Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the UK plans to sign the International Convention for the Protection of all persons from Enforced Disappearances (2006).

The UK already has a strong framework that protects human rights and protects against arbitrary arrest, as set out in the UK’s Mid Term Report under the Universal Periodic Review submitted in August 2014.

The UK is a party to a number of United Nations human rights treaties. Before ratifying a treaty, the UK Government carries out an evaluation of the legislative and administrative changes that adherence would entail.

The Ministry of Justice is currently co-ordinating an evaluation of the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CPED). We will provide further details on this evaluation in the next UK report under the United Nations Universal Periodic Review in 2016, or in an earlier vehicle if possible.

The relevant section of the UK’s Mid Term Report can be found at pages 24-26 here: http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session13/GB/UKMidTermReport_Aug2014.doc).