The Government continues to work closely with Canada and other key partners to address the ongoing crisis in Rakhine State, Burma. The Foreign Secretary and Canadian Foreign Minister Freeland discussed the humanitarian crisis last month during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and co-chaired a Foreign Minister level discussion on the issue. They discussed the situation further in a telephone call on 10 May.

​The UK continues to support and comply with the EU arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability. At the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 26 February Council conclusions were adopted on Burma. The UK was instrumental in securing agreement that the embargo should be renewed and strengthened.

Regardless of broader international support, a UN arms embargo would require majority support in the Security Council and the absence of a veto from any Permanent Members. It is our assessment that there is insufficient support among Permanent Members for such a measure at this time.

The Government has been consistently clear in its condemnation of the terrible atrocities that have occurred in Rakhine State and the need to bring the perpetrators to justice. The UK has already suspended Burmese senior military visits and defence education. At the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 26 February Council conclusions were adopted on Burma. The UK was instrumental in securing agreement to begin the process of introducing targeted sanctions on individual senior military officers responsible for serious and systematic human rights violations.The UK supports the UNHRC Fact-Finding Mission to establish the facts and circumstances of the human rights violations and continues to urge the Burmese government to allow for unrestricted and unhindered access to the Mission.

We continue to support the EU's retention of its arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability.

The UK does not sell arms to Burma.

We judge there is currently​ insufficient support across the UN Security Council for a global arms embargo.

We continue to support the EU's retention of its arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability.

The UK was instrumental in the renewal of the EU arms embargo earlier this year.

The noble Baroness, who also has experience in this area, brings attention to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. This has a wide range of helpful provisions that, if implemented, could help promote stability in Darfur and contribute to a political settlement. We are therefore disappointed that it has not been implemented fully and that, as a result, the terrible conflict continues, as she highlighted. We continue to monitor the DDPD process, including through the attendance of Her Majesty’s Government at this week’s implementation follow-up committee meeting in Qatar. However, given the urgency of the situation in Sudan, it is right to also pursue other avenues towards peace, including the efforts of the AU high-level implementation panel.

EU Member States agreed in February to renew, for a further year, the Arms Embargo and active travel ban and asset freeze against President Mugabe, the First Lady, and Zimbabwe Defence Industries. Contrary to media reporting, the EU did not agree a relaxation to President Mugabe’s travel ban during his term as African Union Chair. Exemptions to the travel ban can only be granted in exceptional circumstances and require the agreement of all EU Member States. EU Member States reviewed the governance and human rights situation in Zimbabwe in October 2014. Member States agreed that there had not been a ‘serious deterioration’, which was the agreed condition for renewing the EU Appropriate Measures. The Appropriate Measures therefore expired in November 2014. This enabled the EU to plan a strategic aid programme in Zimbabwe for 2014-20, delivering support directly to agencies on the ground. The EU had an aid programme in Zimbabwe before the Appropriate Measures lapsed but this could only be planned on an annual rather than multi-annual basis. The programme covering the 2014-2020 period will help deliver the reforms necessary for Zimbabwe to become a more democratic and prosperous country, which the UK supports.

The priority of the international community is to restore basic security and ensure humanitarian assistance can be delivered to those in need. To that end, the UK strongly supported UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2127 which mandated the immediate deployment of French forces and the African-led International Support Mission (MISCA) with the aim of protecting civilians and stabilising the country. The Resolution also called for

planning to begin for a possible UN Peacekeeping Operation in the future. The UK provided logistical support to the French mission, at the request of the French government, in the form of three flights to carry French equipment to the Central African Republic (CAR) (see the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 December 2013).

The UK has provided £15 million of aid to CAR in response to the poor humanitarian situation, and is encouraging further contributions from international partners. We remain extremely concerned about reports of human rights abuses in CAR. CAR’s National Transitional Council must work with the UN Peacebuilding Office in CAR (BINUCA) and the new UN Commission of Inquiry to ensure that abuses are fully documented and perpetrators are prosecuted - in conjunction with the International Criminal Court where appropriate. We will consider the possibility of targeted sanctions as the situation continues to develop in conjunction with international partners.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), HM Treasury (HMT) and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) have shared responsibility for enforcing the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2023.

BIS will not grant an export licence to Eritrea unless it is consistent with the terms of the embargo. HMRC uses a risk based and intelligence-led approach to enforce the embargo and identify any illicit shipments destined for Eritrea. HMT has responsibility for the asset freeze and has drawn up Eritrea asset-freezing regulations. Although no individuals or entities are currently subject to an asset freeze, regulations would automatically apply in respect of any persons designated in future. UKBA has responsibility for enforcing travel bans and the Immigration (Designation of Travel Bans) Order 2000 is in place to implement this. No individuals or entities are currently designated under the travel ban and the restrictive measures will apply in respect of any persons designated in future after an amendment order is issued.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), HM Treasury (HMT) and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) have shared responsibility for enforcing the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2023.

BIS will not grant an export licence to Eritrea unless it is consistent with the terms of the embargo. HMRC uses a risk based and intelligence-led approach to enforce the embargo and identify any illicit shipments destined for Eritrea. HMT has responsibility for the asset freeze and have drawn up Eritrea asset-freezing regulations. Although no individuals or entities are currently subject to an asset freeze, regulations would automatically apply in respect of any persons designated in future. UKBA has responsibility for enforcing travel bans and the Immigration (Designation of Travel Bans) Order 2000 is in place to implement this. No individuals or entities are currently designated under the travel ban and the restrictive measures will apply in respect of any persons designated in future after an amendment order is issued.

UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2023 reiterates the provisions set out in UNSCR 1907. Compliance with UNSCR 1907 by all EU Member States is ensured through EU Council Regulations which implement UN sanctions transposed where necessary into national law. On 26 July 2010, the EU adopted Council Regulation No 667/2010, which implements in EU law the measures in UNSCR 1907 relating to the arms embargo and the freezing of funds and economic resources of persons designated by the Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for enforcing arms embargoes.

HMRC uses a risk-based, intelligence-led approach and conducts regular physical and documentary checks on all exports of armaments from the UK, including any attempting to be exported to Burma. HMRC also conducts checks on UK nationals trading armaments outside the UK to detect any illegal activity, including sales of armaments to Burma.

HMRC treats the enforcement of EU sanctions as a priority.

We continue to call for the cessation of violence in Kachin state at every opportunity. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised these concerns with the Burmese authorities during his visit to Burma in December 2012. Our ambassador in Rangoon raised them again with senior members of the Burmese Government on 16 January and 19 January.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council will next review sanctions on Burma in April. The outcome of this review will depend on the progress that the Burmese

Government have made against the benchmarks that were set out in the council conclusions of January 2012. These included the need to see meaningful progress in the process of reconciliation with armed ethnic groups.

As the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), said during an Urgent Question on 14 January (Official Report, col. 599) any discussion on sanctions will depend on the progress that has been made by Burma against these benchmarks, including in Kachin state. We will be consulting with our EU colleagues over the coming months ahead of the April review.