Corporate report

Human rights priority countries: Human Rights Minister gives update

Published 7 December 2018

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon has given the interim statement on the human rights situation in 2018 in the FCO’s 30 human rights priority countries.

In July, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) published its annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. As ever, the report offered a snapshot of the global human rights situation over the previous year, and gave details of the UK Government’s work to advance universal human rights around the world.

While this work is truly global, the report focussed in particular on the 30 countries in which we believe human rights issues are of greatest concern, and where we consider that the UK can make a real difference.

This statement provides an update on some of most pressing human rights concerns in these countries in the first part of 2018.

Modern slavery

A year on from the Prime Minister’s launch of the Call to Action to eliminate the scourge of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking, the international consensus against this heinous crime is growing. We have received positive endorsements from over 80 countries.

An estimated 40.3 million people still live in conditions of slavery. The Walk Free Foundation’s Global Slavery Index shows that many of the countries with the highest prevalence of slavery, (including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Burundi and the Central African Republic), have either highly repressive regimes and/or are in a state of conflict.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea again ranked top in the 2018 Global Slavery Index: the regime continues to demand long hours of labour from its citizens, for minimal or no payment.

There have been positive developments in other countries. After endorsing the Prime Minister’s Call to Action last year, in June Bahrain became the first Gulf state to reach Tier 1 in the US Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, indicating that Bahrain has made efforts to address the problem. We continue to support these efforts, and encourage Bahrain to share experiences more widely, including with its Gulf neighbours.

While the number of endorsements of the Call to Action continues to grow, we cannot be complacent. The important next stage is to ensure that those countries which have endorsed it take concrete steps to eradicate modern slavery domestically and work with others globally. We continue to look for partners with whom we can work to combat this evil trade.

Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)

Freedom of Religion or Belief is a fundamental freedom which underpins many other human rights and is a key priority in my capacity as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. We believe that, where FoRB is under attack, other basic rights are often threatened. We are concerned at the severity and scale of violations of FoRB in many parts of the world, especially the rise of violent extremism. FoRB violations include censorship, intimidation, indoctrination, forced conversions, forced marriage, kidnapping, murder, and endemic marginalisation.

In Pakistan, discrimination against religious minorities has become increasingly evident. We are also working closely with international partners on important casework including that of Asia Bibi. In all instances, the safety and security of individuals and their families are the key focus of our efforts. In February, two Christian youths accused of blasphemy were beaten and tortured. In March, a High Court judge in Islamabad issued an order making it mandatory for citizens applying for public office to declare their faith. The order was condemned by civil society for discriminating against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. It was later challenged by the caretaker Government. In May, a historic Sialkot mosque of near 100 years standing, was demolished by anti-Ahmadiyya protesters. In July, Ahmadi Muslim voters were prevented from participating freely in the elections.

In Russia, legislation passed in 2017 labelled Jehovah’s Witnesses an “extremist organisation”. Since then, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been persecuted; they are subject to arrest, limitations on movement, and seizure of property.

In Eritrea, Jehovah’s Witnesses and members of other minority religions also face persecution. A number of worshippers and religious leaders, including Patriarch Abune Antonios of the Eritrean Orthodox church, are in detention.

In Yemen, members of the Baha’i faith continue to face persecution, particularly in the Houthi-controlled north. In March, a Houthi leader described people of the Baha’i faith as “satanic”, and “engaged in a war against Islam”. Credible allegations have been made that a number of Baha’i held in custody by the Houthis have been subject to torture. In Iran, discrimination against the Baha’i community is legally sanctioned by a lack of constitutional recognition and the absence of other legal protections. Reports continue of the authorities destroying the community’s religious sites and cemeteries, while pursuing activities which deprive the Baha’i of their right to work. Baha’i-owned shops and businesses have been forced to close across Iran and the state continues to identify, monitor, and arbitrarily detain followers of this faith.

In China, the situation in Xinjiang has significantly deteriorated. We have serious concerns about credible reports of over one million people (mainly Muslim Uyghur ethnic minorities) being held at some point in extra-judicial “political re-education” camps. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, at July’s Strategic Dialogue. In August a UN expert panel expressed its concerns about the situation, calling on China to release those held in extrajudicial detention and to provide more information about numbers being held.

In Saudi Arabia, we continue to be concerned about the criminalisation of the public practice of religions other than Islam. Despite some positive signals such as the Crown Prince meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury in March and the visits of faith leaders to Saudi Arabia, we are disappointed that there has been no progress. We will continue to look for opportunities to work with Saudi Arabia to encourage freedom of religion and belief.

Civil society

Freedom of expression

Freedom of expression is both a fundamental right in itself and an essential ingredient for delivering the full range of human rights. The freedom to debate, discuss, criticise and hold governments to account is essential in any free society.

A free and independent media plays a vital role in promoting this debate. Access to fair and accurate information is the lifeblood of democracy. It is unacceptable that journalists continue to be harassed, attacked, imprisoned, and killed. Over 70 journalists and media workers have been killed to date in 2018. Over 300 are in detention. Restrictive laws are increasingly being used by a number of countries to stifle freedom of expression across the globe.

Journalists and reporters are at the frontline of providing balanced, independent information that is crucial to defending democratic principles and the UN Charter. The UK is committed to the promotion of free media and protection of international journalists. The Foreign Secretary recently announced that FCO put its resources behind a campaign on Media Freedom in 2019, to mobilise an international consensus behind the protection of journalists.

The horrific murder of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul is the most shocking recent example of the restrictions on freedom of expression and the press in Saudi Arabia. His murder fits with an emerging pattern of arbitrary arrests and detentions of religious figures, writers, journalists, academics, and political activists in Saudi Arabia, and the use of counter-terrorism legislation to prosecute human rights defenders. The UK has made clear that Saudi Arabia must conduct a full and credible investigation into Mr Khashoggi’s death. Those responsible for any offence must be held to account.

In Egypt, new media laws passed over the summer have further restricted media and online freedoms. The new legislation gives the state broad new regulatory powers to monitor social media accounts, block websites, and prosecute journalists. Approximately 500 websites are currently blocked, including mainstream news sites. A number of journalists, bloggers, and activists have also been detained over the last six months for social media posts. Most have been charged with ‘spreading false news’, considered a terrorism offence in Egypt. According to Freedom House, Egypt now has the third highest number of imprisoned journalists in the world, and recorded the joint biggest decline in internet freedoms over the last year. We raised our concerns about these developments in a statement in the UN Human Rights Council on 18 September notwithstanding the tragic terror attack on Coptic Christians on 2 November. I have noted in a recent visit signs of strengthening the co-operation across faith communities and progress on Freedom of religion.

In Burma, two Reuters journalists were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in September for investigating a massacre in Rakhine State. Their high-profile trial was widely condemned by international experts, and it has drawn wider attention to the country’s dysfunctional and compromised legal system. We have raised our concerns about this case publicly on a number of occasions. The Foreign Secretary raised it directly with Aung San Suu Kyi in September. Impunity is widespread in Burma; judges and lawyers are poorly qualified, and there is no guarantee of a fair trial. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma estimates that 18 political prisoners are currently serving sentences, with a further 254 awaiting trial. The trial of the Reuters journalists also highlighted wider concerns about freedom of expression in Burma. PEN International awarded Burma only two of a possible 60 points on their 2018 freedom of expression scorecard — a six point drop from the previous year. Burma remains a priority in the Human Rights agenda.

In Bangladesh, new laws have been criticised by civil society as they could be interpreted to enable the criminalisation of criticising the government. Attacks against journalists remain commonplace, and the murder of a blogger was reported in June. We are working with the human rights organisation Article 19 to promote freedom of expression, including by giving journalists the tools to keep themselves safe and we are monitoring the run up to the elections closely

In Venezuela, through the Magna Carta Fund, the UK currently supports a freedom of expression programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of local journalists, media outlets, and citizen-reporters (non-journalists who use their smartphones and social media to report directly on news developments such as protests as they unfold), to operate in a safe and open manner in an increasingly restrictive environment. At the discussion on the deepening political, economic, and social crisis in Venezuela at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels in October, the UK pushed for the inclusion of wording on the need for the Venezuelan government to “uphold press freedom”.

From a policy angle, the UK has taken the lead within the EU to push for the inclusion of wording on the need of the Venezuelan Government to “uphold press freedom”, as per the recent joint-statement following the EU Ministers meeting on the deepening political, economic, and social crisis in Venezuela held on 15 October at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

In Sudan, the seizure of newspapers and summoning and harassment of journalists has increased dramatically in the last year. Threats to punish journalists who engage with the international community are also a cause of great concern.

In South Sudan, government authorities have continued to restrict freedom of expression through censorship of the media, and the intimidation, arrest, and detention of journalists. This year we have continued to lobby the South Sudan authorities to end human rights violations, ensure accountability, and release political prisoners.

In Burundi, freedom of speech and of association are severely curtailed. The BBC World Service was suspended for six months this year for breaching restrictive reporting standards. Voice of America (VoA) radio was also subject to short-term sanctions, and an independent print media company, which had been granted permission to publish only in French and Kirundi, faced similar threats for publishing in English. The BBC and VoA were taken off the air a week before the country’s constitutional referendum in May to increase the Presidential term limits. They were therefore prevented from holding the Government fully to account, which directly contravenes the terms of the Arusha Accords peace treaty. We continue to call on the Burundian government to open up the democratic space, including for the press, in order to enable credible elections in 2020.

In China, the Communist Party’s control over the media has been extended and formalised following a government restructure in March. Dissenting and progressive voices are illegal according to new regulations. Showing LGBT or extramarital relations and a whole host of political taboos are prohibited in any media. This keeps China in the bottom five of Freedom House’s press freedom index, and last on their internet freedom index. The BBC’s website has been blocked and requests from at least one foreign correspondent and one foreign academic for visa renewal have been denied. We have initiated work under the Magna Carta Fund supporting press freedoms this year.

Eritrea currently ranks 179th out of the 180 states listed in the World Press Freedom Index and amongst the 10 worst countries for press freedom in the 2017 Freedom House press freedom index. All press outlets are closely controlled by the state, and journalists are detained arbitrarily and for prolonged periods.

A positive development on freedom of expression should be noted. In Uzbekistan, the journalist Bobumurod Adullayev had been detained for seven months, accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. He was released in a landmark ruling by the court in Tashkent, which also ordered an investigation into the handling of the case by the security service. Media freedom is a vital part of further reform in Uzbekistan.

Human rights defenders

Human rights defenders make a huge contribution to promoting and protecting the rights of their fellow citizens. We are working hard to strengthen the protections accorded to them.

In China, human rights defenders continued to come under significant pressure. Rights lawyers continued to have their licences revoked this year, and one lawyer, Wang Quanzhang, has now spent over 3 years in pre-trial detention, and only receiving limited access to a lawyer for the first time earlier this year. The release of Liu Xia (wife of deceased Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo) from house arrest in July was a rare positive development, but the next day veteran pro-democracy campaigner Qin Yongmin was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk was sentenced to five years in prison, and Swedish national (and Hong Kong bookseller) Gui Minhai was detained again in January and gave a presumably forced confession on state television.

In Colombia, the overall security picture has improved since the peace deal was signed two years ago, and the country now has its lowest murder rate in 42 years. However, human rights defenders continue to be targeted by illegal armed and criminal groups, often because they speak out for vulnerable communities or because they promote justice for victims of the conflict. In the first six months of 2018, 34 human rights defenders have been murdered and another 46 killings are being investigated. The new Colombian administration acknowledges the country’s human rights problems and has accepted the UK’s recommendations for better protection of defenders during the country’s Universal Periodic Review in May. The UK has also championed improvements to human rights through our programme work. During 2017 to 18 the UK will invest more than ever before in work to help promote the work of human rights defenders by promoting their access to justice and implementing self-protection mechanism and community-based protection.

In Turkmenistan, few human rights defenders feel able to operate inside the country, or to contact foreign diplomatic missions, for fear of reprisals by the authorities. A number of laws have been adopted which ostensibly improve human rights protections, but implementation remains poor or non-existent. We regularly raise the issue of human rights with the Turkmen authorities. Most recently Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Lord Ashton of Hyde, met Deputy Foreign Minister Raşit Öwezgeldiýewiç Meredov in Ashgabat in October, and explained that we wanted to continue the dialogue on human rights following Turkmenistan’s UPR this year. We are currently supporting human rights projects run by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) through the Global Britain Fund (GBF).

In Iran, large numbers of human rights defenders are being detained: a sign that elements of the regime still do not tolerate political dissent, despite some improvements in social freedoms over the last few years. High profile defenders continue to risk imprisonment as a result of their actions. Among them is the lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who most recently represented women protesting against the compulsory wearing of the hijab. The charges against her are unclear.

The UK is following developments in Sri Lanka closely and is aware of the concern felt by many about the potential impact on human rights defenders. We have spoken to all parties about the need to protect and promote human rights, the rule of law and good governance. We are in close touch with civil society representatives and international partners to ensure that we are ready to respond to a changing context, if necessary.

The UK will continue to work with non-government organisations such as Lifeline and Frontline Defenders to support human rights defenders around the world. We have also sent advice and guidance to our network of Posts around the world on how best to support human rights defenders, especially in times of emergency.

Restrictions on civil society space

The UK believes that open societies tend to be more stable and prosperous, and that, among other things, civil society provides legitimate channels for citizens to express their views about their government. We are concerned that an increasing number of governments feel threatened by the activities of civil society, and that many are actively curtailing or suppressing them.

We are working to strengthen civil society, and are engaging with governments, local NGOs, and other civil society actors around the world to promote the benefits of open society. We raise issues of concern both bilaterally and through international fora. We also work with coalitions such as the Community of Democracies to highlight these issues.

As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) approaches elections in December, the focus is on democratic space. The UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) documented 499 violations linked to restricted democratic space in the DRC between January and June this year. The main perpetrators were state forces; the heavy-handed response to protests at the start of the year, when nine people were killed and 96 injured, was particularly concerning. Since February, the picture has been a little more positive. The DRC Minister for Human Rights set up a commission to review what happened at the protests. In March he produced a critical report which recommended lifting a ban on demonstrations, and improving crowd management. A number of opposition rallies have since been permitted, although there has been an excessive reaction by state authorities to demonstrations by some youth activist groups. Following concerted international pressure, draft laws which would have restricted NGOs and human rights defenders have been delayed until a parliamentary session later this year. UNJHRO estimates that around 50 political prisoners have been released this year, but it is unclear how many prisoners remain in custody. There were also 78 violations against journalists by state actors in the first half of the year.

In China, regulations to place civil society under the government’s administration and under Party control are almost complete. As required by law more than half of the registered NGOs in China now have Party branches, while the remainder require other forms of Party supervision. Out of 25 countries that have regulated on foreign NGOs in the last few years, China’s regulations are the most severe. Closing off international links continues to have a stifling effect on local civil society development, both for funding and best practice. In bilateral partnerships with Indonesia and across Africa, China is ‘providing technical advice and sharing best practice’ on the creation of NGO databases, and other areas of ‘legal exchange’.

Israel’s vibrant civil society and commitment to equality for all its citizens are some of its great strengths as a fellow democracy. But NGOs critical of Israel’s conduct in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) have come under increasing pressure, and international anti-occupation activists have experienced difficulties at airports, including visa delays, denials, and questioning. There has also been a narrowing of civil society space in the OPTs due to restrictive PA/Palestinian legislative and policy measures. Human rights abuses continue elsewhere in the OPTs. The humanitarian and security conditions faced by ordinary Gazans remains unacceptable. The recent violence, and Hamas’s ongoing actions, have led to further suffering, including civilian casualties, and has threatened the security of the Israeli border communities. The UK has raised concerns about the potential demolition by Israel of the Bedouin village of Khan al Ahmar in the West Bank. In all but the most exceptional cases, Israeli demolitions in the OPTs are contrary to international law.

The territorial defeat of Daesh in Iraq has not significantly improved the post-conflict situation for much of Iraq’s civil society. The most vulnerable include those still internally displaced, refugees, women and girls, and children born of rape. Discriminatory laws and policies and conservative social norms obstruct progress on equality. October saw the murder of 2 high profile women, Souad al Ali (a civil society activist) and Tara Fares (a Christian model and Instagram star), demonstrating the ongoing threat of violence against civil society, especially women.

The Syrian regime has tightened its grip on the operating space for civil society. The regime denies registration to civil society organisations with reformist or human rights missions, and regularly conducts raids and searches to detain civic and political activists. Freedom of expression is severely restricted in regime held areas, and journalists or citizens that criticise the regime risk censorship, detention and torture. Recent measures include banning civil society organisations from providing legal assistance to Syrians with a sole exception for an organisation run by President Assad’s wife. Civil society organisations also face significant challenges in Libya, including intimidation and violence from armed groups.

In Iran government authorities have continued to show disregard towards the right to a fair trial with appropriate due process safeguards, as recently highlighted at the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran on 24 October. This includes the arbitrary detention of dual nationals, including British-Iranians, political prisoners, and ethnic and religious minorities. The UK will continue to monitor closely reports of the excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, and the lack of clear due process.

In Venezuela, we have continued to express concerns about the deepening political, economic, and social crisis, and its distressing humanitarian impact. Civil and political rights have deteriorated. Political protesters or dissenters have been victims of politically motivated arbitrary detentions, ill-treatment, torture, and extra-judicial killings, with civilians also being subject to trial in military courts. A local NGO has reported that over 230 political prisoners are currently detained.

The scale and horror of the Rohingya crisis has thrown a spotlight on the breadth of human rights challenges in Burma. The UK was instrumental in delivering the EU’s targeted sanctions on seven individuals from the Burmese military responsible for human rights violations in Rakhine. In September, the Foreign Secretary travelled to Burma to raise the situation in Rakhine directly with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The Foreign Secretary then convened a meeting of Foreign Ministers in the margins of the UN General Assembly to ensure international attention remains focused on the situation. In Geneva, the UK played a leading role in the joint EU-OIC resolution which was adopted at the September session of the UN Human Rights Council and established a new accountability mechanism to collect and preserve evidence of human rights atrocities. The UK has played a prominent role in assisting victims. We are providing food for malnourished families; counselling for the survivors of sexual violence, and are protecting them from human trafficking.

Gender equality

The UK is a world leader in promoting gender equality, and we believe it is in the UK’s national interest to do so. Empowering women and girls improves peace, stability, and economic growth, and reduces poverty. We believe that everyone should be able to live with dignity and without fear of discrimination or violence.

Women and girls

Joanna Roper, Special Envoy for Gender Equality, leads the FCO’s work on foreign policy that consciously and consistently delivers for women and girls. She works with governments to help deliver a more robust and coherent approach to promoting gender equality at an international level. She has raised women’s and girls’ rights with governments during her overseas visits in 2018, including in Afghanistan.

In November, the UK hosted a historic conference for female parliamentarians from around the world in the Chamber of the House of Commons, as part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of women’s (partial) suffrage in the UK. 90 International MPs representing countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, and Zimbabwe took part. The conference called for progress on women’s political empowerment and gender equality.

There have been some positive developments on gender equality. In Sri Lanka the proportion of elected female officials has significantly increased. With a new 25 per cent quota in place for local elections in February, a total of 1,919 women were elected, compared with just 91 between 2008 and 2011.

Iraq’s constitution requires 25% of MPs to be women, but women remain side-lined from political decision-making and peace and security initiatives. The UK has supported ministerial roles for women and the formation of a women’s political caucus to strengthen the voice of the 82 female MPs. Visits by Minister Burt and Lord Ahmad emphasised the importance of empowering women.

At the other end of the spectrum, Somalia, despite some progress, remains one of the most difficult places in the world to be a woman. Legislation is vital in providing basic protection for vulnerable women and girls. The new Sexual Offences Bill was approved by Cabinet in May. It is important that when presented to the Somali Parliament, the bill provides clear protection in line with international human rights commitments. In addition, any legislative action on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) must recognise that all forms of FGM constitute violence against women and girls. Long-term engagement with, and support for, Somali women campaigning for their rights runs throughout our policy and programme work.

In Zimbabwe, the high rate of gender-based violence is one of the country’s biggest human rights issues. We have received reports of politically motivated physical and sexual violence before and after this year’s elections, involving opposition as well as ruling party supporters. An allegation of endemic hate speech was also registered against prominent women in the run-up to the elections, but went largely unchecked by political leaders. There are more female ministers in this parliament, but the number of female MPs has reduced.

Women, peace and security

In conflict zones around the world, women and girls are more likely to experience gender-based violence both during conflict and after a peace agreement has been signed. That is why, in 2006, the UK was one of the first countries to publish a Women, Peace, and Security National Action Plan (NAP), to involve women in all aspects of peace building. The UK’s fourth NAP, published in March, added South Sudan and Iraq as focus countries. In Iraq, we are working closely with Canada, the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq, and others to support more inclusive national coordination for the effective development of Iraq’s second NAP. We have consistently pressed, including during two ministerial visits in the spring, for more women to be in decision-making positions in the Iraqi Government, Cabinet, and Parliament. Intimidation of some female political candidates before the national elections in May caused some to withdraw. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Also in Iraq, specific problems faced by women in Mosul need to be urgently addressed – including the dire situation of widows, and of children born of rape. The UK has provided nearly $1 million for the UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund to support grassroots women’s organisations in Iraq. We are also providing £3 million over two years to UNICEF Child Protection to support 12,000 of the most vulnerable children, including girls who have experienced and witnessed violence. I also welcome the appointment of British lawyer Kareem Khan QC on the important area of heading the UN Daesh accountability team.

Libya remains a focus country under the UK’s NAP. Women continue to face discrimination, and their interests are seen as secondary to those of men. Violence against women is widely under reported, and incidents of sexual violence continue. Our gender-specific programming includes support for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, which works with ten local partners to target discrimination against women and girls. They tackle a range of themes, including gender-based and domestic violence. Gender is also an integral part of our wider Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund in Libya, an aspect of which is working to strengthen female political and economic empowerment. This year we have continued to raise gender-related issues at the highest levels of the Libyan Government.

Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI)

The UK remains concerned about the scale of conflict-related sexual violence around the world, and is committed to tackling it and its associated stigma. The UK has retained its focus on responding to the Rohingya crisis, and remains one of the largest donors to the response, having committed £129 million in support. The PSVI Team of Experts was deployed to Bangladesh in July in a joint mission with Canada and UN Women, to map practitioners documenting human rights violations and crimes committed against the Rohingya in Burma. The Foreign Secretary later announced an increase in UK support for those who have been victim to these heinous acts, which will include an additional deployment of the PSVI Team of Experts by the end of 2018.

In my role as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, I undertook a joint visit to Iraq with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) Pramila Patten in February. This visit shone a spotlight on the need for accountability for survivors of sexual violence and an end to the stigma they face. The UK has supported project work to understand and address the stigma of sexual violence, promote community action on preventing sexual violence, raise awareness of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, and to facilitate access to services for survivors. Following successful prosecutions in DRC in 2017, the UK has allocated £280,000 in the current financial year to support efforts to secure justice for survivors of sexual violence in conflict in DRC.

The UK has begun to deliver a series of milestones in the run up to the PSVI International Conference in 2019. The UN SRSG Patten and I launched UK-funded research on supporting children born of sexual violence at the UN in New York on 19 June to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. I addressed civil society representatives about the PSVI at the Western Balkans Summit in July, and with SRSG Patten co-hosted a roundtable at the UN General Assembly in September for countries working to tackle sexual violence in conflict. On 23 to 24 November, the UK hosted a PSVI film festival at the British Film Institute in London, entitled Fighting Stigma through Film, where we welcomed young filmmakers from 18 countries, including Bangladesh, Burma, Colombia, Russia, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Yemen, for a capacity building workshop programme.

I am delighted to announce that the UK will work with others, including Dr Mukwege’s co-Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nadia Murad, on the Murad Code – a code of practice that ensures governments, international agencies, and NGOs uphold international standards and Do No Harm when gathering evidence from survivors for judicial purposes. Drawing on the International Protocol on Documentation and Investigation on Sexual Violence in Conflict, we will be urging stakeholders to sign up to it.

Girls’ education

One of the biggest things we can do to improve stability and reduce conflict in the world is to make sure that every girl gets 12 years of quality education. Educating girls increases their voice in their communities, improves their ability to choose when to get married, and gives them greater control over their assets, income, and bodies. Enhancing girls’ education is a priority for the UK Government.

Afghanistan’s education system has expanded impressively since 2001, but significant ideological, systemic, and service delivery challenges constrain further progress. Estimates suggest some 3.7 million school age children do not attend school. The majority are girls. The UK’s Girls’ Education Challenge has helped over 300,000 girls attend primary school in Afghanistan. The second phase, launched in July, will provide more than £60m to help over 70,000 girls in remote and rural areas move on to the next stage of education or training, and will help 300,000 children access better quality education. This is in addition to the UK’s substantial capacity-building support to the Ministry of Education through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund.

In Pakistan, UK Aid has continued to support the Government to make education more inclusive. Since 2011, DFID has supported 9 million children in primary education and 5.2 million in secondary education. This includes supporting the enrolment of children with disabilities, encouraging the promotion of inclusion, tolerance and respect for minorities, and improving education outcomes for girls. We must also focus on the content of school curriculums and how teaching staff conduct their tuition.

In South Sudan, the UK-funded Girls Education South Sudan (GESS) programme, worth £60 million over the last 5 years, has helped to keep nearly 300,000 girls in school, and provided support to over 4,000 schools. In addition, 2 million people have been reached by UK-funded radio programmes and outreach work tackling negative social attitudes to girls’ education.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) rights

The UK is fully committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of LGBT people. The FCO’s work in combating violence and discrimination against LGBT people forms an important part of our wider human rights work. This year we have continued to work through our Embassies and High Commissions and through international organisations to promote tolerance and non-discrimination and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise same sex relations.

We are concerned about the continued abuse of the human rights of LGBT people in Russia. The UK has consistently called for international human rights standards to be upheld in Russia; for an end to discrimination against LGBT people; and for a full and independent investigation into the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya. The UK was one of 15 countries which invoked the Vienna mechanism at the OSCE to hold Russia to account, and we will continue to work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBT people in all circumstances. Despite lobbying on legalising LGBT relationships in China through legislative proposals, little change has been made and forced ‘conversion therapy’ practices continue.

Death penalty and torture prevention

It is a longstanding policy of the UK government to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We contend that its use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable. Through the Magna Carta Fund, the FCO is working with NGOs to reduce the use of the death penalty around the world.

In Iran, 237 people have been executed so far this year, according to the Iran Human Rights Monitor. Prisoners suffer arbitrary detention and a lack of due process. Over 300 people are reported to have been detained following the terrorist attack in Ahvaz in September. The UK continues to press Iran on its human rights record, with the British Ambassador recently meeting the Director General for Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss further dialogue between UK and Iran on human rights.

In the Republic of Maldives we have made our views on the use of the death penalty clear, after the outgoing President restated his desire to resume executions. We have urged the incoming administration to maintain the country’s moratorium on the death penalty and we will continue to do so.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), the Criminal Code still prescribes the death penalty for many crimes, including witchcraft. A number of summary executions have taken place. As part of the CAR’s Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UK has included the death penalty in advance questions and has recommended its abolition.

In Afghanistan, the death penalty remains a legal punishment and carries public support. In February, the UK and EU unsuccessfully petitioned the Afghan government to stop the execution of three men accused of murder. We welcome the Anti-Torture legislation passed last year by the Afghan Government in response to a UN report which found high levels of torture or ill-treatment in law enforcement custody. The UK is providing training to Afghan law enforcement to increase awareness. We look forward to improvements in this area over the next few months.

In July, for the first time, the Asad regime in Syria acknowledged that thousands of people have died in detention in recent years. When the regime updated its civil registries across the country, hundreds of families discovered that their detained or missing relatives were dead. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has documented 532 cases of disappeared people who have recently been listed as deceased in state records. While providing a degree of certainty and closure for families, there is no real prospect of accountability or justice. According to the SNHR, at least 85,000 people have been forcibly disappeared since 2011.

China continues to refuse to announce the number of executions, claiming that it is a ‘state secret’. Credible NGOs and academics estimate that the number is in the thousands, and is higher than that for the rest of the world combined.

Saudi Arabia continues to use the death penalty extensively. With our EU Partners, we continue to press for fewer executions and for implementation to be brought in line with EU minimum standards, and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.