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79643

	registered interest
	date	28/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 23 July (HL Deb, cols GC 460–4) on the Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, how many of the Commission’s recommendations that pertain specifically to Her Majesty’s Government have been implemented thus far; and whether there are any recommendations that they do not intend to implement.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL1535
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>The Commission of Inquiry made nineteen recommendations to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) (para 1220, (a) – (s)); six for China and other States in the context of trafficking and forced repatriation of refugees (para 1221 (a) – (f)); one relating to inter-Korean relations (para 1222); two directed at states, civil society organisations, foundations and business enterprises (1223 and 1224) and ten to the international community and the United Nations (1225 (a) – (j)).</p><p>The recommendations relating to trafficking and forced repatriation do not apply directly to the UK. However, we have been clear with the Chinese government and others that we believe that people who have escaped from the DPRK are entitled to protection and should be allowed safe passage to resettlement in third countries.</p><p>Para 1223 relates to people-to-people dialogue and contact in areas such as culture, science, sports, good governance and economic development. As one of the few countries with a presence on the ground in Pyongyang, the UK can play a particular role in implementing this recommendation. We already seek to expose North Koreans to the outside world through the British Council English language training programme and other engagement activities.</p><p>Para 1224 recommends that states and others should support the work of civil society organisations to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK, including efforts to document violations and to broadcast accessible information into each country. The UK has previously funded projects with South Korean non-governmental organisations related to documenting violations in the DPRK. We have also worked with international and domestic organisations within the DPRK to improve the treatment of disabled people. Our focus on direct engagement complements that of others, like the US, who support broadcasts into the DPRK.</p><p>With regard to the recommendations for the international community and the United Nations, my noble friend, the former Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Baroness Warsi), set out in detail in her reply on 23 July (Official Report, column GC461) the UK’s position on the recommendations for the UN Security Council (para 1225(a)) and our commitment to ensuring that the international community takes action in response to the Commission’s report (para 1225(f)). The recommendations in para 1225 (b) and (c) have been taken forward through the UN Human Rights Council and those in (d), (e) and (g) are primarily for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Secretariat. We are currently exploring the prospects for taking forward para 1225(h), which recommends forming a human rights contact group. Para 1225(i) relates to provision of humanitarian assistance. The UK does not have a bilateral aid programme in the DPRK, but agrees fully with points made in this recommendation about how such assistance should be provided. Para 1225(j) recommends the convening of a high-level political conference to consider a final peaceful settlement to the Korean War. A comprehensive resolution of the situation on the Korean peninsula will require the DPRK to address the international community's legitimate security concerns.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:02:12 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

79814

	registered interest
	date	30/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 23 July (HL Deb, cols 460–4GC) to the debate on the Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and British Embassy in Pyongyang use teaching programmes in North Korean universities and colleges and children's care homes to challenge the indoctrination of children that was documented in the Commission Report; and if so, how.
	tabling member printed	Lord Eames
	uin	HL1703
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>The primary focus of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and British Council funded teacher training programme in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is on training teachers of English, although the programme also includes an element of direct teaching to university and middle school students. The programme uses a mixture of standard British Council English language materials and materials developed together with DPRK teachers specifically for the North Korean context. This includes, for example, a module on English for International Law, based on texts from the UN including the UN Charter. The DPRK would not agree to any programme that explicitly challenged their ideology, but through the programme North Korean teachers and students develop a better understanding of the UK and its values. They also experience an approach to learning based on questioning and reaching individual conclusions, rather than dictation and rote learning.</p><p>While our Embassy in Pyongyang has funded some projects aimed at improving nutrition in children’s homes and childcare centres, we do not have any teaching programmes for these groups.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:03:00 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	2793 label Biography information for Lord Eames

79815

	registered interest
	date	30/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 23 July (HL Deb, cols 460–4GC) to the debate on the Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, what bilateral steps have been taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to end sexual violence in North Korea; whether experts from its Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative have entered into dialogue with the government of North Korea; and what assessment they have made of whether any projects explicitly designed to improve the rights of women in North Korean society have ever been implemented in North Korea.
	tabling member printed	Lord Eames
	uin	HL1704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>We have been clear with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that we find its appalling human rights record unacceptable and have called on it to take action in response to all of the Commission of Inquiry’s findings, including those relating to sexual and gender-based violence. We have also worked with the South Korean based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Citizens Alliance (NKHR), to fund a project on North Korean refugees and women’s rights in the DPRK and to increase the NGO’s capability in this field. The report produced through this project was submitted to the Commission of Inquiry and formed part of the evidence for their report.</p><p>We do not have a full audit of projects undertaken by other Embassies, UN Agencies or NGOs. With regard to UK projects within the DPRK, it is only possible to undertake projects with a willing North Korean counterpart. We have not previously undertaken projects specifically designed to improve women’s rights or sexual and gender-based violence. To date experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative have not held discussions with the Government of DPRK. The DPRK recently accepted a number of recommendations from its 2009 Universal Periodic Review, including some that related to equality and women’s rights. This creates a potential opportunity for engagement. We are currently considering how we might exploit this most effectively.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:02:36 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	2793 label Biography information for Lord Eames

92394

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people are employed in the British Embassy in Pyongyang.
	tabling member printed	Lord Myners
	uin	HL1956
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2014 answer text <p>As of October 2014, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office employs 11 staff in our Embassy in Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This figure includes UK-based civil servants and locally engaged staff.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 14/10/2014 14:26:07 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

92395

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their foreign policy priorities in respect of North Korea.
	tabling member printed	Lord Myners
	uin	HL1957
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2014 answer text <p>The UK’s foreign policy priorities for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are focused on two areas: counter-proliferation and human rights. Bilaterally, we use our policy of ‘critical engagement’ directly to communicate issues of substantial concern, and to expose North Koreans to international values and the benefits of engaging with the international community. Multilaterally, the UK co-operates closely with like minded partners to ensure international pressure is maintained on the DPRK to address human rights violations and comply fully with its international obligations, including under UN Security Council resolutions relating to its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 14/10/2014 14:26:53 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

60543

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been done to implement the recommendation of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in North Korea (1225, h: p 371) that States which have ties with North Korea, such as diplomatic relations, should form a Contact Group which would communicate human rights concerns to the regime and support initiatives that help improve the human rights situation on the ground.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL132
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2014 answer text <p>The UN Commission of Inquiry's (COI) report on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) recommended that states with historically friendly ties, major donors and potential donors and those states engaged in the DPRK through the Six-Party Talks framework form a human rights contact group. Although the UK does not fall into the aforementioned categories, a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office official did meet COI members in April to discuss a range of issues associated with human rights in the DPRK, including the proposal to form a contact group. However, the group has not yet been formed nor have potential members formally been identified. The Minister of State, my Right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), also discussed this with Ambassadors and senior UN Officals in Geneva on 18 June.</p><p>The UK continues to raise concerns over the DPRK human rights situation during meetings with the authorities, most recently with the DPRK Ambassador to the UK in May, but also in Pyongyang where we do so both bilaterally and alongside other EU diplomatic missions.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 23/06/2014 16:00:33 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

62434

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to seek a United Nations Security Council Resolution on the human rights situation in North Korea, following the findings of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry; and if so, whether they will sponsor such a Resolution if it appears to face resistance from Russia or China.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL372
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>The UK believes strongly that there should be no impunity for serious international crimes, such as those which the Commission of Inquiry found are being committed in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). We played an active role in ensuring a strong DPRK resolution at the March UN Human Rights Council, including a call for the UN General Assembly to submit the report of the Commission of Inquiry to the UN Security Council for its consideration and appropriate action. In April we and other Security Council members took part in a public “Arria” briefing by the Commission. This was the first time the Security Council had considered DPRK human rights in this way. We also raised the need for a continued focus on human rights during a UN Security Council Sanctions Committee meeting in May.</p><p>On June 18 the Minister of State, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), visited Geneva, where he took part in an Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the DPRK, Mr Mazuki Darusman. Mr Swire also raised the importance of DPRK human rights with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon and stressed the importance of UN action. The next step will be to ensure there is an appropriate focus on DPRK human rights at this autumn's UN General Assembly (UNGA) session and that there is a strong DPRK resolution, strongly supported, in the UNGA Third Committee.</p><p>We will keep the prospect of a UNSC Resolution under review.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 30/06/2014 12:39:23 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

64609

	registered interest
	date	30/06/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will propose the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL692
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to propose the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The COI has fulfilled its mandate and has produced its final report after systematically collecting detailed accounts of appalling human rights violations in a way that has never been done previously.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 14/07/2014 10:36:38 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

76630

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are doing in relation to the suspected recent firing of short-range missiles by North Korea.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
	uin	HL972
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2014 answer text <p>The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Strategic Rocket Force put on a SCUD-class short-range ballistic missile demonstration for Kim Jong Un on 29 June 2014. Two missiles were launched from its southeast coastline toward the sea. On 9 July, and again on 13 July, the DPRK launched further SCUD-class short range missiles. Two missiles were launched from the southwest of the country, landing in the sea to the east of the DPRK. No prior notice was given in advance of these launches.</p><p>As a result of these launches the UK has written to the UN Committee responsible for the DPRK sanctions regime and asked it to investigate these breaches of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. We have also joined the US, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Japan, in a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), expressing concern at the lack of proper prior notification of ballistic missile launches and asking ICAO to remind the DPRK of its responsibilities for international civil aviation. In response, the President of the Council of ICAO said on 14 July 2014 that he has brought the matter to the attention of the DPRK Minister of Land and Marine Transportation, reminding the Minister of previous correspondence, expressing concerns for the safety of international civil aviation and urging him to take the steps required to fulfil the requirements of the Annexes under the Chicago Convention.</p><p>On 17 July, the UK and other UN Security Council Members met to exchange views regarding the DPRK's recent series of ballistic missile launches. Following this meeting, Members of the Security Council condemned the launches as violations of UNSCRs and urged the DPRK to comply fully with the relevant UNSCRs.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 23/07/2014 16:40:59 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

79731

	registered interest
	date	29/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 23 July (HL Deb, cols GC 460–4) on the Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, whether any projects to improve the substantive human rights of North Koreans, rather than cultural, economic or humanitarian initiatives, are to be implemented; and whether such projects are being considered for North Korean refugees outside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL1623
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>It is not possible for the UK to carry out projects in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) without the cooperation of the DPRK authorities. This has an impact on the type of projects we are able to support, although we have successfully taken forward projects in some areas of human rights, such as disability rights. In the Financial Year 2014/15 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO’s) Human Rights and Democracy Programme is funding a project delivered by the Thomson Foundation titled ‘Inside Out: Working in North Korea to connect its journalists to the Internet world’, which aims to give North Korean journalists a greater understanding of freedom of expression by teaching them Internet skills. Our other engagement projects are about finding concrete ways to inform North Korean citizens about the UK and its values, so that in the long term they recognise the benefits of working with the outside world from which they are normally isolated.</p><p>Our Embassy in Seoul supports the North Korean refugee community through its “English for the Future” programme, which is funded with a mixture of FCO programme funds and corporate sponsorship. We also reserve one of our Chevening scholarships for this community. These programmes help new settlers tackle some of the barriers which can prevent their successful integration into South Korean society and improve their future prospects. The FCO’s Human Rights and Democracy Programme has also previously funded projects with North Korean refugee groups in the Republic of Korea which are more directly related to human rights in the DPRK, such as documenting the effects of torture or producing a report on the rights of women. We remain open to funding similar projects in the future.</p> answering member printed Lord Popat question first answered 11/08/2014 11:23:29 answering member 4173 label Biography information for Lord Popat
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool