Asked by: Victoria Prentis (Conservative - Banbury)
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 support the UN Special Envoy's efforts to get parties to the Yemen conflict to agree to a cessation of hostilities.
Answered by Alistair Burt
On Monday 19 November, the UK circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities, steps to improve the humanitarian situation, and support for the work of the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths.
Asked by: Victoria Prentis (Conservative - Banbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Cameroon; and what steps his Department is taking to help protect human rights in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
During my visit to Cameroon from 12 to 14 February, I held talks with The Prime Minister, and the Ministers of External Relations, Territorial Administration, and Defence. I discussed the threat posed by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin, as well as the ongoing tensions in Cameroon's Anglophone regions where the importance of respecting human rights was reinforced. I urged the Government of Cameroon to pursue an inclusive and purposeful dialogue to address Anglophone grievances, and also met a range of Anglophone leaders in Buea, to hear their concerns.
Asked by: Victoria Prentis (Conservative - Banbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of religious freedom in Azerbaijan; and what steps the Government is taking to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The majority of people in Azerbaijan are able to practise their religion freely. We are concerned, however, that some groups have been prevented from practising their faith by the authorities, and some religious activists have been prosecuted without free or fair trials. The British Embassy in Baku regularly observes criminal trials in such cases and raises freedom of religion with officials from the Government of Azerbaijan. The British Embassy also held an event to mark International Religious Freedom Day on 27 October 2017 to raise awareness of this issue.