Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Turkey on attacks in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage the Turkish Government on regional stability, including in Syria. The Foreign Secretary most recently discussed this issue with the Turkish Foreign Minister in Ankara on 20 October. The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate security interests in the region but encourages restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh. HMG encourages all international actors to do everything possible to ensure that sufficient aid reaches those in need.
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 reports of attacks on villages in northern Syria, including Derik, Rotan, Um Harkan, Shalhomya, and Malla Abbas, on or around 20 November, resulting in civilian fatalities, including journalists.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We do not hold sufficient evidence to comment on these reported attacks. The UK is closely monitoring developments. We are engaging partners, encouraging restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the key components of their Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessment on northern Syria; and what steps they are taking to address the situation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Syria Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) highlights security and stability issues in north east Syria, although overall the UK ensures interventions take a 'whole of Syria approach'. The UK is focused on reducing risks of instability, securing the long-term defeat of Daesh and providing life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to improve resilience of the local populations. The UK remains committed to supporting the Global Coalition Against Daesh to prevent Daesh resurgence, including in north east Syria.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with representatives of the UNHCR on the establishment of credible mechanisms to actively monitor the protection situation inside Syria and the conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified return to Syria for refugees who wish to do so.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
While the UK Government hopes that Syrian refugees will, ultimately, be able to return home, we agree with the UN judgement that conditions in Syria do not currently allow this. We are engaged with the UNHCR on its framework review which will address these issues more closely. However, only a political solution under UN Security Council Resolution 2254 can ensure conditions safe for returns. UN Envoy Geir Pedersen has our full support in this effort.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Turkish government on mitigating the potential risk of a Russian-led escalation of tensions on the situation in Idlib.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Ministers and officials regularly discuss the situation in northern Syria with the Government of Turkey. We urge all parties to continue adherence to ceasefire agreements and international law. We remain committed to the Global Coalition Against Daesh. The UK is also in regular contact with Turkey on humanitarian conditions in north west Syria. We continue to play a leadership role in addressing humanitarian need both as a donor and through our role on the UN Security Council.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the steps taken by the Government to meet the commitments in Section 2 of the 2020 UK Approach to the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Situations, with particular reference to the monitoring and reporting of human rights.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK Government continues to be guided by principles set out in the updated Approach to Protection of Civilians paper published in August 2020. By way of example, in the past year, the UK has supported strengthening human rights provisions in the mandates for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeeping operations. Our deployment to MINUSMA has provided assurance enabling civilian UN human rights teams to conduct their investigations. We have supported human rights monitors in Syria and encouraged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to promote humanitarian coordination there. We have drawn on UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) mandated investigations to inform and structure our approach to promoting civilian protection in Yemen and been consistent in our support for the work of the UNHCR Fact Finding Mission on Libya.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Turkey on the treatment of Christians in the Khabur Valley of north-east Syria by members of the Turkish armed forces.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is firmly committed to supporting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in Syria who have suffered as a result of conflict and persecution, particularly by Daesh. Turkey remains a close friend and a NATO ally; however, the UK made clear its opposition to Turkey's military operation in north east Syria in October 2019. FCDO Ministers and officials maintain regular contact with the Turkish Government and frequently discuss the situation in Syria, including to urge them, as with all parties to the conflict, to adhere fully to the ceasefire in north east Syria. The UK also calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to respect international law.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to press for international access to monitor the conditions of Syrian detainees held by (a) the Assad regime, (b) ISIS, and (c) the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The latest UN report from the Commission of Inquiry is a shocking reminder of why Syria remains one of the worst human rights crises in the world. The UK has repeatedly condemned the use of illegal detention. We support the UN's request to the Asad regime and Syrian armed groups to allow humanitarian actors and medical teams unhindered access to prisons. We have raised the plight of detainees held by the Asad regime, affiliated militias and proscribed terrorist organisations at the UN Security Council, most recently during our national statement on 15 March and through our leadership at the Human Rights Council, where this month we are hosting a side event to discuss next steps for accountability. We expect all parties to the Syrian conflict to respect their obligations and responsibilities towards civilians under the applicable international law regimes that apply, including international humanitarian law - this includes providing the necessary access for humanitarian organisations to reach those in need.
Justice and accountability for detainees is a central issue for the UN-led political process and we fully support the UN Syria Envoy's efforts to work for the release of detainees, as a vital step towards a political settlement to end the conflict. Additionally we continue to pursue sanctions as a policy tool to hold the Syrian regime to account and to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to advocate for the protection of civilians in dangerous parts of Syria.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK continues to highlight violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria. We support accountability efforts for the most serious crimes committed in Syria and have contributed over £13 million since 2012 in support of efforts to gather evidence and assist victims of human rights abuses and violations. UK support to the Commission for International Justice and Accountability has contributed to the first successful convictions of crimes perpetrated in Syria: a former member of Daesh and a Syrian official Anwar Raslan were both found guilty of crimes against humanity in Germany in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
More widely, the UK is also at the forefront of the humanitarian response, as one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis. The UK focuses on helping those most in need, and is driving the wider international humanitarian response to do the same. We have spent over £3.5 billion in response to the regional Syria Crisis, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis and our aid provides life-saving support to millions of Syrians.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Syria is mounting an offensive in Idlib; and what steps they are taking in response to the remarks made by (1) the UN Special Envoy for Syria, and (2) the Under-Secretary-General Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, at the meeting of the UN Security Council on 20 January.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UN Envoy Geir Pedersen has described a 'fragile calm' in Syria that could break down at any moment. The UK welcomes Turkey's efforts to uphold the ceasefire in Idlib and prevent a further regime offensive. We urge all parties to adhere to agreed ceasefires and their obligations under international law. We also fully support Geir Pedersen's efforts towards a political solution to the conflict in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Tackling the humanitarian impact of the Syria crisis remains a priority for the UK as the Assad regime's policies devastate the Syrian economy and deny aid to the most vulnerable. We continue to use our position at the UN Security Council to push for greater aid access into Syria and we remain committed to supporting aid delivery, through all mechanisms, to those in need.