The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 29th November 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of British Iranian dual nationals detained by the government of Iran; and what support they are providing (1) the detainees, and (2) their families.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about the status of dual-nationals detained in Iran”
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 16th November 2021:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in response to the 4 November statement by the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief on the government of Cuba’s targeting of religious leaders following protests in July.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about human rights and religious freedom in Cuba”The Bishop of Coventry raised a question of forgiveness and responsibility in the government response to the continued imprisonment of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in Iran on 15th November 2021, during a debate on what action the government was taking to facilitate her release and return to the UK:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, what does the Minister think Governments on both sides might have to learn from a simple prayer that was once prayed on this day in Coventry, after the destruction of the city? It is a simple prayer but a brave one; it simply says: “Father, forgive.” It does not try to forgive the other side, or even to absolve the other side from responsibility, but it does say that, somewhere along the line, both sides, in whatever proportion, need to accept that a very deep hole has been dug and suffering people have fallen into it. In this case, there is a suffering woman at the bottom of the hole, and her husband and child. Can we not do more to accept that there is something we have a responsibility for?
Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry urges government to consider responsibility in the captivity of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe”The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 8th November 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Chichester received the following written answers on 11th October 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester asked Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Cameroon about ensuring the legal protection of (1) human rights defenders, and (2) civil society activists, in that country.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the crisis in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, including the disturbing reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and the security forces. In a visit to Cameroon in March, the previous Minister for Africa met President Biya, Prime Minister Ngute and Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, where he set out the UK’s commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester asks about humanitarian concerns in Cameroon”During a meeting of the House of Lords on 18th August 2021 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan following withdrawal of international troops and the Taliban entering Kabul, the Archbishop of Canterbury paid tribute to the people of Afghanistan and urged that the government policy towards refugees be guided by morality rather than numbers:
The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I look forward especially to hearing noble and gallant Lords, diplomats and others with local knowledge of Afghanistan. We rightly remember the courage, suffering and sacrifice over the past 20 years and the courage being shown currently by our ambassador and service- people in Afghanistan, together with their colleagues, and reporters.
When we look back, I remember a cathedral full for the funeral of a soldier: family and many colleagues silent in dignity, some wounded, mourning their loss. The failure we face today is not military or diplomatic—they did all they could—it is political. Recovery and hope will come to Afghanistan with our supporting commitment to the neediest and most desperate. We have proven capacities in soft as well as hard power. We owe an absolute, lavishly generous moral covenant to all those who are at risk because they served with us in Afghanistan or took seriously our frequently professed commitment to its future, women and girls included.
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The Bishop of Southwark asked a question about the principle of businesses and governments seeking “free, prior, and informed consent” from indigenous communities before engaging in industrial activities, during a debate on human rights in business practices on 20th July 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I draw the Minister’s attention to the policy of the National Investing Bodies of the Church of England on extractive industries, which has an explicit commitment drawn from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the
Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about rights of indigenous communities in planning work”The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a Grand Commitee debate on the effectiveness of the Magnitsky sanctions on 24th June 2021, arguing for better cooperation with international partners and support for international law, and warning of the danger of overreliance on sanctions in global affairs:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too agree that there are occasions when these Magnitsky sanctions may be the best available option to us. However, the increased use of such sanctions is a worrying sign that the organs of international arbitration such as the UN or the ICJ may be losing their effectiveness. These were the very institutions established in response to the tit-for-tat foreign policy that defined the 19th and early 20th centuries, with all their resulting catastrophes.
Our Government are a big advocate of the concept of “Global Britain”, an ambiguous phrase that sometimes means leading as a force for good in the world but at other times is simply a declaration that Britain is open for international business. My concern is that these conflicting visions of global Britain are sometimes mutually exclusive, and that when dealing with human rights abuses there may be a tendency to take the route of least domestic economic disruption.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans warns against increased use of Magnitsky sanctions”The Bishop of Rochester asked a question on the treatment of human rights activists in Zimbabwe on 28th April 2021, during a discussion on the current political situation in the country:
The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, my diocese has a close and long-standing friendship with the diocese of Harare. When I asked friends there about this subject, they spoke of those human rights activists and others who allege mistreatment when taken into custody, and then nothing is done to address their allegations. Is the Minister able to suggest how we might better underline and, indeed, demonstrate that allowing dissent is good for the health of a society, to be encouraged rather than met with suppression or even violence? This is something that, of course, has a wider application than just to Zimbabwe.
Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester asks about treatment of human rights activists in Zimbabwe”The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answers on 12th April 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked Her Majesty’s Government:
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