Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Leader of the House on bringing forward legislative proposals to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. The Foreign Secretary and the Leader of the House of Commons have discussed the measures needed to implement the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement before the UK can ratify.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will support an independent investigation into shots fired at UN peacekeepers by Israeli forces.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the recent attacks on UN Peacekeepers. We have been clear: Israel must act in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Alongside the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary expressed deep concern about attacks by Israeli Defense Forces on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) bases and condemned all threats to UNIFIL's security. The Prime Minister has spoken with international leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, His Majesty King Abdullah II, President Macron and Chancellor Scholz, to press the case for a ceasefire. This builds on extensive discussions by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary at the UN with regional leaders. We have been working with all parties to prevent escalation and will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions against people in Sri Lanka accused of war crimes.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sri Lanka is a human rights priority country for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and we regularly engage with the Government of Sri Lanka on the need for truth, justice and accountability. The Global Human Rights sanctions regime is one tool in our foreign policy toolkit. The UK uses sanctions when we judge that they will be effective to achieve our foreign policy goals. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a decision regarding the most vulnerable Tamil refugees and migrants in the British Indian Territory of Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working closely with relevant departments and BIOT Administration to respond to the health and welfare needs of all the migrants present in Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Bangladesh on the (a) student protests and (b) potential restoration of (i) internet and (ii) mobile services in that country.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and I have publicly called for an immediate end to the violence and unrest in Bangladesh, and for access to the internet and communications services to be restored. I discussed my concerns regarding the situation with the Bangladesh High Commissioner to London on 19 and 23 July. The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh has engaged with Bangladesh government ministers to reinforce messages on de-escalation, the need for constructive dialogue to reduce tensions and for communications to be restored. We will continue to call on all sides to find a peaceful way forward.