Written question asked by Caroline Lucas (Green Party) on Thursday, 20 October 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 October 2011. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Libya: Human Rights

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the National Transitional Council of Libya to meet its international obligations in respect of human rights; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: During his recent visit to Libya, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised concerns about human rights abuses committed by Free Libya Forces, including the recent reporting by Amnesty International on the treatment of detainees, and made clear that the UK expected the National Transitional Council (NTC) to turn its commitment to respect human rights into urgent action. He was assured by the Chairman of the NTC that they were taking action to meet Libya's international obligations in respect of human rights and had already begun investigations into these reports.The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced UK support for the NTC on policing and in support of their building of a vibrant civil society. He made clear that the UK stood ready to respond to additional requests from the Libya authorities. The UK is funding a project to provide training for lawyers and justice officials in order to improve understanding and adherence to international human rights standards. We will continue to work closely with the NTC as well as our EU and UN counterparts to determine what further specific bilateral support the UK can provide.

Secondary information