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 projects in which countries were funded from his Department's Magna Carta Fund to support freedom of religion and belief in 2016-17.
Answered by Mark Field
Her Majesty's Government places great importance on defending and promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief. The Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy is one of the tools we use to achieve this goal. In 2016-17 we funded the following projects that supported freedom of religion or belief:
Due to sensitivities, we are unable to disclose details of all our projects to support freedom of religion or belief.
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 positive outcomes for freedom of religion or belief were achieved from Magna Carta Fund funding in 2016-17.
Answered by Mark Field
There have been a number of positive outcomes for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) from projects supported through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy in financial year 2016-17. These include:
A project delivered by the Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Hardwired Inc has promoted tolerance in secondary school curricula in 50 schools in Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon. The Kurdish Regional Government has also asked for it to be shared with all children in their region.
The NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide is running a project to support human rights defenders in a number countries including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This project is raising awareness at the national, regional and international level of the unique challenges human rights defenders campaigning for FoRB face in South and Central Asia. The project is advocating for better protection for them by state authorities.
A project run by the Salzburg Global Seminar is increasing the capacity of institutions with educational missions in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to combat extremism, prevent genocide and promote tolerance. There is particular emphasis on Rwanda, South Africa and Cambodia.
The Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy was also used to support projects to promote FoRB and tolerance in Burma, Tunisia, Egypt, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. These projects have strengthened civil society actors in those countries.
A project carried out by Cumberland Lodge has promoted greater understanding of FoRB issues and challenges amongst overseas students in the UK. This is sensitising them to these matters before their returning to their native countries where it is hoped they will act as informal advocates for human rights, including FoRB.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make freedom of belief a priority policy for his Department.
Answered by Mark Field
The protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a priority of Her Majesty's Government's foreign policy and will continue to be so. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and Officials regularly 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 diplomacy. At the last session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Kingdom worked 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 also 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.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to tackle faith-based persecution overseas; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
The protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a priority of Her Majesty's Government's foreign policy and will continue to be so. In their interactions with foreign governments, 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 diplomacy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister with responsibility for human rights, Lord Ahmad, stressed the importance of working to defend the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) when he addressed the UN Human Rights Council in September 2017.
The FCO is also supporting a number of projects to promote tolerance through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. Current projects include work to support human rights defenders in South and Central Asia.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are intending to review and strengthen their approach to addressing religious persecution worldwide; and what lessons they have learnt from steps taken by other countries in this regard, including the Hungary Helps initiative and the establishment on 1 January of the Danish Office for the Special Representative for Freedom of Religions or Belief.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All international efforts to promote the right to freedom of religion or belief are welcome. Her Majesty's Government notes with interest the 'Hungary Helps Initiative' and Denmark's appointment of a Special Representative on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). All governments engaged in defending and promoting FoRB can learn from each other. To that end, Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) officials recently met with Denmark's Special Representative for FoRB to discuss this important issue.
The Government is constantly reviewing its own activities and looking for ways to strengthen our impact. Our approach is to work through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, seeking to encourage states to uphold the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including those which defend the right to FoRB. I recently wrote to all Ambassadors and High Commissioners urging them to look for ways to promote and defend FoRB, as appropriate, in the countries to which they are accredited.
The British Government also continues to support a number of projects which promote FoRB through the FCO's Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. Examples include a project to support a network of human rights defenders in South Asia. In October 2017, I convened the first in a series of roundtable meetings on FoRB. These meetings will bring together faith leaders and civil society to discuss current challenges to FoRB internationally, and how we can collaborate to strengthen our response to these.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations at the UN on the increase in persecution of Christians and other non-Muslim religions in the Middle East and steps to prevent such persecution.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Her Majesty's Government consistently promotes and defends the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in a variety of ways, including at the United Nations. For example, we work to sustain UN Human Rights Council 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'. Furthermore, the FCO minister with direct responsibility for human rights, Lord Ahmad, stressed the importance of working to defend the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) when he addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in September, 2017.
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. We also continue to support a number of projects to promote tolerance through the FCO's Magna Carta Fund, including a project to promote the teaching of religious tolerance in more than 50 secondary schools in Iraq, Lebanon, and Morocco.
Asked by: Lord Suri (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office intends to establish a fund for programmes supporting freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) continues to be a priority for the UK Government. Projects that directly support FoRB overseas are funded through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. In 2017/18 the Magna Carta Fund will spend £758,717 on six FoRB projects. We will open for bids to support FoRB work in the 2018/19 financial year, early in the next calendar year.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will establish a funding stream for programmes to support freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Mark Field
The protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a priority of the Government's foreign policy. Projects that directly support FoRB are funded through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. In 2017/18 the Magna Carta Fund will spend £758,717 on six Freedom of Religion or Belief projects. Bids to support FoRB work from the Magna carta Fund are currently being invited for financial year 2018/19.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will prioritise the protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Mark Field
The protection of Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a priority of Her Majesty's Government's foreign policy and will continue to be so. In their interactions with foreign governments, 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.
For example, during my visit to Pakistan on 8-9 November, I discussed the treatment of religious minorities, including discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya and Christian communities, with the Federal Secretary of Pakistan's Human Rights Ministry. The United Kingdom also actively promotes FoRB through multilateral diplomacy. At the recent United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Kingdom 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.
In October, The FCO minister with responsibility for Human Rights, Lord Ahmad convened the first in a series of roundtable meetings on FoRB. These meetings bring together faith leaders and civil society experts to discuss current international challenges to FoRB, and how we can collaborate to strengthen our responses.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with organisations that promote press freedom in the last 12 months
Answered by Mark Field
The FCO and its network of Embassies and High Commissions overseas has had extensive contact in the last 12 months with organisations that promote press freedom. This information is not recorded centrally and accordingly it would be impractical to attempt to produce a comprehensive list of such meetings and discussions. The Foreign Secretary himself met his Human Rights Advisory Group on 10 October to discuss current challenges to press freedom.
The FCO also supports projects run by organisations that promote press freedom. In the past 12 months, the FCO has granted more than £1.3 million from the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy to projects dedicated to freedom of expression and support for civil society.