At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan's human rights record in November 2017, the UK called on Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities and establish an independent National Commission for Minorities. We regularly raise our concerns about discrimination against minority communities with the Pakistan Government at a senior level. Lord Ahmad raised our concerns about protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, during his visit to Islamabad in February 2019. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. We will continue to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to religious minorities, and to uphold the rule of law.<\/p>
Through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, the UK has supported projects in Pakistan to combat intolerance and encourage respect amongst individuals of different faiths and beliefs through education. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1466", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Wiltshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Andrew Murrison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-02T14:47:04.05Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Religious Freedom"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure the implementation of the Supreme Court of Pakistan\u2019s Judgement of 19 June 2014 to protect the rights of religious minorities in the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4640", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Linden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Linden"} ], "uin" : "268579"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134186", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134186/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department for International Development (DFID)'s AAWAZ II Accountability, Inclusion and Reducing Modern Slavery Programme works with communities in Pakistan to promote rights of children, women, youth and religious minorities, protect them from exploitation, prevent discrimination and intolerance. This £39.5m programme, due to run from 2018 to 2024, will build on AAWAZ I. It will also build capacity of targeted government institutions.<\/p>
Since 2008, responsibility to develop curriculum and textbooks has been devolved to provinces in Pakistan (with the Federal Government having some oversight but very little role in implementation). DFID has assisted the provincial governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to revise specific textbooks to align them with the 2006 national curriculum, which is a substantial improvement in terms of inclusion and tolerance from the previous curriculum. DFID technical assistance provided to both provincial governments is increasing the capability and capacity of the Curriculum and Textbook Boards to review textbooks, including on the systems and standards necessary to identify and remove discriminatory content. We are also supporting education for children from minority communities and funding training for 100,000 teachers on inclusion.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1466", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Wiltshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Andrew Murrison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-02T14:51:30.833Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Religious Freedom"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic support his Department has provided to the Federal Government of Pakistan to (a) establish a taskforce to develop a strategy to promote religious tolerance and (b) develop a curricula at schools and colleges that promotes a culture of religious and social tolerance.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4640", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Linden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Linden"} ], "uin" : "268580"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134187", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134187/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
\u200bAt the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan's human rights record in November 2017, the UK called on Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities and establish an independent National Commission for Minorities. We regularly raise our concerns about discrimination against minority communities with the Pakistan Government at a senior level. Lord Ahmad raised our concerns about protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, during his visit to Islamabad in February 2019. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. We will continue to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to religious minorities, and to uphold the rule of law.<\/p>
Through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, the UK has supported projects in Pakistan to combat intolerance and encourage respect amongst individuals of different faiths and beliefs through education. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1466", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Wiltshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Andrew Murrison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-02T14:54:54.047Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Religious Freedom"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department provides to the Government of Pakistan in response to Pakistan\u2019s Supreme Court Judgment of 2014 to establish a National Council on the safeguarding and protection of the rights of religious minorities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4640", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Linden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Linden"} ], "uin" : "268581"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1133847", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1133847/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), we are using our membership to ensure that conflict-related child protection issues remain a key part of the Council discussions and to ensure that UN operations retain the necessary capacity to address all child protection issues, including the continued use of child soldiers in conflict zones.<\/p>
For example, to mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day) the UK took part in a UNSC Arria meeting on protecting children in shrinking humanitarian spaces. The UK called for better integration of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) portfolio into UNSC country specific discussions and for all states to sign up to the key international commitments pertaining to ending the recruitment and use of children in conflict; the Paris Principles and Commitments; the Vancouver Principles; and the Optional Protocol on children in armed conflict. The UK also highlighted the importance of mainstreaming child protection in peacekeeping missions.<\/p>
We will be participating in the annual CAAC debate in August and will continue to use our position on the UNSC to engage with the international community and advocate greater protection for children in armed conflict against all grave violations, including recruitment and use. As the Foreign and Commonwealth Minister of State responsible fpr Children and Armed Conflict, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon champions this agenda and is committed to raising it's profile and driving progress across Government and internationally.<\/p>
Background<\/strong><\/p> The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict, listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC, to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) for CAAC, contributing £800,000 in the last five years, and a member of the 'Global Coalition for Reintegration', a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups.<\/p> <\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the UN on the continued use of child soldiers in conflict zones.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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