Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As a witness to the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and member of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC)'s Steering Board, the UK condemns the unconstitutional and secessionist actions of the Republika Srpska leadership, which threatens Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH's) peace and stability. The UK has publicly reaffirmed its support for the DPA and the existing constitutional framework of BiH, and will continue to engage with our international partners, and leaders across the region, to facilitate a positive outcome. I spoke to my counterpart on 10 March, and reaffirmed our commitment to BiH's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the DPA.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last two weeks.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to maintaining peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and condemns the recent and ongoing unconstitutional actions of the Republika Srpska leadership. Ireaffirmed these messages when he spoke to BiH's Foreign Minister on 10 March. Senior Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have engaged intensively in BiH and with regional and international partners to stress our commitment to BiH's constitutional framework and the Dayton Peace Agreement. The Foreign Secretary plans to engage other Western Balkans leaders.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department’s policy priorities will be when the UK chairs the Berlin Process 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We will use the Berlin Process to advance security and growth through strengthened partnerships with our Western Balkan and other European partners, including on tackling irregular migration. This will support the Prime Minister's domestic missions of national security, secure borders, safer streets and kickstarting growth. It will strengthen Euro-Atlantic integration and regional co-operation between the six Western Balkan countries. The Berlin Process consists of a Leaders' Summit, ministerial meetings and other forums and we are keen for voices to be heard in a constructive and inclusive atmosphere. Dame Karen Pierce, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, will drive forward preparations for the Summit.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to support post-conflict stabilisation work in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The situation is Syria remains fluid and fragile. We want to see a more stable Syria and are working closely with international partners, including European partners, to this end. Following the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, I made clear in my Statement to the House on 10 March that the interim authorities have a responsibility to ensure the protection of all Syrian civilians and to make progress towards an inclusive political transition.
Our priorities are to support an inclusive, Syrian-led political transition that leads to a representative and non-sectarian government, tackle security threats, including from Daesh, and support economic recovery. On 6 March, we announced the relaxation of sanctions on some Syrian entities in the transport, energy and finance sectors, as part of our efforts to help the people of Syria to rebuild their country and economy.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to work with European partners to support post-conflict stabilisation work in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The situation is Syria remains fluid and fragile. We want to see a more stable Syria and are working closely with international partners, including European partners, to this end. Following the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, I made clear in my Statement to the House on 10 March that the interim authorities have a responsibility to ensure the protection of all Syrian civilians and to make progress towards an inclusive political transition.
Our priorities are to support an inclusive, Syrian-led political transition that leads to a representative and non-sectarian government, tackle security threats, including from Daesh, and support economic recovery. On 6 March, we announced the relaxation of sanctions on some Syrian entities in the transport, energy and finance sectors, as part of our efforts to help the people of Syria to rebuild their country and economy.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to support civil society in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long supported Syrian civil society, and we will continue to do so. We engage regularly with a wide range of Syrian civil society actors on issues such as political participation, accountability and human rights, and provide funding through our programme work. In January, I hosted a roundtable discussion with civil society representatives on the situation in Syria, and we have previously invited Syrian civil society representatives to brief the UN Security Council during the UK's Presidency. As I made clear in my Statement to the House on 10 March, the UK remains committed to the people of Syria and will continue to stand with them in building a more stable, free and prosperous future.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December to Question 18869 on Palestinians: Fire and Rescue Services, what progress he has made on discussions with Israeli counterparts to ensure the successful delivery of this donation.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development (FCDO) Officials have raised the matter of this donation directly with the Israeli authorities and are working with colleagues in the Scottish Government to resolve the matter.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on seeking a resolution to the violence.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, and the withdrawal of all Rwanda Defence Forces from Congolese territory. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that there would be a strong response from the international community in response to the escalating conflict. In recent weeks, the UK has coordinated closely with international partners, including those from the G7 and the International Contact Group on the Great Lakes, on that response. On 25 February the Foreign Secretary announced a package of measures which aim to bring about a ceasefire, avoid regional escalation and bring Rwanda back to the negotiating table under the AU African led peace process. The Foreign Secretary and Lord Collins, the Minister for Africa continue to engage with international counterparts to push for an end to the killing and a return to peaceful negotiations.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase accountability for crimes against children in Sudan.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK plays a leading role in driving accountability efforts in Sudan and consistently calls out reported atrocities by both warring parties against women and children. At the UN Human Rights Council in October 2024, the UK led lobbying efforts to secure a mandate extension for the UN Fact Finding Mission which investigates human rights violations and abuses in Sudan, including crimes against children. The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court's active investigation into the situation in Darfur, including allegations of crimes committed since April 2023. We are also providing nearly £1 million this year to support the Centre for Information Resilience, a research body gathering open-source evidence about the conflict in Sudan with a view to supporting future accountability. In September 2024, the Minister for Africa co-hosted an event at the UN General Assembly to draw attention to the plight of women and girls in Sudan. The UK co-led a protection of civilians UN Security Council resolution on Sudan which received unanimous support apart from Russia, who chose to veto it. We are working with Council members to explore a way forward.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reinstate humanitarian aid routes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is critical. Close to a million people have been displaced recently in eastern DRC and hundreds of thousands are in desperate need of lifesaving support. There is a responsibility on all parties to protect the people of eastern DRC who have suffered so much in this conflict.
The UK will continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, and respect for international humanitarian law. The Foreign Secretary delivered these messages to both President Tshisekedi and President Kagame during his visit to Kinshasa and Kigali on 21 and 22 February. During the visit, the Foreign Secretary announced an additional package of £14.6 million of humanitarian support to help those in eastern DRC who are suffering most.