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Written Question
Colombia: War Crimes
Thursday 9th May 2024

Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Colombia about reparations for victims of sexual and gender-based violence during the armed conflict.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Colombia is a Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) and Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan focus country. Colombia is current chair of the UK-founded International Alliance on PSVI, a key forum for coordinating global action on conflict-related sexual violence. The UK contributed to the opening of a landmark case to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) from the armed conflict in the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP), the authoritative transitional justice body providing reparations to SGBV victims. We continue to support this work, as well as assistance to victims and survivors seeking access to justice.


Non-Departmental Publication (News and Communications)
Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative

Mar. 04 2024

Source Page: UK supports most vulnerable women and girls in Ukraine
Document: UK supports most vulnerable women and girls in Ukraine (webpage)

Found: UK supports most vulnerable women and girls in Ukraine


Written Question
Colombia: War Crimes
Friday 10th May 2024

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to support the Colombian Ministry of Equality and Equity, particularly pertaining to its work on reparations for victims of sexual and gender-based violence during conflict.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Colombia is a Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) and Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan focus country. Colombia is current chair of the UK-founded International Alliance on PSVI, a key forum for coordinating global action on conflict-related sexual violence. The UK contributed to the opening of a landmark case to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) from the armed conflict in the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP), the authoritative transitional justice body providing reparations to SGBV victims. We continue to support this work, as well as assistance to victims and survivors seeking access to justice.


Written Question
Ukraine: Russia
Thursday 18th April 2024

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department is taking steps through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative to help support Ukrainian officials to investigate alleged acts of sexual violence by Russian forces since 2022.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The UK is working with Ukrainian authorities to hold those responsible for gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, in Ukraine to account. The UK has committed up to £6.2 million to enhance Ukraine's domestic capacity for war crimes investigations and to help embed international guidelines and best practice into the work of Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators, including on survivor-centred approaches. This assistance has been largely delivered through projects via the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine, established with the US and EU, and deployments of UK experts, including the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts.


Written Question
Hamas: Sexual Offences
Monday 15th April 2024

Asked by: Lord Turnberg (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations of rape of Israeli women by members of Hamas in its attack on 7 October 2023, and the implications for international law.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Reports of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October 2023 detail abhorrent acts of violence against Israeli women and girls. The UK stands in solidarity with all of the victims and survivors.

We condemn sexual violence unequivocally and without exception. These reports must be fully investigated to ensure justice for survivors and victims.

The international community should be clear in condemning sexual violence wherever it occurs, including in Israel.

Conflict-related sexual violence is an abuse of human rights and when perpetrated in the context of an armed conflict, can constitute a violation of international humanitarian law such as a war crime.


Written Question
Tigray: Armed Conflict
Wednesday 10th April 2024

Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts since the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in November 2022 to achieve justice and accountability for conflict-related sexual violence in Tigray, and what support they are providing to those efforts.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence in Ethiopia. We have consistently called for an end to the appalling gender-based violence committed across Ethiopia, including sexual violence, particularly during the Tigray conflict. We therefore welcome the recent agreement to implement a comprehensive national Transitional Justice policy aimed at accountability, redress for victims, reconciliation, and healing. The UK has called for the perpetrators to be held to account and the importance of a victim-centered, gender-sensitive approach. We will work with the Ethiopian Government and civil society in their efforts to hold perpetrators to account, including building the capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission through the UK's Human Rights and Peacebuilding programme (HARP).


Written Question
Amit Soussana
Friday 24th May 2024

Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the testimony of Amit Soussana.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The Government continues to be appalled by the reports of conflict-related sexual violence committed by Hamas on 7 October and against hostages, including the report from UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten. The UK condemns sexual violence unequivocally and without exception. Hamas must release all hostages and all reports of sexual violence must be fully investigated to ensure justice for survivors and victims. The UK has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals and their families.


Departmental Publication (News and Communications)
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Mar. 11 2024

Source Page: The UK is deeply concerned by Special Representative Patten's findings of sexual violence on 7 October: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Document: The UK is deeply concerned by Special Representative Patten's findings of sexual violence on 7 October: UK statement at the UN Security Council (webpage)

Found: The UK is deeply concerned by Special Representative Patten's findings of sexual violence on 7 October


Written Question
Darfur: Gender Based Violence
Monday 15th April 2024

Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to assist women and girls subjected to sexual violence in Darfur in Sudan.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, there has been a significant escalation of gender-based violence (GBV) in Sudan. The UK has pivoted our programme delivery to focus on GBV prevention, and protection and care for rape survivors. We have also integrated consideration of conflict-related sexual violence into the humanitarian system, making use of Women's Centres, mobile clinics and internally displaced persons' gathering points, for community engagement and service provision. In 2023, UK support provided for the delivery of 83,399 consultations offering sexual and reproductive health services, and delivered mental health and psychological support to over 104,225 people.


Departmental Publication (Guidance and Regulation)
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

May. 09 2024

Source Page: Call for Proposals: UKISF Pacific Programme
Document: UK WPS National Action Plan (PDF, 8.5MB) (PDF)

Found: How our pioneering work to prevent sexual violence in conflict has brought a methodology, and hope,