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Select Committee
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, Think-Tank for Action on Social Change, and Heritage Foundation

Oral Evidence Mar. 26 2024

Inquiry: The UK’s engagement with the Middle East and North Africa
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Foreign Affairs Committee (Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Found: Chair: I know you want to go on to Western Sahara. Q290 Fabian Hamilton: Yes.


Select Committee
Middle East Program, CSIS, RUSI, Jonathan Wilks, and The University of Exeter

Oral Evidence Mar. 26 2024

Inquiry: The UK’s engagement with the Middle East and North Africa
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Foreign Affairs Committee (Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Found: Chair: I know you want to go on to Western Sahara. Q290 Fabian Hamilton: Yes.


Lords Chamber
Foreign Affairs - Tue 05 Mar 2024
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Mentions:
1: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) Egypt, as well as the visits I have made to Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Israel and the OPTs, Egypt and Morocco - Speech Link
2: Lord Howell of Guildford (Con - Life peer) Do we replace the Bretton Woods aims and begin serious reform of today’s western digital capitalism, - Speech Link
3: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (LD - Life peer) include the Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, as well as Libya, north of the Sahara - Speech Link
4: Baroness Altmann (Con - Life peer) Ukraine is fighting on the front line for western European democracy, especially after the appalling - Speech Link


Written Question
Overseas Trade: Western Sahara
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2024 to Question 12605 on Overseas Trade: Morocco, what value of goods was (a) imported from and (b) exported to the occupied territory of Western Sahara in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 23rd February is attached.


Written Question
Morocco: Western Sahara
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2024 to Question 12870 on Morocco: Western Sahara, whether the Government has made representations to the UN Security Council on the imprisonment of Saharawi civilian prisoners in Moroccan prisons.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK mission to the United Nations has not made specific representation to the UN Security Council on this matter. However, the UK has consistently supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages all parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara. The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco and Western Sahara. Human rights forms part of our bilateral dialogue with Morocco and we raise concerns with the Moroccan authorities as appropriate.


Written Question
Morocco: Western Sahara
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2024 to Question 11223 on Morocco: Western Sahara, whether he has had discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on the imprisonment of Saharawi civilian prisoners in Moroccan prisons.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco and Western Sahara, as we regularly make clear to the parties. Human rights forms part of our bilateral dialogue with Morocco and we raise concerns with the Moroccan authorities as appropriate. We also engage on these issues at the UN and have consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara. The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards.


Written Question
Western Sahara: Politics and Government
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of recognising Western Sahara as part of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process and monitor progress.


Written Question
Morocco: Western Sahara
Wednesday 31st January 2024

Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make representations to the UN Security Council to press for the release of Saharawi civilian prisoners in Moroccan prisons.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco and Western Sahara, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly. We also engage on these issues at the UN and have consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara. The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life.


Written Question
Morocco: Western Sahara
Wednesday 31st January 2024

Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will ask the UN Secretary General to investigate (a) how many allegations of human rights abuses have been made to the Moroccan National Human Rights Council in Western Sahara and (b) whether those allegations have been investigated.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco and Western Sahara, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly. We also engage on these issues at the UN and have consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara. The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life.


Written Question
Morocco: Western Sahara
Wednesday 31st January 2024

Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) Moroccan and (b) Saharawi soldiers that have died since the Moroccan military incursion into Guerguerat.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO does not hold such records. However, we continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara including through our engagements with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and our international partners.