Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by UN Special Rapporteurs on 27 April that suggested that vocational training programmes in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China "threaten Tibetan identity" and "carry risk of forced labour”; and what assessment they have made of the statement's recommendations that the government of China should explain the steps it intends to take to comply with its international obligations to prevent forced labour and trafficking, and to ensure access to compensation for victims of such practices.

We are aware of human rights violations in Tibet, including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of assembly and association, and reports of forced labour. We coordinate with partners to draw international attention to the human rights situation in Tibet, most recently on 20 May 2023 in the G7 Leaders' Communique, and in March 2023, as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). In June 2022, a UK-led lobbying effort helped to secure the support of 46 other countries for a joint statement at the UN HRC, which highlighted the situation in Tibet. We urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the People's Republic of China, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party.