Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue maintaining and publishing the list of human rights priority countries in the Human Rights and Democracy Reports.

This Government is firmly committed to furthering human rights around the world. We do this by investing in building partnerships, including with civil society, and by drawing on our diplomatic and development levers to deliver meaningful change on the ground. In December 2024, I, as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister for Human Rights, set out our five priorities for promoting and protecting human rights.

They are: 1) defending civic space; 2) upholding the rule of law; 3) championing equal rights for all; 4) supporting accountable, effective, inclusive institutions; and 5) responding to global challenges, including climate, conflict and technology by prioritising human rights and governance principles.

Our focus will be how we address these priorities and themes across all countries rather than single out an individual country in our published annual report.