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1713989

registered interest
date	25/04/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Balkans: Security
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent reports indicating that Iran has exported Shahed drones and drone technology to Serbia; and of the impact of this on peace and stability in the Western Balkans.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL4096
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>We have seen no evidence that Iran has exported Shahed drones and drone technology to Serbia. We are counselling Serbia to approach its defence procurement with care, as it sensibly seeks to diversify and modernise its defence capabilities. When the Foreign Secretary met President Vucic in Munich in February, he underlined the importance of Serbia supporting efforts to build and support regional stability.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 10/05/2024 10:40:46 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1702338

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Balkans: Security
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in and stability of the Western Balkans, following the testimony of the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, before the US House Committee on Armed Services on 10 April.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL3949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>We share General Cavoli's assessment over rising tensions in the Western Balkans, and Russia's malign role in exacerbating those tensions. Working bilaterally and with partners, and drawing on over £40 million of programme activity, the UK is driving forward efforts to build resilience to external threats, strengthen democracy, prevent a return to conflict and tackle migration and serious organised crime. Government Ministers are engaging actively in support of these goals. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary met the Prime Ministers of Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro to discuss greater UK investment in the Western Balkans.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 02/05/2024 15:12:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1698276

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Israel: Gender Based Violence and Sexual Offences
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by UN experts on 19 February of “credible allegations of egregious human rights violations” against Palestinian women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank by Israel Defence Forces; and whether they have offered practical support for investigating these alleged crimes, and for caring for survivors and witnesses.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL3580
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK condemns human rights abuses and sexual violence unequivocally and without exception. As I [Lord Ahmad] said to the UN Security Council during the 11 March debate following the release of Special Representative Pramila Patten's report, it is vital that all reports of sexual violence are fully investigated to ensure justice for all victims and survivors and perpetrators are held to account.</p><p>The FCDO continues to closely monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and stands ready to further utilise our Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) expertise and tools to ensure victims and survivors of CRSV, both Israeli and Palestinian, receive the holistic and survivor-centred support they need.</p><p>Through our PSVI programmes and dedicated funding totalling £60 million since 2012, we are leading work internationally to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and strengthen justice and support for all survivors.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 22/04/2024 13:03:32 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1698214

registered interest
date	22/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Ethiopia: Crimes against Humanity
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what specific action they have taken to mitigate risk factors, and prevent atrocity crimes, in response to the conclusion of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia in October 2023 that “eight of the Common Risk Factors for atrocity crimes are present in Ethiopia and that there is evidence to suggest that certain indicators of majority of the Specific Risk Factors for atrocity crimes are also present”; and what steps they are taking to support continued international scrutiny and independent investigations into past and ongoing violations in Ethiopia.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL3555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK has repeatedly called for those responsible for atrocities in Ethiopia to be held to account. The UK was strongly supportive of the establishment of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). The UK has deployed an expert to support the drafting of Ethiopia's national Transitional Justice Policy and we are working to promote a survivor-centred, gender-sensitive approach. We fund UNOHCHR to deploy international human rights monitors and build early warning networks of CSOs and human rights defenders. Through our Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme, we are supporting the investigative capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and facilitating dialogue between groups from across Ethiopia.  We regularly convene with likemindeds to coordinate support and ensure accountability for atrocities and human rights violations and to ensure the effective, full implementation of the Tigray peace agreement and the Transitional Justice Policy once finalised.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 10/04/2024 11:06:14 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1698215

registered interest
date	22/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Tigray: Armed Conflict
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts since the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in November 2022 to achieve justice and accountability for conflict-related sexual violence in Tigray, and what support they are providing to those efforts.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL3556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK is committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence in Ethiopia. We have consistently called for an end to the appalling gender-based violence committed across Ethiopia, including sexual violence, particularly during the Tigray conflict. We therefore welcome the recent agreement to implement a comprehensive national Transitional Justice policy aimed at accountability, redress for victims, reconciliation, and healing. The UK has called for the perpetrators to be held to account and the importance of a victim-centered, gender-sensitive approach. We will work with the Ethiopian Government and civil society in their efforts to hold perpetrators to account, including building the capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission through the UK's Human Rights and Peacebuilding programme (HARP).</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 10/04/2024 11:06:23 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1698216

registered interest
date	22/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Ethiopia: Armed Conflict
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts have been deployed to Ethiopia since 2020; for what purposes; how long each deployment lasted; and what assessment they have made of the impact of its work.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL3557
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK is committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), including through the PSVI Team of Experts. Since its launch, the UK has deployed experts over 90 times globally to enhance UK and international efforts.</p><p>From June to August 2021, an expert was deployed to Ethiopia to identify opportunities for scaling up the response to CRSV. We worked with partners to implement recommendations, including enhancing support for survivors, commissioning research into the dynamics of CRSV and deploying longer-term Gender expertise. From June to October 2022, another expert provided capacity-building training to civil society on CRSV. These deployments have provided the foundation for the UK's ongoing work on CRSV in country.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 10/04/2024 11:06:32 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1691847

registered interest
date	26/02/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Democratic Republic of Congo: Rwanda
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the government of Rwanda is supporting the M23 militia and its incursions into and occupation of Congolese territory; what recent discussions they have had with the governments of France and the United States regarding this issue; and what, if any, representations they have made to the government of Rwanda.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL2731
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government is alarmed by further escalations of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and continue to raise this with DRC and Rwandan governments at every appropriate moment. The Minister of State (Development and Africa) met with President Kagame and Foreign Minister Biruta during his visit to Rwanda in late August, where he encouraged de-escalation and emphasised the need for a peaceful political solution. The UK continues to work closely with likeminded countries; our Great Lakes Envoy is currently on a UN-led trip to the region alongside French and US counterparts and will continue to encourage a return to regional political processes over military solutions.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 13/03/2024 17:41:21 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1690932

registered interest
date	21/02/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of a new United Nations, African Union or other regional peacekeeping force in Sudan.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL2651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2024 answer text <p>Neither the UN nor the African Union have suggested peacekeeping as a suitable response to Sudan's conflict at this stage. The UK Government's main objectives remain to pursue all diplomatic avenues to end the violence in Sudan, improving humanitarian access and addressing human rights violations carried out by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. We continue to work closely with the UN, African Union and with counterparts from African and Gulf states as well as our closest allies to achieve these aims, which our partners share.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 06/03/2024 12:57:30 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1690933

registered interest
date	21/02/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Humanitarian Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of communications blackouts on humanitarian operations, including in (1) Sudan, and (2) Gaza.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL2652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2024 answer text <p>The UK strongly condemns the blackouts in Sudan and calls for an immediate resumption of telecommunications and internet connectivity. The blackouts make it even more difficult for the world to see what is happening in Sudan. They also exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, as millions of people rely on online payments for food and other essentials. We are also deeply concerned about the severely damaged telecommunications and internet networks in Gaza, which are causing repeated near total communications blackouts. This is limiting the ability of Palestinians in Gaza to communicate and greatly hampers the humanitarian response. Officials are in regular contact with Paltel, the leading telecommunications company in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We recognise the strenuous efforts of Paltel's staff in Gaza to make repairs and maintain services, at great risk to themselves.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 06/03/2024 12:57:08 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1690934

registered interest
date	21/02/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sudan: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) funding, and (2) other support, the UK has provided to the United Nations Human Rights Council Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL2653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2024 answer text <p>The Fact-Finding Mission was established by a UK-led resolution at the 54th Session of the Human Rights Council. As an independent mechanism, the UN regular budget funds the mission, which rules out the option of providing UK extra-budgetary funding. The UK provided funds to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): £350,000 between March 2022 and November 2022, and £650,000 from January 2023 to December 2023 to support OHCHR's wider work on Sudan. We will continue to raise the situation in Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 06/03/2024 12:56:28 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic