Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of BBC reports that North Korean teenagers have been sentenced to hard labour for viewing K-drama, when they last raised violations of human rights directly with the North Korean Ambassador to the UK and the North Korean regime, and what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the many reports of serious and wide-ranging human rights violations in the country, including the recent report by the BBC. The UK regularly raises our concerns about the DPRK's dire human rights record through its embassy in London and we remain committed to using all bilateral and multilateral channels to hold the DPRK to account, and urge the DPRK to address its human rights record to bring about permanent change and improvements for the people of North Korea.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will raise the current escalation in North Korea at the next session of the Security Council.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK consistently condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) persistent ballistic missile testing which breaches multiple UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and threatens regional peace and stability. The UK joined partners in calling for UNSC consultations on 18 January, where Ambassador James Kariuki condemned the DPRK's violation of UNSC resolutions and complete disregard for the international non-proliferation regime. We will continue to call out the DPRK's illegal actions until it returns to full adherence to its international obligations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a recent Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment has been made for North Korea; and if so, what plans they have to place a copy of this assessment in the Library of the House.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly review the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The UK is committed to securing peace and we are clear that North Korea's nuclear and weapons programmes must be dismantled to ensure stability in the region. The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) issues an annual report covering threats to conflict and stability worldwide. Further reports and assessments of a specific nature are released on a case by case basis.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of conflict on the Korean peninsula following Kim Jong-Un's speech of 16 January and recent missile tests; and what steps they have taken to prevent export of weapons and ammunition from North Korea.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are closely monitoring recent statements from Pyongyang, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) continued testing of ballistic missiles. The UK issued a joint statement on 12 January with 50 countries strongly condemning the DPRK's ballistic missile transfers to Russia. The transfer and use of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, supports Russia's war of aggression, and undermines the global non-proliferation regime. The DPRK is already subject to a robust sanctions regime and the UK will continue to work with our partners to hold the DPRK to account for engaging in illegal arms transfers and breaching its international obligations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to summon the ambassador of North Korea over the risk of conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is closely monitoring tensions on the Korean Peninsula, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) ballistic missile launches, which breach United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. We unequivocally condemn all actions that endanger the peace and stability of the region. We continue to raise these issues bilaterally with the DPRK through their Embassy in London. The UK will continue to hold them to account for their destabilising behaviour and urge them to return to dialogue.
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, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports of North Korea providing military support to Russia.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has supplied weapons, including ballistic missiles, to Russia, as fifty Foreign Ministers made clear in their 9 January joint statement. At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on 10 January, the UK joined partners in condemning the use of DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles by Russia against Ukraine. The DPRK is already subject to a robust sanctions regime and the UK will continue to work with our partners to hold the DPRK to account for supporting Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. We will continue to work with allies and partners to identify, expose, and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from third countries.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he has taken to help prevent the supply of Democratic People's Republic of Korea ammunitions to Russia.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) export and Russia's procurement of DPRK ballistic missiles, and Russia's decision to use DPRK-supplied missiles in recent attacks against Ukraine. The transfer of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, supports Russia's war of aggression, and undermines the global non-proliferation regime. It also violates multiple UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), which Russia itself voted for, and highlights Putin's desperation and isolation on the global stage. On 12 January, the UK issued a joint statement with other Foreign Ministers calling for all UN Member States to condemn Russia and the DPRK's UNSCR violations. The DPRK is subject to a robust sanctions regime and the UK will continue to work with our partners to influence and to hold the DPRK to account for supporting Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they discussed the United Nations Commission of Inquiry report into human rights violations in North Korea with President Yuan of the Republic of Korea during his state visit, specifically its finding that crimes against humanity have been committed; and whether they and the government of Korea intend jointly to raise the findings of the inquiry once Korea becomes a member of the UN Security Council.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supported the Republic of Korea's (ROK) election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for a 2-year term from 2024-6. They intend to lead discussions on peacekeeping, women's rights, cybersecurity, and also plan to increase focus on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). We intend to support the ROK's objectives in the UNSC and to deepen engagement on shared areas of interest including the human rights situation in the DPRK. The UK has repeatedly made clear that China and Russia blocking the Security Council's efforts to hold the DPRK to account sends a dangerous signal to states seeking to undermine international peace and security.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they discussed the repatriation of North Korean escapees to China with President Yuan of the Republic of Korea during his state visit; and, if so, what response they received from him.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is utilising all bilateral and multilateral channels to raise the issue of forced repatriation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) escapees by China. The Prime Minister held productive discussions with the Republic of Korea's (ROK) President Yoon during his state visit, which included China's forced repatriation of escapees and the wider human rights situation in the DPRK. The UK actively promotes the implementation of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in which overseas countries are there no resident diplomatic staff from (a) his Department and (b) other Departments.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(a) The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a network of 281 officially designated overseas Posts. It does not currently have diplomatic staff permanently resident in the countries listed below. However, the list includes countries in which we have officially designated Posts which are temporarily suspended and diplomatic staff operate elsewhere for political or operational reasons (Afghanistan, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Yemen) or do not have diplomatic staff in permanent residence (Haiti, Burundi). Locations defined as UK territories are excluded. Information about the FCDO overseas network is available at [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-foreign-office-posts]
(b) The reporting of other government departments overseas staff locations is not the responsibility of the FCDO.
Afghanistan |
Andorra |
Benin |
Bhutan |
Burkina Faso |
Burundi Cape Verde |
Central African Republic |
Comoros |
Congo |
Dominica |
East Timor |
Equatorial Guinea |
Gabon |
Guinea-Bissau |
Haiti |
Honduras |
Kiribati |
Liechtenstein |
Marshall Islands |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Monaco |
Nauru |
Nicaragua |
North Korea |
Palau |
St Kitts and Nevis |
San Marino |
Sao Tome and Principe |
Sudan |
Suriname |
Syria |
Togo |
Tuvalu |
Yemen |