foreign affairs – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of St Albans asks about Chinese activities in Hong Kong and in the Horn of Africa

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 25th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative on countries in the Horn of Africa.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): China is an important source of aid, finance and investment for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including in the Horn of Africa. This includes activity under the Belt and Road Initiative. We are working with partners including the G7 to ensure low and middle income countries have an alternative to strategic dependence on China or any other country. The UK offers wide-ranging partnerships to African countries that support a freer, safer, healthier, greener and more prosperous continent. Through British Investment Partnerships, we are providing honest, reliable investment that creates jobs, boosts economic growth and draws countries closer to major free-market democracies.

Bishop of St Albans asks about arrest of journalists in South Sudan

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 24th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of South Sudan regarding the reported arrest of six journalists in that country.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Con): The UK Charge d’Affaires in Juba met with the Chair of the Union of Journalists for South Sudan and has publicly called for due process to be followed in the case of six members of South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation staff being detained. We consistently raise the importance of freedom of expression and of the media, and the need to adhere to fair legal processes, with the Government of South Sudan.

Hansard

Bishop of Durham asks about government response to relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 24th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government, following the President of the Republic of Rwanda’s annual end-of-year address, broadcast on 31 December 2022, what assessment they have made of (1) relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and (2) the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what steps they intend to take in response to that speech.

Bishop of Durham asks about cholera outbreak in Burundi

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 24th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent outbreak of cholera in Burundi.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We note reports of a recent outbreak of cholera in Burundi and urge the Government of Burundi to continue taking preventative measures to limit further risks to the population. FCDO officials have engaged with international partners to discuss how we can limit the outbreak of cholera worldwide.

Hansard

Bishop of St Albans asks about humanitarian issues in the Caucasus

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 23rd January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

what assessment they have made of the humanitarian impact of the blockade on Lachin Corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the blockade of Lachin Corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Bishop of St Albans asks about the BBC World Service in the Arab States

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 10th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the strategic importance of the BBC World Service during the Arab Spring protests.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): The FCDO strongly values the BBC World Service’s role in bringing high quality and impartial broadcasting to global audiences, particularly where free speech is limited. The Integrated Review stated that the BBC’s foreign language services are part of what makes the UK a soft power superpower.

Bishop of Coventry asks about former president imprisoned in Georgia

The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answer on 9th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Georgia, if any, for the release from prison on health grounds of Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of that country.

Bishop of St Albans asks about human rights of children in Iran

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 19th December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of children detained in prisons in Iran.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): The treatment of juvenile offenders in Iran falls short of international standards. The Iranian judicial system is deeply flawed with frequent and well-documented violations of fair trial rights. The use of death sentences against minors is also a regular occurrence. Because of the lack of transparency of the Iranian judicial system, it is difficult to calculate with accuracy the number of children detained in Iran. In recent months, we have observed a significant increase in the rate at which children are arrested and a disproportionate number who have died during the protests. This was also noted by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 17 October. The UK will continue to work with partners to hold Iran to account for its actions.

Bishop of Durham asks about conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 8th December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and relations between that country and Rwanda; and what steps, if any, they are taking to de-escalate that conflict.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Con): The UK condemns the escalation in fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Foreign Secretary has raised our concerns with both the President of DRC and the Foreign Minister of Rwanda; The Minister for Africa also recently spoke to the Rwandan Foreign Minister. We welcome agreement on a ceasefire as agreed at the Luanda summit in Angola on 23 November. It is vital that all parties implement it to secure a real de-escalation on the ground in Eastern DRC. We call on all sides to do everything they can to ensure armed groups respect the terms of the ceasefire and engage with the regional political processes, in order that an enduring political solution can be found.

Bishop of St Albans asks about suppression of journalists in China

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question regarding government response to suppression of journalists by the Chinese authorities on 1st December 2022, during a debate on a Commons Urgent Question concerning the arrest of BBC journalist Edward Lawrence while he was covering protests in Shanghai, China:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, what attempts are His Majesty’s Government making to work with our partners in the UN to build an international consensus, so that China, which is seeking to raise its profile as an international power, hears from all quarters that suppressing journalists, not least those who are doing their duties, and arresting people for these demonstrations is simply unacceptable in the modern world?

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