Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Iraq; and what steps they are taking to support freedom of religion or belief in Iraq.

The UK is committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. We demonstrate this through our engagement, both multilaterally and bilaterally. For example, earlier this month, UK Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, attended the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council and met with counterparts to discuss key issues.

In Iraq, we recognise that continued insecurity is challenging for its religious and ethnic minorities. Through our diplomatic presence, we regularly raise FoRB with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. We also support civil society groups to freely advocate on behalf of minority groups.

FoRB-specific goals are also threaded throughout British Embassy Baghdad's and British Consulate General Erbil's programme work. We are careful to ensure that these focus on local cohesion and minimise the risk of inadvertently exacerbating community divisions.