The British Government has been a leader in developing policies and practical action to promote the Protection of Civilians within the UN system. The Government is updating its Protection of Civilians Strategy to ensure that it is fit for purpose in the context of modern conflict, and comprehensive in addressing the situation of children and other particularly vulnerable people such as people with disabilities and older people in conflict zones. As part of that commitment the Government is working with the Polish Government to introduce a new UN Security Council Resolution specifically addressing the needs of the disabled in armed conflict within the broader protection of civilians resolutions that have already been agreed. The Government expects that Resolution to be passed before the end of June 2019.

​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone. The Government is deeply concerned about the severity of violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief in many parts of the world. In recent years we have seen reports of a particular rise in the persecution of Christians. The Foreign Secretary recently asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent global review into the persecution of Christians. The review will provide recommendations on the additional practical steps the FCO can take to support persecuted Christians. The Bishop has now submitted his interim report; he will submit his final report in the Summer.

We have not made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a fund for legal fees and access to justice. The Foreign Secretary has however launched the independent review of Foreign and Commonwealth Office support for persecuted Christians on 30 January. This review will provide robust recommendations on how the FCO can respond to the persecution of Christians when the final report is submitted in the Summer.

The Government has made a number of representations to the Sri Lankan authorities regarding the protection of the Muslim community and other minorities in Sri Lanka. In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks we urged the Sri Lankan government, faith and community leaders to lead an inclusive response to the attacks that brought different communities and faith groups together, and ensured the protection of minorities.

The Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime, Ben Wallace, visited Sri Lanka on 2-3 May and met with President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and a number of faith leaders to underline this message. Lord Ahmad and I have raised the issue of protection for minority groups with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, and our High Commission in Colombo has continued to raise concerns with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, including following the outbreaks of violence against Muslim communities on 13 May.

I addressed the House on this matter on 14 May, and our High Commission also joined an EU statement on 16 May calling on political, religious and other community leaders to make every effort to promote understanding and harmony between communities.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to using our influence to defend Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone. That is why the Prime Minister appointed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon as her Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Lord Ahmad regularly raises this topic with his international counterparts and through the Human Rights Council. In recent years we have seen reports of a particular rise in the persecution of Christians. The Foreign Secretary launched the independent review of FCO support for persecuted Christians on 30 January. The Review is led by the Bishop of Truro. It will map levels of persecution and discrimination against Christians around the world, and provide robust recommendations on how the FCO can respond. The Bishop has now submitted his interim report and will submit his final report in Summer. ​

Following the tragic attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter, we have been in constant touch with the Sri Lankan authorities and other partners to establish the facts on the ground and assess the risks to British nationals. We have kept our travel advice under constant review, with regular updates in response to the evolving situation, in order to provide the best possible information and advice. The safety of British nationals is our main concern. We have strengthened our consular teams in London and Colombo to support British nationals, and have deployed additional Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff to the airport in Colombo to assist passengers who are leaving the country. We have dispatched a team of specialists from the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command, including Family Liaison Officers, to support the families of British victims and assist with the repatriation of deceased British nationals.

We have no plans to repatriate UK citizens in Sri Lanka. As there are a number of commercial options available to those wishing to leave Sri Lanka, we do not believe an evacuation funded by UK taxpayers would be appropriate in this situation.

The UK recognises the important work that human rights defenders (HRDs) do to protect and defend the full range of human rights. Our network of embassies and high commissions will continue to work with HRDs, using the recently updated UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders. We support HRDs in a variety of ways: sometimes through financial support, but more often the value we provide is by getting to know prominent HRDs and supporting them either publicly or privately. There is no single template for doing this. It is for Heads of Mission to decide how to implement and use the guidelines, in a manner appropriate to the local context. The UK will continue to use the multilateral system to press for strong guidelines for the treatment of human rights defenders by states. At the high-level meeting on HRDs at the UN of 18 December, we called on governments to allow HRDs to fight for human rights; and enable civil society to engage and challenge governments without fear. In November, we co-sponsored a new UN General Assembly resolution on freedom of assembly and association, further strengthening support for civil society and human rights defenders.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice has been updated to alert British citizens of the introduction of the new local laws in Brunei and we continue to lobby against the use of such punishments. The High Commission stands ready to provide consular assistance to British citizens if required.

We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted. This includes the 2016 update to the Kilgour, Matas and Gutmann report and other information provided so far to the ongoing tribunal organised by the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China. We continue to scrutinise the situation carefully and review new information as it becomes available. At present, however, our assessment is that there is not a strong enough evidential base to substantiate the claim that systematic state-sponsored or sanctioned organ harvesting is taking place in China. We therefore have no current plans to raise these allegations with the Chinese Government.

​The UK is committed to supporting all human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders. It is a key element of our work to promote universal human rights. The FCO and DFID work closely together to support human rights defenders. In our statement at the Human Rights Council in response to the Special Rapporteur's report on Human Rights Defenders, the UK acknowledged the stark challenges facing women human rights defenders. In November 2018, we co-sponsored a new UN resolution on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association which urged States to 'pay particular attention to the safety and protection of women and women human rights defenders from acts of intimidation and harassment'. In 2017, we co-sponsored the UN resolution on Human Rights Defenders to strengthen support for them and the work they do. Throughout 2019 our network of embassies and high commissions will continue to work with human rights defenders, using the UK Guidelines to inform their work. This includes taking into account groups who may face additional risks, such as women and those defending the rights of women. Our work to support human rights defenders can include attending trials, raising cases privately with the host government, making public statements, and lobbying for safe and open space for civil society and human rights defenders to operate. The FCO believes that a decentralised, flexible approach through the Guidelines allows UK diplomats to apply them in the local context of the country to which they are accredited.

​The UK is committed to supporting all human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders. It is a key element of our work to promote universal human rights. The FCO and DFID work closely together to support human rights defenders. In our statement at the Human Rights Council in response to the Special Rapporteur's report on Human Rights Defenders, the UK acknowledged the stark challenges facing women human rights defenders. In November 2018, we co-sponsored a new UN resolution on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association which urged States to 'pay particular attention to the safety and protection of women and women human rights defenders from acts of intimidation and harassment'. In 2017, we co-sponsored the UN resolution on Human Rights Defenders to strengthen support for them and the work they do. Throughout 2019 our network of embassies and high commissions will continue to work with human rights defenders, using the UK Guidelines to inform their work. This includes taking into account groups who may face additional risks, such as women and those defending the rights of women. Our work to support human rights defenders can include attending trials, raising cases privately with the host government, making public statements, and lobbying for safe and open space for civil society and human rights defenders to operate. The FCO believes that a decentralised, flexible approach through the Guidelines allows UK diplomats to apply them in the local context of the country to which they are accredited.

​The UK is committed to supporting all human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders. It is a key element of our work to promote universal human rights. The FCO and DFID work closely together to support human rights defenders. In our statement at the Human Rights Council in response to the Special Rapporteur's report on Human Rights Defenders, the UK acknowledged the stark challenges facing women human rights defenders. In November 2018, we co-sponsored a new UN resolution on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association which urged States to 'pay particular attention to the safety and protection of women and women human rights defenders from acts of intimidation and harassment'. In 2017, we co-sponsored the UN resolution on Human Rights Defenders to strengthen support for them and the work they do. Throughout 2019 our network of embassies and high commissions will continue to work with human rights defenders, using the UK Guidelines to inform their work. This includes taking into account groups who may face additional risks, such as women and those defending the rights of women. Our work to support human rights defenders can include attending trials, raising cases privately with the host government, making public statements, and lobbying for safe and open space for civil society and human rights defenders to operate. The FCO believes that a decentralised, flexible approach through the Guidelines allows UK diplomats to apply them in the local context of the country to which they are accredited.

The UK is strongly committed to freedom of the press and the protection of journalists. My Right Honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary has launched an international campaign on media freedom and will be co-hosting with Canada an international conference on 10-11 July to shine a global spotlight on these issues. As part of the campaign, we are exploring how we can reinforce and add value to existing mechanisms, including those of the UN and other international organisations. We most recently discussed the idea of a UN Special Rapporteur or Special Representative for the protection of journalists and media freedom with Under-Secretary General Menendez on February 7th. Ministers are exploring with the UN Secretary General how the UN system might best be strengthened, including whether the creation of such a role might add weight to global efforts.

The Government is currently reviewing its global strategy on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, and is committed to ensuring that its approach benefits all civilians, including children. The Government welcomes recent research carried out by academics and NGOs in this field, and will consult with them and take their work into account as it undertakes its own review.

The Government is currently reviewing its strategy on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, which applies to all civilians including children. The review coincides with the twentieth anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1265 (1999) and the adoption of the Protection of Civilians as an item on the Security Council’s agenda.

​The UK government actively engages with civil society organisations, recognising that collaborative engagement can strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict. On 12 February 2019, the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon met four youth participants from World Vision UK's newly launched campaign entitled 'It takes a World...To End Violence Against Children', to discuss their views and recommendations for government action regarding the use of children in armed forces and groups. The UK government recognises the importance of amplifying young people's voices and the powerful impact this can have in raising the profile of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) Agenda. The UK government therefore continues to engage with World Vision on this agenda. An invitation has been extended to World Vision to present at the newly established cross-government Working Group on CAAC.

The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on CAAC, which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC, contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes and prevention of re-recruitment for children formerly associated with armed groups. The UK has confirmed it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.

​The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.

The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. We apply diplomatic pressure to listed governments and armed groups, and fund projects to help protect and rehabilitate vulnerable children. We also press for the inclusion of child protection in peacekeeping responses through UN mandate renewals and resolutions.

The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups. The GCR is working to provide more reliable funding to ensure higher quality, longer-term reintegration programming and prevention of re-recruitment for all children formerly recruited and used by armed groups and forces. The UK has confirmed that it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate, and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.

In 2018, the UK endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to reduce the impact of conflict on education, and the Vancouver Principles, a political commitment to ensure that child protection and preventing the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups are operational priorities during the conduct of United Nations peace operations. As a member of the Group of Friends of CAAC in Geneva, we also participated in a joint statement to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2018, in which we reiterated our strong support for the mandate of the SRSG for CAAC. We worked very closely with Sweden and others to agree Resolution 2427 adopted by the UN Security Council in July 2018, to strengthen protection mechanisms for children in armed conflict.

​The Government is deeply concerned about the severity of violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief in many parts of the world. It is a universal human right for all people to be able to practise their faith or belief without fear or discrimination. Freedom of Religion or Belief is an important part of the work done by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We regularly raise issues at ministerial and senior official levels where we have concerns, including the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Human Rights Council.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not responsible for protecting asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. This work is led by the Home Office. The UK does not have a duty of care to protect the families of those asylum seekers and refugees, where they live abroad. We engage regularly with a broad range of countries on human rights issues.