I refer the Noble Lord to the answers provided on 12 February to Questions HL13863 and HL13920, and on the work of UNITAD, I refer him to the answers he was provided on 19 September 2024 in response to Questions HL838 and HL839.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answers provided on 12 February to Questions HL13863 and HL13920, and on the work of UNITAD, I refer him to the answers he was provided on 19 September 2024 in response to Questions HL838 and HL839.

The UK remains committed to the Yazidi community's safety and security, recognising the hardships and persecution they have endured. Reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a difficult, but necessary decision. However, the Building Peace and Security in Iraq programme will continue facilitating the return and reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons, including Yazidis. We also continue to advocate with Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on stability, security and governance in Sinjar.

Prior to this year, the UK also funded Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking programmes. These programmes strengthened government and civil organisation capacity to advance transitional justice mechanisms, and support survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.

The UK Government welcomed the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani from 14 - 16 January. As part of the official visit's programme, the Minister of State for Development met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Dr Mohammed Ali Tamim on 15 January. They discussed development partnerships between our countries, the situation in Sinjar and support for Yazidis and other Internally Displaced Persons.

The UK Government also recognises that continued insecurity in Iraq can have a disproportionate effect on ethnic and religious minority groups, including those who are displaced. We regularly engage with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the need for stability in Sinjar, and advocate for full implementation of the Sinjar Agreement.

The UK is analysing the proposed amendments to Iraq's Personal Status Law and its implications for women and children's rights. As we privately engage with a range of Iraqi interlocutors to discuss this, we are emphasising the importance of any amendments' compatibility with Iraq's international obligations.

We would condemn any legislative change that would violate international norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

The UK remains committed to supporting the Yazidi community. The UK regularly engages with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the promotion of the right to freedom of religion and belief, including for the Yazidi community.

We are closely monitoring the situation currently facing Yazidis. We currently provide support to Yazidi survivors through a Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative delivered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which funds capacity building support to the Government of Iraq to support to the implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law passed in 2021. We continue to advocate for implementation of the Law, which is crucial in securing justice for survivors and rebuilding their lives.

We have also supported Iraq to develop capacity for Daesh accountability through the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL (UNITAD), and international efforts to deliver justice will continue.

The UK recognises Turkey's right to self-defence, while fully supporting Iraq's territorial integrity. We encourage restraint from activity that could lead to loss of civilian life, or damage to civilian infrastructure. It is critical that Turkey and Iraq reach a way to address security concerns that does not lead to regional instability. We welcome recent high-level engagement between both countries, including President Erdoğan's visit to Iraq on 22 April. As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage Turkey on regional stability. Most recently, the UK National Security Advisor discussed this issue with his Turkish counterpart in London on 11 April.

The UK regularly engages with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on the security situation in Sinjar, and we continue to advocate for the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement. Progress on this has been hindered by numerous factors, including tensions between the Government of Iraq and the KRG and the extremely complex politics of the region. ⁠We encourage both governments to agree a candidate to appoint as mayor of Sinjar, an important and necessary step to improve the security situation and lives of people living there.

The UK monitored the events in Sinjar over the 28-29 April weekend. We work closely with the Government of Iraq to ensure that the returns of all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are safe and dignified and that they are able to reintegrate into society in a way that is positive for communities, including those who have suffered at the hands of Daesh. Our British Embassy Baghdad and Consulate General Erbil will continue to monitor the situation.

Our diplomatic missions are in regular contact with Government of Iraq and Kurdistan regional Government authorities on the safety and security of the communities located in Sinjar. The UK Government provides funding support to the Directorate of Yazidi Affairs and during my [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] recent visit to Iraq I met with Yazidi communities and leaders to hear their experiences and reiterate UK support.

Our "Building Peace and Security in Iraq" (BPSI) programme will support those affected by the protracted displacement crisis and includes both returnees and local communities, who face many of the same problems. The UK continues to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Government of Iraq as it works to rebuild from Daesh and deliver a more peaceful and hope

The UK advocated strongly for the passing of the Yazidi Survivors Law, an important first step toward assistance and justice for survivors of sexual violence by Daesh. Since 2021, the UK has been supporting the Directorate of Yazidi Affairs through the International Organisation for Migration to ensure technical and practical implementation of the law. As part of this, 1,200 community members were reached in 2022 through events aimed at raising awareness of the law and how Yazidi survivors can access support. We are providing a further £100,000 to increase the capacity of the Directorate to provide mental health and psychosocial support services for survivors and provide technical assistance to strengthen survivor participation in the dialogue on accountability of Daesh crimes. In parallel, the UK has also provided grants to 19 women's rights organisations, including those who provide training and workshops for Yazidi women. During Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon's recent visit to Iraq he met with the Yazidis' communities and leadership to hear first-hand their experiences and reiterate UK support.

The Home Office provides resettlement solely on the basis of needs, identified by UNHCR. Individual ethnic and religious background is not part of this consideration.

We therefore do not publish a religious or ethnic breakdown of those who have been resettled.

The UK advocated strongly for the passing of the Yazidi Survivors' Law in March 2021 and the establishment of the Directorate of Yazidi Affairs. The Directorate is responsible for searching for survivors and supporting judicial and investigative bodies on holding perpetrators to account. In parallel, we have also provided £2 million to the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD). The UK joined likeminded partners in committing to support Yazidis displaced or abducted by Daesh in a Joint alliance statement issued in October 2021. We continue to press the Government of Iraq on the importance of these issues, including searching for those missing Yazidi women and children abducted by Daesh.

We note the Yazidi Justice Committee's report on State Responsibility and the Yazidi Genocide. It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.

We note the findings from the Yazidi Justice Committee's report. The UK has focused its response to the abhorrent crimes that Daesh inflicted by supporting the Government of Iraq to take the necessary actions to secure justice for the Yazidi people and many other victims of Daesh's crimes.

This includes leadership in ensuring that the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2379 to establish a UN Investigative Team for the Accountability of Daesh (UNITAD) and supporting this with £2 million in funding. We are encouraging close co-operation between UNITAD and the Government of Iraq to achieve justice for Daesh's victims.

We will continue to use our position at the UN, including as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to raise situations of concern and to support the deployment of all appropriate tools available to the UN in dealing with potential mass atrocities. Our focus is always on securing an end to violence and protecting civilians.

The UK is committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Genocide Convention, to which the UK is party. It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. However, this policy does not inhibit the UK from taking robust action to address the egregious human rights abuses committed by Daesh.

We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against all civilians, including Yazidis, Christians, and other minorities, as well as Muslim populations in Syria and Iraq. We note the conviction in a German court on 30 November 2021 of a former Daesh fighter for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. We are following this case and its review closely. We will continue to use our position at the UN, including as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to raise situations of concern and to support the deployment of all appropriate tools available to the UN in dealing with potential mass atrocities. Our focus is always on securing an end to violence and protecting civilians.

We are following closely the situation in northern Iraq. FCDO Ministers and senior officials regularly reiterate to the need for dialogue and cooperation between Turkey and Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians. Our diplomatic missions are in regular contact with Turkish and Government of Iraq and Kurdistan regional Government authorities. Our focus is always on securing an end to violence and protecting civilians. The UK continues to champion on the rights of minorities, including Yazidis, in Iraq, including through working with a wide range of actors to ensure full implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law.

We are aware of reports of airstrikes and the death of Yekîneyên Berxwedana Şengalê‎ (YBS) commander Marwan Badal Khudida. We continue to reiterate the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security and protect civilians.