1 10 7 0 61517 Sri Lanka: Human Rights To ask the Secretary of State, what steps the Government plans to take with international partners at the Human Rights Council to deliver international accountability in relation to alleged war crimes committed during the Sri Lankan civil war, with reference to the Sri Lankan Government’s recent repudiation of its commitments under Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 and the termination of that process in March 2021. Biography information for Stephen Kinnock House of Commons Foreign and Commonwealth Office Stephen Kinnock Foreign and Commonwealth Office Aberavon 2020-06-18 2020-06-23T16:11:10.517Z Selby and Ainsty Nigel Adams false 2020-06-23 Biography information for Nigel Adams <p>The UK Government regularly engages with international partners on the importance of truth, accountability and justice for all victims of the civil war in Sri Lanka. At the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, the UK works closely with the Core Group on Sri Lanka, and made clear our continued support for justice for victims of conflict in a joint statement delivered at the UNHRC in February. While in Geneva in February, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to underline this message, and the Foreign Secretary raised the importance of accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka during a call with Foreign Minister Gunawardena in May. On 20 May, in a call with the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, Lord Ahmad, who is also the Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, welcomed her recent engagement on Sri Lanka.</p><p>The British High Commission in Colombo continues to engage with international partners on this important issue. The UK has long supported Sri Lanka's accountability commitments made to the UNHRC through resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1 as the best way to establish truth regarding alleged crimes committed by all sides during the Sri Lankan civil war, as well as to achieve accountability and reconciliation.</p> 16 false 1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Prime Minister, as Chair in Office of the Commonwealth, has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the need for a Commonwealth good offices initiative to Sri Lanka. Aberavon 61518 2020-06-18 2020-06-23T16:13:23.197Z Selby and Ainsty Nigel Adams false 2020-06-23 <p>The Prime Minister, as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, has not held discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat on a Commonwealth good offices initiative to Sri Lanka, but we are monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka closely. Respect for human rights, democracy and good governance are fundamental tenets of the Commonwealth Charter, and we encourage all member states to uphold those shared commitments.</p><p>The UK is also a member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and has long supported Sri Lanka's commitments under UNHRC resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1 on accountability, justice and reconciliation following the Sri Lankan civil war.</p> 16 1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Stephen Kinnock Sri Lanka: Human Rights false 2020-02-25 1 Biography information for Wes Streeting 20521 Sri Lanka: Human Rights 16 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office false Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ilford North 2020-03-04T17:18:42.207Z Selby and Ainsty Nigel Adams false 2020-03-04 Selby and Ainsty Nigel Adams <p>Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for the Commonwealth and South Asia met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on 25 February in Geneva to express the UK's serious concern about his country's announcement that it no longer supports the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, and to urge him to reconsider. On 27 February the UK made clear our continued support for the resolution and its principles of reconciliation, accountability and justice for victims of conflict in a statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council by the Core Group on Sri Lanka.</p> Wes Streeting To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on that country's decision to withdraw from its commitments under the UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and 34/1; and if he will make a statement. 16 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-10-30 Sri Lanka: Human Rights Sarah Champion Rotherham To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1, what criteria the Government uses to (a) vet and (b) screen Sri Lankan (i) public and (ii) security officials. 7691 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-11-05T15:56:53.5Z South Derbyshire Mrs Heather Wheeler false 2019-11-05 Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler <p>The British Government has no role in vetting or screening public and security officials from other countries. However, we do carefully consider our engagement with institutions in the security and justice fields overseas. Any relevant assistance provided by the UK to Sri Lankan institutions is subject to robust Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments that analyse the potential human rights, international humanitarian law, political and reputational risks of any proposed assistance. This is to ensure UK assistance is in line with our values and is consistent with our domestic and international human rights obligations.</p><p>​</p> 1 Biography information for Sarah Champion false Foreign and Commonwealth Office To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Freedom of Information request made by Lord Naseby on 6 November 2014 and the resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 1 October 2015 Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, whether they will now publish the full information contained within the despatches written by Lieutenant Colonel Anton Gash to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office during the period January to May 2009; and if so, when. House of Lords false Foreign and Commonwealth Office Biography information for Lord Naseby Sri Lanka: Human Rights 2019-11-05T17:27:07.377Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-11-05 Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received a Freedom of Information request made by you on 6 November 2014 and responded in line with our obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We have no plans to publish further information related to this at this time.</p> HL553 Lord Naseby 2 2019-10-30 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 16 Ilford North 294221 Wes Streeting Sri Lanka: Human Rights 2019-10-03 1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolutions on that country. Foreign and Commonwealth Office false 16 2019-10-08T12:08:09.39Z South Derbyshire Mrs Heather Wheeler false 2019-10-08 <p>We continually assess the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. In March when the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued its latest Annual Report, we agreed that progress had been made. We welcomed the restoration of important democratic checks and balances, improvements in freedom of expression and assembly, the return of some military-held civilian land, the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.</p><p>However, we want to see further and faster progress. We continue to urge the Government to establish the full range of transitional justice mechanisms envisaged in the UNHRC resolutions, to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional reform, replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act with human rights compliant legislation, and return all remaining military-held private land. During his recent visit to Sri Lanka on 2-3 October, Lord Ahmad encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver fully on its commitments made to the UNHRC and to develop a comprehensive and time-bound implementation strategy.</p><p>​</p> To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolutions regarding the aftermath of the Sri Lankan civil war. Biography information for Theresa Villiers 2019-07-17T14:39:37.207Z South West Wiltshire Dr Andrew Murrison false 2019-07-17 Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison <p>The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) through Resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. We firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and achieving justice and lasting reconciliation. The Government has made these points regularly to Sri Lankan Ministers, including during a Ministerial visit to Colombo in October and in a number of meetings since. The British High Commissioner in Colombo also holds regular discussions on the implementation of the UNHRC resolutions with the Government of Sri Lanka.</p><p>In March the UK welcomed the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan Government in the implementation of UNHRC resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. The Report found that the Government of Sri Lanka had taken some steps to address human rights concerns and to introduce more democratic and accountable government, including the return of some military-held civilian land, the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.</p><p>However, more needs to be done. The UK has urged further progress on these issues, and encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional reform, and to establish and then utilise credible mechanisms for transitional justice. We continue to urge the Government to prioritise the steps required to deliver fully on the commitments it made in resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1, and to develop a comprehensive and time bound implementation strategy.</p> Theresa Villiers 1 16 false Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sri Lanka: Human Rights 276526 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-07-12 Chipping Barnet Foreign and Commonwealth Office