Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the press release, Foreign Secretary announces free speech funding, published by his Department on 2 November 2017, in which countries the funding for press freedom is being spent.
Answered by Mark Field
Under the Magna Carta Fund the FCO has allocated over £1.5m for projects on media freedom and freedom of expression this year. The allocation to specific projects and countries is still being decided, but NGOs will be invited to bid to run projects that support a free media. Further money is available for press freedom through the Good Governance Fund, which covers Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine, and through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to respond to the reported surge in the repression of human rights defenders worldwide; and whether the Government plans to commit to a renewed strategy of support and protection.
Answered by Mark Field
In light of the increasing level of intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders in many parts of the world, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has worked with several civil society organisations to update its internal guidance on working with human rights defenders. The Foreign Secretary issued this updated guidance to all Embassies and High Commissions in December 2017. The guidance tasks the FCO's network of Embassies and High Commissions to find practical ways to support human rights defenders. The FCO keeps the implementation of the guidance under constant review.
The FCO supports the work of human rights defenders through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, most of which is allocated for implementation of projects by human rights defenders and civil society organisations. The FCO also highlights repression of human rights defenders in its Annual Human Rights Report.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support human rights groups working on business and human rights.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports human rights groups working on business and human rights through diplomacy, communications and project work. We have supported several non-governmental organisations working in this field, with funding from the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. In financial year 2017/18 we supported the Institute for Human Rights and Business and Huridocs (this work continues). Our network of posts has also worked on business and human rights, including a project with Marks and Spencer in India.
As set out in our National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, the UK Government is committed to the full implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The FCO encourages other countries to follow our example in implementing National Action Plans.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much money was spent by the Government on (a) protecting and (b) supporting human rights defenders globally in each year since 2009-10.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) protects and supports human rights defenders in a variety of ways, including by funding projects through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy (MCF) and the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). Figures for MCF-funded projects specifically focussing on human rights defenders are only available from 2016. In financial year 2016/17, the FCO spent an estimated £609,185 from MCF on projects to protect and/or support human rights defenders. The figure for financial year 2017/18 is likely to be approximately £449,430. These figures do not take into account work funded from the CSSF or projects which supported human rights defenders that fall into different thematic areas such as freedom of expression or freedom of religion or belief. An accurate and comprehensive estimate of the full value of FCO's work to protect and support human rights defenders would need to take into account the full economic cost of non-project activities such as communications, attendance at trials, and diplomatic engagement with overseas governments and state institutions. Data to allow such an estimate to be reached is not held centrally
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which takes place on 10 December.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Every year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office commemorates Human Rights Day (10 December) which is the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its diplomatic network will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights using a variety of public diplomacy efforts to promote, defend and champion human rights. This includes, as set out in my statement at the Human Rights Council, the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy spending approximately £10.6 million in 2017/18 to support 110 projects in over 60 countries. The UK remains committed to the universal principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the details of the £600,000 worth of projects funded by the Magna Carta Fund in 2016–17 which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated have directly led to positive freedom of religion or belief outcomes in 20 countries; and what are those outcomes.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Several projects were funded by the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy in 2016-17, including:
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support freedom of religion and belief in other countries to meet the strategic commitment to supporting freedom of religion and belief set out in the FCO Departmental Plan 2015-2020.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Departmental Plan 2015-2020 was replaced in December 2017 with the FCO Single Departmental Plan which can be found on gov.uk. In step with the new plan, the FCO continues to promote and defend human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).
In our ongoing dialogue with foreign governments and through public statements, the FCO raises individual cases and highlights practices and laws that discriminate against people on the basis of their religion or belief. For example, during my visit to Pakistan in November 2017, I raised the treatment of religious minorities, including discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya and Christian communities, with Pakistan's Ministry of Human Rights.
The United Kingdom also actively promotes FoRB through multilateral diplomacy. At the United Nations, we work to maintain consensus on the adoption and implementation of the European Union sponsored Resolution on 'Freedom of Religion or Belief' and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation sponsored Resolution on 'Combating Religious Intolerance'.
Through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, the FCO continues to support a number of projects to promote tolerance. Current projects include work to promote religious tolerance through secondary school curricula in Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon, and a project which supports a network of human rights defenders in South Asia working on this priority.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make freedom of religion or belief a strategic priority.
Answered by Mark Field
The protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a priority of the Government's foreign policy and will continue to be so. In their interactions with foreign governments, and Embassies/High Commissions overseas, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers and officials routinely raise individual cases and highlight practices and laws that discriminate against people on the basis of their religion or belief.
The United Kingdom also actively promotes FoRB through multilateral forums. At the most recent United Nations Human Rights Council, the UK worked successfully to help maintain consensus on the adoption and implementation of the European Union sponsored Resolution on 'Freedom of Religion or Belief' and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation sponsored Resolution on 'Combating Religious Intolerance'. The FCO also continues to support a number of projects to promote tolerance through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. Current projects include work to promote religious tolerance through secondary school curricula in Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What steps he is taking to challenge human rights abuses in other countries.
Answered by Mark Field
Championing and defending human rights is central to this government’s foreign policy. FCO ministers regularly raise human rights issues at senior level with foreign governments. We also defend human rights in multilateral fora, and deliver projects funded by the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries the Magna Carta Fund has been used to support projects to advance freedom of religion and belief.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has used the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy since its inception in financial year 2016/17 to support work to advance freedom of religion or belief in the following countries: Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.