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My Lords, the various UN peacekeeping missions around the world—I think there are currently 14—have a vital role to play. However, those of us who have had the privilege of visiting many of those missions know that some are notoriously poorly run and have limited cost control. Can the Minister tell the House what measures she will take in this very austere time for the UN to make sure that we get better value for money from these organisations and peacekeeping missions?
My Lords, the various UN peacekeeping missions around the world—I think there are currently 14—have a vital role to play. However, those of us who have had the privilege of visiting many of those missions know that some are notoriously poorly run and have limited cost control. Can the Minister tell the House what measures she will take in this very austere time for the UN to make sure that we get better value for money from these organisations and peacekeeping missions?
I completely agree with the noble Lord and thank him for raising Sudan and what has happened in Darfur. I was encouraged to see the United States’ commitment to OCHA under the leadership of Tom Fletcher. I am meeting Tom tomorrow, and I will be discussing the very issues that the noble Lord has mentioned.
We are very concerned about the current situation in Mali, particularly in the north of the country, where violent extremist groups including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have taken advantage of the instability to consolidate their position. We will continue to work very closely with key international partners, especially France, to support the region in its efforts to restore political stability and security to the country.
We are very concerned about the current situation in Mali, particularly in the north of the country, where violent extremist groups including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have taken advantage of the instability to consolidate their position. We will continue to work very closely with key international partners, especially France, to support the region in its efforts to restore political stability and security to the country.
What recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Mali.
[118498]
I join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to those non-governmental organisations. I entirely agree with him that the situation is very fraught, but the good news is that President Traore has come back from Paris, and there is now a Government of national unity which is truly inclusive. The most important consideration is that ECOWAS must help to secure the state institutions in Bamako and then rebuild the capacity of the Malian army before even thinking about taking any action against the rebel groups in the north of the country.
I join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to those non-governmental organisations. I entirely agree with him that the situation is very fraught, but the good news is that President Traore has come back from Paris, and there is now a Government of national unity which is truly inclusive. The most important consideration is that ECOWAS must help to secure the state institutions in Bamako and then rebuild the capacity of the Malian army before even thinking about taking any action against the rebel groups in the north of the country.
I pay tribute to two charities in my constituency which do excellent work in Mali. May I ask the Minister to encourage the Economic Community of West African States, and in particular Senegal and Algeria, to work with what remains of the democratically elected Government in seeking a peaceful solution before military intervention is considered?
I share the right hon. Gentleman’s concerns, especially in view of the number of former mercenaries from Libya who have found their way into the region. Obviously the region is extremely unstable. A number of different rebel groups are plying their evil trade. What is most important is for the Government of national unity to secure Bamako, to work with ECOWAS and other international organisations to build capacity, and then to think about what action can be taken against those groups in the north. In the meantime, I agree with the right hon. Gentleman. There has been a
United Nations Security Council resolution, and we will consider, as best we can, sanctions and other measures against individuals.
I share the right hon. Gentleman’s concerns, especially in view of the number of former mercenaries from Libya who have found their way into the region. Obviously the region is extremely unstable. A number of different rebel groups are plying their evil trade. What is most important is for the Government of national unity to secure Bamako, to work with ECOWAS and other international organisations to build capacity, and then to think about what action can be taken against those groups in the north. In the meantime, I agree with the right hon. Gentleman. There has been a
United Nations Security Council resolution, and we will consider, as best we can, sanctions and other measures against individuals.
As the Minister says, the situation is extremely serious: more than half the country is now occupied by al-Qaeda-backed rebels. What steps can he take with his international counterparts to ensure that sanctions are imposed on sources of supply for those rebels, particularly in relation to arms and ammunition?
The United Kingdom remains strongly committed to a reinvigorated Commonwealth. We want to see a relevant and effective organisation that brings strong values, development and prosperity to all its citizens.
The United Kingdom remains strongly committed to a reinvigorated Commonwealth. We want to see a relevant and effective organisation that brings strong values, development and prosperity to all its citizens.
What recent assessment he has made of the state of UK relations with the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement.
[118508]
As my hon. Friend says, the Commonwealth brings with it some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, such as India, Ghana, Nigeria and Mozambique. We are responding with our FCO network shift. We opened a new deputy high commission in Hyderabad on 31 May and are to open another in Chandigarh later this year. We are strengthening FCO
and UKTI commercial teams in Canada, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya and Cameroon. I could go on and on, Mr Speaker.
As my hon. Friend says, the Commonwealth brings with it some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, such as India, Ghana, Nigeria and Mozambique. We are responding with our FCO network shift. We opened a new deputy high commission in Hyderabad on 31 May and are to open another in Chandigarh later this year. We are strengthening FCO
and UKTI commercial teams in Canada, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya and Cameroon. I could go on and on, Mr Speaker.
In December 2010, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House in a statement that the Government should use the Commonwealth to develop trade and investment opportunities for the United Kingdom. Will he update the House on progress being made on that, especially given that Commonwealth GDP is poised to surpass that of the eurozone and is projected to grow at three times the eurozone’s rate for the next five years?
I assure the hon. Gentleman that we are completely committed to a reinvigorated Commonwealth. We feel that it will be one of the most important organisations in the world going forward. That is why we welcome the work being done by the ministerial action group and some of the other initiatives. For example, there is a proposal for a Commonwealth commissioner for human rights. We also want to see the new strategic plan. I pay tribute to the work of the eminent persons group—including my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Kensington (Sir Malcolm Rifkind), who did so much work on that group—to help to move the Commonwealth in what will be a much more dynamic direction.
I assure the hon. Gentleman that we are completely committed to a reinvigorated Commonwealth. We feel that it will be one of the most important organisations in the world going forward. That is why we welcome the work being done by the ministerial action group and some of the other initiatives. For example, there is a proposal for a Commonwealth commissioner for human rights. We also want to see the new strategic plan. I pay tribute to the work of the eminent persons group—including my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Kensington (Sir Malcolm Rifkind), who did so much work on that group—to help to move the Commonwealth in what will be a much more dynamic direction.
Does the Minister agree that successive British Governments have neglected relations with Commonwealth countries? That is due mainly to the overweening obsession of the Foreign Office with the European Union and relations with Brussels. Will he set out how we will rebuild those relationships, particularly during this year, which is the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence?
We are obviously very concerned about what is going on in the Gambia, because there has been an effective moratorium on the death penalty since 1985. All of those on death row, including General Mbye, the husband of my hon. Friend’s constituent, had effectively had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. We have made very strong representations to the Gambian Government. I will meet Gambian Foreign Minister Tangara in the near future, and we will push them very hard indeed on this matter.
We are obviously very concerned about what is going on in the Gambia, because there has been an effective moratorium on the death penalty since 1985. All of those on death row, including General Mbye, the husband of my hon. Friend’s constituent, had effectively had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. We have made very strong representations to the Gambian Government. I will meet Gambian Foreign Minister Tangara in the near future, and we will push them very hard indeed on this matter.
In the past few weeks there has been growing concern about the human rights situation in the Gambia. I am very grateful to the Minister for all the assistance that he has given my constituent, Deborah Burns, whose husband is one of those who has been threatened with execution on death row. Can the Minister provide an update on the representations made by the Government and assure us that human rights will be restored in the Gambia?
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the protection of human rights in Africa; and if he will make a statement.
[118509]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the protection of human rights in Africa; and if he will make a statement.
[118509]
The promotion and protection of human rights is at the heart of UK foreign policy. Our embassies and high commissions in Africa monitor human rights situations on an ongoing basis, as they do in all regions of the world. We will continue to raise human rights concerns wherever they arise.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the President of Malawi to next visit the UK.
[118514]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the President of Malawi to next visit the UK.
[118514]
Her Excellency President Joyce Banda had a productive visit to the UK for her Majesty the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June. The Secretary of State for International Development and I have also visited Malawi this year. While no concrete plans are in place for a substantive visit this year, I hope that President Banda may be able to visit the UK again in 2013.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to encourage use of the Somaliland Development Corporation to promote private and public investment in the economy of Somaliland following the Somalia Conference.
[118519]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to encourage use of the Somaliland Development Corporation to promote private and public investment in the economy of Somaliland following the Somalia Conference.
[118519]
Attracting inward investment will help bring prosperity and stability to Somaliland. The Somaliland Development Corporation's initiative can help achieve this; at the request from the SDC, the Secretary of State for International Development has decided to provide a grant to support its operation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the President of Rwanda on the involvement of senior figures in his army in the rebellion taking place in the province of North-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
[118390]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the President of Rwanda on the involvement of senior figures in his army in the rebellion taking place in the province of North-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
[118390]
We have had and continue to have, extensive high level contact with the Rwandan Government in Kigali and in the UK, during which we have raised our serious concerns about the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
What recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Mali.
[118498]
What recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Mali.
[118498]
We are very concerned about the current situation in Mali, particularly in the north of the country, where violent extremist groups including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have taken advantage of the instability to consolidate their position. We will continue to work very closely with key international partners, especially France, to support the region in its efforts to restore political stability and security to the country.
What recent assessment he has made of the state of UK relations with the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement.
[118508]
What recent assessment he has made of the state of UK relations with the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement.
[118508]
The United Kingdom remains strongly committed to a reinvigorated Commonwealth. We want to see a relevant and effective organisation that brings strong values, development and prosperity to all its citizens.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings his officials had with representatives of Conciliation Resources in 2010-11.
[117765]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings his officials had with representatives of Conciliation Resources in 2010-11.
[117765]
Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office meet regularly with representatives from Conciliation Resources, as they do with many other non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Meetings take place both at British Missions overseas as well as in the UK, sometimes with Conciliation Resources alone or in broader meetings involving other NGOs. There is no central record kept of these meetings: providing a specific number would therefore involve a disproportionate use of staff time.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding his Department plans to allocate to Conciliation Resources for the financial year 2013-14.
[117767]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding his Department plans to allocate to Conciliation Resources for the financial year 2013-14.
[117767]
There are no confirmed plans to allocate funding to Conciliation Resources from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) own budget in financial year 2013-14. The tri-departmental (the FCO, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool is funded by a separate Treasury allocation not from individual departmental budgets, but with projects agreed tri-departmentally and then managed by individual Departments. There are two FCO-managed Conflict Pool projects planned at this stage for financial year (FY) 2013-14 involving funding for Conciliation Resources. The first entitled ‘Building confidence in conflict transformation: the Georgian/Abkhaz context’ involves a planned £150,000 of funding. The second, entitled ‘Technical Support to the Peace Talks between the Government of Ethiopia and the Ogaden National Liberation Front’, involves a planned £90,000 covering FY 2012-13 and FY 2013-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to work with West African nations to tackle the narcotics trade in Guinea-Bissau.
[117600]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to work with West African nations to tackle the narcotics trade in Guinea-Bissau.
[117600]
Britain continues to work with its international partners, including the EU, UN and Governments in the region, to prevent the flow of illegal narcotics from Guinea-Bissau to Europe and the UK. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office works closely with Whitehall colleagues, including the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Ministry of Defence, to minimize the spread of the narcotics trade in West Africa which we believe will contribute towards stability in Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring countries. HMS Dauntless participated in an international counter-narcotics exercise, Saharan Express, in April and carried out joint counter-narcotics exercises with the Cape Verdean authorities in May.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the situation in Mali; and what steps his Department is taking to protect UK interests in the region.
[117601]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the situation in Mali; and what steps his Department is taking to protect UK interests in the region.
[117601]
The British Government is concerned about the current situation in Mali, particularly in the north, where Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda have consolidated their position. We have longstanding counter-terrorism relationships with countries across North and West Africa as well as with key international partners working to counter the threat from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and ideologically aligned groups.
We are also concerned about the impact of fighting in Mali on the regional humanitarian crisis. The deterioration in the political and security situation in Mali has directly affected over 442,000 people and exacerbated the chronic food shortages. In response, Britain has now provided £25.4 million in humanitarian aid in total to the Sahel region, including Mali.
There have been some positive developments in southern Mali. The return of interim President Dioncounda Traore from Paris has enabled the formation of a Government of National Unity, officially announced on 20 August, which incorporates representatives from all sectors of society. Britain, with the international community, is committed to helping the Government of National Unity return Mali to democratic rule, and hold elections, as soon as possible.
We support the principle of a regional solution to the crisis in Mali. We have assisted the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the past and hope to be able to do so again. We are encouraging ECOWAS to provide further detail of their plans, as requested by the UN Security Council (UNSC), before the UNSC can formally endorse ECOWAS action in Mali.
Although British interests in the Sahel are modest, our ambassador in Bamako—who also covers Niger—is in regular contact with the small expatriate community in Mali, and with the small number of British businesses there, to update them on the changing situation and to advise on any safety precautions that they should take. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also provides regular, detailed updates to our travel advice.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the authorities in Mauritius on the trial of those accused of killing Michaela McAreavey.
[118325]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the authorities in Mauritius on the trial of those accused of killing Michaela McAreavey.
[118325]
Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff are in contact with the Mauritian authorities about this case and we understand that they are taking further steps to bring those responsible to justice, including carrying out a further police investigation by a different Team. We await the results of this investigation. We have reiterated our offer of full support to the Irish Government in Dublin and the Irish ambassador, who are rightly taking the lead in providing consular support to the McAreavey family. We stand ready to respond to any further requests for assistance.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the trial in Mauritius of those accused of killing Michaela McAreavey.
[118326]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the trial in Mauritius of those accused of killing Michaela McAreavey.
[118326]
Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff are in contact with the Mauritian authorities about this case and we understand that they are taking
further steps to bring those responsible to justice, including carrying out a further police investigation by a different team. We await the results of this investigation. We have reiterated our offer of full support to the Irish Government in Dublin and the Irish ambassador, who are providing consular support to the McAreavey family. We stand ready to respond to any further requests for assistance.