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99832

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the findings and recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are submitted to the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court; and what further steps his Department has taken pursuant to the findings of that inquiry.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	211190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is not a State Party to the International Criminal Court, so it has no jurisdiction in the absence of a UN Security Council resolution. The UK worked with the EU and likeminded partners to ensure 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 an informal public “Arria” briefing by the Commission of the Inquiry.</p><p>The UK has also played an active role in raising human rights violations in the DPRK in other meaningful ways. For example, in May we raised the need for a continued focus on human rights during a UN Security Council Sanctions Committee and in June I visited Geneva, where I took part in an Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the DPRK, Mr Mazuki Darusman and raised the importance of DPRK human rights with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.</p><p>In addition to recommendations on accountability, the Commission of Inquiry made a number of recommendations with regard to human rights dialogue and people-to-people contact. Through our Embassy in Pyongyang and the DPRK Embassy in London the UK continues to support activity in both these areas.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/10/2014 14:53:47 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

99842

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the North Korean Ambassador to the UK on the North Korean government's acceptance of the recommendations of its recent Universal Periodic Review.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	211098
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers have had no substantive meetings with the North Korean Ambassador to the UK since the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in May 2014, although senior FCO officials have met with the Ambassador to discuss a range of subjects. Following the adoption of the DPRK’s Universal Periodic Review report in September 2014 the United Kingdom issued a statement via our Mission in Geneva welcoming the DPRK’s engagement. We urged the DPRK to fulfil the commitment it made to respond to the 185 recommendations which it agreed to examine, and to take concrete steps to implement all the UPR recommendations. It remains of serious concern that 83 UPR recommendations did not enjoy the support of the DPRK, particularly those related to the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry, co-operation with the Special Rapporteur, the treatment of political prisoners and closure of political prison camps.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 23/10/2014 16:07:03 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

99844

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK manufacturing products are not used as components in North Korean produced weapons.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	211097
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>North Korea is currently subject to sanctions imposed by the UN and EU. These measures include an asset freeze, travel ban and an extensive embargo which prohibits the export of arms, dual-use goods, and luxury goods and imposes restrictions on the export of other listed items which could contribute to nuclear or ballistic missile programmes. All export licence applications are assessed against the consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, considering the prevailing circumstances at the time of the application, including the capabilities of the equipment, and the end user. A licence would not be granted if to do so would be a breach of our international obligations or we assessed there was an unacceptable risk of diversion to a WMD programme or to a military programme in an embargoed destination. However, it is impossible to completely prevent non-listed items manufactured in the UK being used in North Korean produced weapons, for example if items are legitimately exported from the UK to third countries but are subsequently sold to entities in the DPRK. For this reason the UK is also active in encouraging other countries to enforce DPRK sanctions more effectively. HMRC works together with Border Force to enforce export controls and trade sanctions and they have a range of powers available to prevent illicit exports. Enforcing sanctions is a high priority.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 23/10/2014 14:56:13 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

99847

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will consider implementing sanctions against individuals and entities suspected of perpetrating crimes against humanity, as detailed in the UN Commission of Inquiry on North Korea.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	211128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) recommended the introduction by the UN Security Council of targeted sanctions on human rights grounds. Existing UN and EU sanctions against the DPRK are based on UN Security Council Resolutions prohibiting the further development of the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. They target goods and activities that support those programmes, and individuals and organisations, both inside and outside the DPRK, who have acted in breach of these Resolutions. <br><br>Any introduction of sanctions on human rights grounds would require the establishment of a new sanctions regime. The UK would want any new sanctions proposals to have a clear impact on the human rights situation in North Korea without any unintended negative effect on the general population. Any sanctions against individuals or organisations would also have to meet the strict requirements established in recent legal cases where sanctions have been successfully challenged in the UK and European courts.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/10/2014 14:23:44 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

91020

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
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: Human Rights
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has requested the EU to implement targeted sanctions against people and organisations named in the UN Commission of Inquiry report on North Korea as being responsible for human rights violations in North Korea; and if he will discuss with his ministerial colleagues implementing sanctions in the event that the EU does not do so.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	208489
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>We meet regularly with other EU member states to discuss how we can collectively press for substantial change in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). In June, I personally met representatives from the EU, France, United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea to discuss ways in which accountability toward the DPRK can be improved. An EU imposed targeted sanctions regime against individuals and organisations named in the UN Commission of Inquiry report has not been requested as it is not clear this will lead to improvements in the human rights situation. However, the UK will continue to work closely with the EU and other partners to ensure focus is maintained on improving the human rights situation in the DPRK. We intend to work for a strong, well supported resolution in the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/10/2014 14:22:04 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

64747

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	Burma
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential consequences of the proposed religious conversion bill in Burma and the situation for religious minorities in that country.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	203060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2014 answer text <p>We have voiced our strong concerns over proposed legislation on inter-faith marriage and religious conversion to members of the Burmese government and parliamentarians. If enacted, these laws would harm religious tolerance and respect for diversity in Burma, and contravene international standards and treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to which Burma is a signatory. During my visit to Burma in January, I delivered a speech which called for greater religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue, and we continue to make clear that respect for freedom of religion and belief must be guaranteed.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 03/07/2014 10:48:21 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

60753

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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent UK companies profiting from North Korean labour; and what steps he is taking to ensure that UK companies are compliant with international law on human trafficking, slavery and forced labour in their contracts in North Korea.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	199758
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The UK is the first country to publish the Implementation Plan of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which states the Government's expectation of business behaviour both in the UK and overseas. In October 2013, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills amended the Companies Act 2006 to introduce mandatory reporting requirements for all UK listed companies to publish information on human rights issues. At the EU level, the UK in April this year secured agreement to impose further reporting requirements on companies across Europe. In particular, all large listed and public interest undertakings will be required to disclose policies, outcomes and risks relating to areas such as respect for human rights and, if relevant, linked to their supply and subcontracting chain.</p><p>Current trade between the UK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is minimal and covered by an overarching provision that any activities should satisfy existing UN and EU sanctions. These refer to restriction in the export of goods and financial assistance, which may contribute to the development of the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. There are currently no plans to introduce a general restriction on trade, as such a broad measure could adversely affect ordinary North Koreans.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 16/06/2014 13:37:54 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

60754

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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations on supporting the broadcasting of accessible information in to the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea in paragraph 1224 of the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in that country.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	199759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>We have taken note of the UN Commission of Inquiry recommendation that civil society be supported to broadcast accessible information. We have helped to facilitate contact between BBC Worldwide and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) broadcasting authorities, to explore the possibility of the BBC supplying a range of programmes to the DPRK.</p><p>Through our Embassy in Pyongyang, the UK is also one of the few countries which is able to engage directly with the DPRK. This complements the efforts of others who are already broadcasting into North Korea. The recent report of the UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights in North Korea recognised the importance of both approaches.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 16/06/2014 13:42:59 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

60755

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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the UN on the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	199760
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>In October 2013, I met members of the Commission of Inquiry team on a visit we organised for them to the UK. I travelled to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March to urge action following their report, and I was pleased with the strong resolution which passed later that month.</p><p>In April the UK raised the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) human rights concerns during closed consultations between the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Security Council. The same month the UK's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York met with members of the Commission of Inquiry and expressed our strong support for the work of the Commission. The UK also took part in a public ‘Arria' briefing with other Security Council members to consider DPRK human rights. In May, we raised the need for continued focus on the situation during a UN Security Council Sanctions Committee meeting. I will travel to the UN in Geneva this week in order to meet the DPRK Special Rapporteur, Marzuki Darusman, and to set out the UK's concerns to the Council. The meeting of the UN General Assembly in September presents a further opportunity to hold discussions.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 16/06/2014 13:46:48 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

60756

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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to increase the flow of impartial information into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea following the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in that country.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	199761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The British Embassy in Pyongyang has arranged for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) officials to attend education programmes in the UK with a human rights element, and also to attend economics workshops in Pyongyang aiming to deepen their understanding of international standards and norms. The British Council English language teaching programme in Pyongyang provides another area of extensive engagement. The Embassy also delivers strong messages directly to DPRK interlocutors about the UK's human rights concerns, including concerns arising from the UN Commission of Inquiry.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 16/06/2014 13:52:11 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce