilians Strategy.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is leading a review of the Government's approach to Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict – an initiative that coincides with the 20th anniversary of the first Protection of Civilians Resolution to be agreed by the UN Security Council in 1999 (UNSCR 1265). The review involves contributions from both the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence. It is an opportunity for the Government to take into account recent developments in the field of Protection of Civilians policy, including work by states, international organisations, civil society and academia, and to consider a wide range of issues including inter alia, casualty recording and civilian-harm tracking mechanisms. The review will be completed by the end of 2019.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the review of the UK Protection of civilians strategy will consider the distinct vulnerabilities faced by children in conflict zones.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is leading a review of the Government’s approach to Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. The review involves contributions from both the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence. It is an opportunity for the Government to take into account recent developments in the field of Protection of Civilians policy, including work by states, international organisations, civil society and academia, and to consider a wide range of issues, including children in conflict zones. The review will be completed by the end of 2019.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
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 strengthen support for mechanisms enabling perpetrators to be held accountable for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
Support for international criminal justice and international humanitarian law is a fundamental element of the UK's foreign policy. The UK believes that justice and accountability for the most serious international crimes are crucial to building lasting peace and security. In line with these principles, the British Government has supported the strengthening of a number of mechanisms to enable justice and accountability for the most serious international crimes.
The UK, as a State Party to the Rome Statute, provides financial, political and practical support to the International Criminal Court. We are one of the largest contributors to the Court, contributing £9.7m in 2018. The UK, together with a number of other States Parties, is proposing a number of actions to strengthen the Court to help it to fulfil its mandate under the Rome Statute. These will be discussed at the Assembly of States Parties in December. Our goal is to improve the Court's ability to deliver justice for victims of atrocity crimes that fall under its jurisdiction.
Since 2016, we have committed almost £1 million to the UN International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to support the preparation of legal cases for serious crimes under international law committed in the Syrian conflict. Following UK-led lobbying, on 1 August the UN Secretary General announced a new Board of Inquiry to investigate attacks on civilian infrastructure during the recent violence in Northwest Syria. We are also committed to supporting the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM). The UK played a leading role in the joint European Union-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation resolution that set up the IIMM, which will collect and preserve evidence of human rights violations for future prosecutions.
Furthermore, we intend to establish a UK human rights sanctions regime under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 after we leave the EU. The regime designed to target individuals who have committed serious human rights violations, but who would otherwise not be addressed by the current geographical and thematic sanctions regimes.
We work through the multilateral system not only to support the implementation of agreed standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law; but also to hold countries to account when they violate those standards. For example, in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the UK was instrumental in invoking the Moscow Mechanism in response to the serious human rights violations in Chechnya. The UK has been vocal in both the Permanent Council and the Human Dimension Committee in its criticism of those participating states that fail to uphold universally agreed principles. Similarly, in the Council of Europe the UK has been consistent in challenging those member states that fail to meet their obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights, including the execution of judgements by the Court.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
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 proposed amendments to Hong Kong's extradition ordinance's implications for (a) the one country, two systems principle and (b) the safety of British businesses in the region.
Answered by Mark Field
We are aware of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s proposals to change the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance. We have noted the concerns voiced by legal and business representative organisations and civil society groups in Hong Kong about both the content and the short consultation period allowed for the proposed changes.
From a bilateral perspective we have raised a number of issues with the Hong Kong Government. These include the implications for both our joint security cooperation and our bilateral extradition treaty and the potential consequences for the UK business community and for UK citizens living in or travelling through Hong Kong. We will continue to seek clarity from the authorities on these points and to make clear that we would welcome a longer consultation period to allow the issues we and others have raised to be dealt with in a comprehensive way that maintains public and business confidence.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the viability of the Middle East peace process of (a)(i) Fatah describing as a hero and (ii) Hamas announcing great pride in a terrorist whose shooting of a pregnant woman led to the death of her child and (b) other recent examples of the culture of radicalisation in Palestinian society; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are gravely concerned by the ongoing and increasing violence in the West Bank. We condemn recent the terrorist attacks in the Old City of Jerusalem and in the West Bank and have called for the cycle of violence to end. We are deeply concerned by continued incitement against Israel by Hamas and other actors we are clear the glorification of terrorists as “martyrs” is a barrier to peace and we condemn such glorifications. The calls for the murder of Palestinian politicians are also completely unacceptable. President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to non-violence and a negotiated two-state solution. It is important that the Palestinian leadership continue efforts to fully implement the recommendations of the Quartet Report regarding incitement. The Government is committed to making progress towards a two-state solution, and we will continue to press the parties to refrain from actions that make peace more difficult.