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1224508

registered interest
date	14/07/2020
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Eritrea on abolishing indefinite servitude in the form of national service in line with the findings and recommendations of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea.
tabling member constituency	Hayes and Harlington
tabling member printed	John McDonnell
uin	73701
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK continues to call for reform of Eritrea's use of a system of indefinite national service. Whilst the Government of Eritrea has justified this service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia and has talked about the need for reform, we have yet to see any concrete proposal following the July 2018 peace agreement. At the 44th session of the Human Rights Council in July 2020, the UK renewed calls for Eritrea to reform the national service system. The Home Office International Director raised national service reform with Eritrean ministers during her visit in February 2020.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 21/07/2020 15:18:29 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	178 label Biography information for John McDonnell

1219425

registered interest
date	30/06/2020
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 February (HL1258), why they described those National Service workers employed by Segen engineering as “civilian”; whether those workers were recruited through national military conscription in Eritrea; and how they categories which workers are (1) civilians, and (2) part of the military.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6274
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>The Eritrean Government has justified civilian and military national service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia, but we have yet to see concrete proposals for reform following the peace declaration. According to our information, every Eritrean young person completes their 12th and final year of school at the national service military training centre at Sawa where they do both military training as well as academic study. At the end, they take exams which leads to some going to college, some receiving vocational training, while others join government ministries or the military. All jobs in Eritrea in the public sector are done by Eritreans on national service, and these include the civil service, teachers, doctors, construction and the military. Sustainable reform of national service needs to happen in tandem with improvements to the economic situation and job creation. We will continue to monitor the situation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 14/07/2020 16:11:16 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1175485

registered interest
date	03/02/2020
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the UN Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea's second report, published on 8 June 2016, that conscripts in Eritrea are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence.
tabling member printed	Baroness Goudie
uin	HL1257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2020 answer text <p>We are aware of claims by women who have left Eritrea that they were sexually abused at the National Service Military Training Centre in Sawa, and these concerns were raised during the Universal Periodic Review of Eritrea in January 2019. The UK is committed to tackling the scourge of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and continues to call for reform of Eritrea's use of a system of universal and compulsory national service.</p><p>The Government of Eritrea has justified this service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia. Following the July 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia we have yet to see any concrete proposals for reform. In July 2019, the Eritrean Government said that it would undertake a review of national service, but they gave no deadline for the review's completion.</p><p>At the 41st session of the Human Rights Council in July 2019, the UK renewed calls for Eritrea to reform the national service system, recognising that sustainable reform of national service needs to happen in tandem with an improved economic situation and job creation. We also raise human rights in Eritrea, both directly with the Government, as the former Minister for Africa did with the Eritrean President's senior adviser when she saw him in July 2019, and when the Head of East Africa Department, with our Ambassador in Asmara, saw the same advisor in November 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 13/02/2020 14:57:41 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3575 label Biography information for Baroness Goudie

1175486

registered interest
date	03/02/2020
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of national conscripts, reported to be at risk of sexual and gender-based violence, in the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa's programme 'Reconnecting Eritrea and Ethiopia through rehabilitation of the main arterial roads in Eritrea'.
tabling member printed	Baroness Goudie
uin	HL1258
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2020 answer text <p>UK support for the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa project, to reconnect Eritrea and Ethiopia through the rehabilitation of the main roads, is conditional on the EU working with the UN to monitor the treatment of national service workers implementing the project. The project, run by the Eritrean state-owned company Segen Engineering, will employ approximately 300 civilian National Service workers who will receive technical and health and safety training.</p><p>We are not aware of any reports of sexual or gender-based violence connected with this project or within the construction industry as a whole. DFID works closely with the European Union on our joint agenda to safeguard against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment. We will continue to review these specific concerns relating to Eritrean national service, and work with the EU to put further measures in place where we judge these are required.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/02/2020 14:51:14 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3575 label Biography information for Baroness Goudie

1174215

registered interest
date	29/01/2020
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, published on 8 June 2016, what assessment he has made of the effect on human rights of indefinite national service in that country.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	9741
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2020 answer text <p>The UK continues to call for reform of Eritrea’s use of a system of universal and compulsory national service. Roles are both military and civilian. Whilst the Government of Eritrea has justified this service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia we have yet to see a concrete proposal for reform following the July 2018 peace agreement. In July 2019, the Eritrean Government said that it would undertake a review of national service, but they gave no deadline for the review’s completion.</p><p>At the 41st session of the Human Rights Council in July 2019, the UK renewed calls for Eritrea to reform the national service system, recognising that sustainable reform of national service needs to happen in tandem with an improved economic situation and job creation. We also raise human rights in Eritrea, both directly with the Government, as the former Minister for Africa did with the Eritrean President's senior adviser when she saw him in July 2019, and when our Ambassador in Asmara saw the same advisor in August 2019.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 07/02/2020 14:18:01 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1141557

registered interest
date	23/07/2019
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current status of indefinite conscription in Eritrea.
tabling member printed	Lord Sheikh
uin	HL17425
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/08/2019 answer text <p>We continue to be deeply concerned by reports that indefinite conscription is ongoing in Eritrea. We raise concerns about human rights in Eritrea regularly, both directly with the Government, as the former Minister for Africa did with the Eritrean Foreign Minister in September 2018, and in international fora. In a statement at the 41<sup>st</sup> session of the UN Human Rights council on 12 July the UK welcomed the renewal of the Special Rapporteur's mandate, which we co-sponsored. The UK also urged Eritrea to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea and to reform national service.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/08/2019 14:07:40 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3794 label Biography information for Lord Sheikh

1130816

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Eritrea: National Service
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the call by the Foundation Human Rights for Eritreans for the EU to cease funding aid projects in Eritrea that involve the use of national service conscripts; and whether any UK aid is directed through those programmes.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL16183
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is broadly supportive of the EU’s efforts to engage with Eritrea, and to create opportunities for greater engagement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, including through increasing development assistance where possible. We share concerns about human rights, particularly regarding Eritrea’s use of national service. However, it is clear that key elements of development cooperation in Eritrea, including recent cooperation on road building, will not be taken forward without the use of national service labour. We have therefore pressed the EU for enhanced efforts to ensure safeguards are in place. The EU has confirmed that the project implementer will monitor and assess whether workers are receiving an appropriate salary, and that basic health and safety standards are applied. Alongside those immediate measures, we, and the EU, will continue to encourage reform of the Eritrean national service system.</p><p> </p><p>Around 15% of all EU development funds, including those used for projects in Eritrea, are attributable to UK ODA. We are also providing a €3m direct contribution to the Horn of Africa programmes of the EU Trust Fund for Africa, whose programming includes the EU’s €20m road building project in Eritrea.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 19/06/2019 11:29:36 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1020682

registered interest
date	06/12/2018
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in Eritrea on (a) ending forced conscription and (b) demobilising those currently subject to forced conscription in that country.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	199821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>I raised the UK's concerns on the human rights situation in Eritrea directly with the Eritrean Foreign Minister when I met him in September, including the length and breadth of National Service. I expressed our hope that positive developments in the region will lead to reform of National Service and improvements in the human rights situation in Eritrea.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 13/12/2018 16:41:18 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

910330

registered interest
date	23/05/2018
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Eritrean counterpart on the laws governing national service in Eritrea.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	147313
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2018 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary has not met with any Eritrean minister. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Permanent Undersecretary and the then Minister of State for Immigration at the Home Office both raised the issue with the Eritrean Foreign Minister when he visited London in July 2017. The former Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Eritrean Foreign Minister when they met in New York in September 2017.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 06/06/2018 15:31:37 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

435867

registered interest
date	07/12/2015
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	Eritrea: National Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on indefinite national service continuing to be practised in Eritrea.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	18938
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>The British Government continues to have concerns about indefinite national service in Eritrea. We welcomed the Government of Eritrea’s pledge earlier this year to limit national service to 18 months for all new recruits starting from March 2015. However, we have been clear to the government in Asmara that it must now follow through on this commitment and that the change must be publicised widely in Eritrea itself. We have also been clear that the 18 month limit should apply to all conscripts not just those who have been enlisted recently.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 14/12/2015 16:15:22 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady