Asked by Lord Suri To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment
they have made of the recommendations of the report of the
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion and Belief,
Article 18: From Rhetoric to Reality. The Minister of State,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon)
(Con)...Request free trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have
made of the recommendations of the report of the
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion and
Belief, Article 18: From Rhetoric to Reality.
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My Lords, Her Majesty’s Government warmly welcome the
report, which is well-informed and demonstrates the deep
commitment of its authors. I wrote to the all-party
parliamentary group on 8 December with an initial
response to the recommendations, several of which have
already been reflected in the Government’s approach to
freedom of religion or belief. As we continue to push
forward on this issue, we will continue to reflect on the
recommendations made in this excellent report.
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I thank my noble friend the Minister for his response. He
will know that the Government stated in their response to
the APPG report that the stabilisation unit meets with
religious and other key actors overseas to better
understand FoRB. I am pleased the Government have
expressed a desire to look for ways to strengthen this
work. Can the Minister explain how information gathered
in these meetings is currently being fed into government
programming, and to government posts, to help better
understand and tackle patterns of religious persecution?
Can he also inform your Lordships’ House how he is
tracking and assessing the responses from ambassadors and
high commissioners to the letters he sent, which asked
what they are doing to advance freedom of religion and
belief?
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I am pleased to inform my noble friend, and indeed the
House in general, that there is very much
cross-government co-ordination in this respect. I am
delighted that, in our approach to the importance of
focus on freedom of religion and belief, there is
underlying support, by colleagues across DfID in
particular, on ensuring that that essential element of
our human rights provision is also understood across the
world. On the specific issue of the different posts, I
wrote to every post shortly after taking up the position
of Minister for Human Rights, and in that regard we have
had a positive response. Most recently, together with my
right honourable friend MP, the Minister for
Asia, I wrote to each high commission and ambassador for
the priority countries of Asia, and we have received very
positive responses about the importance of prioritising
freedom of religion and belief in our diplomatic efforts
across the world.
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My Lords, I declare an interest as a member of the APPG.
I certainly support its work and its report, but religion
is often used as a cover for oppressing other minorities,
particular the LGBT community. A charity I am a patron
of, an HIV centre in the East End of London, is working
with faith groups on practical ways we can build respect
and address concerns. Does the Foreign Office see the
benefit of this sort of work, and is it supporting such
work in other countries?
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The noble Lord knows I agree with him totally. We have
seen exactly those kind of initiatives working
domestically, which are of great value. In discussions we
have had—and he will be aware of this—I have often said
that faith communities should approach all these issues,
including those of LGBT rights, as defined human rights
issues. When we look at these issues through the prism of
religion, the issues of fairness, equality and justice
should prevail.
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My Lords, as a member of the APPG for Freedom of Religion
or Belief, I fully support the need to look beyond
rhetoric towards positive action to protect freedom of
belief and human rights. Will the Minister agree that we
urgently need to decouple the linking of trade with human
rights? Only last September, the then Defence Secretary,
Sir , cautioned
against criticising human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia
because of the danger of losing contracts. Does the
Minister agree with the Soviet human rights activist
Andrei Sakharov, who said that we must always be
even-handed in our pursuit of human rights?
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I believe that is our approach. Through our diplomatic
corps, to whom I pay great tribute, we are able to have
both public but also, importantly, private and candid
discussions with countries around the world on the
importance of human rights and the equality of human
rights. The other area of opportunity where I believe the
UK can play a key role is that, as we build democratic
institutions and countries look towards their
constitutions, those constitutions must reflect equal
human rights for all.
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My Lords, as a founding member of the APPG, I thank the
Minister for his response to the report. Can he provide
details about the £600,000-worth of projects funded by
the Magna Carta fund which the Government have said have
led directly to positive freedom of religion or belief
outcomes in 20 countries? If they are so positive, what
will the Government do to ensure that the principles
behind those projects will be spread elsewhere?
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First, through the Magna Carta fund we have been working
in our priority countries to ensure that freedom of
religion and belief is raised, not just directly but—a
point made earlier by the noble Lord, Lord
Collins—building and working with civil society
organisations and human rights defenders within those
countries to ensure that they have political, diplomatic
and financial support. In further support of those
objectives, I am delighted, as I said earlier, that we
are working hand in glove with our colleagues at DfID.
There is an added fund now of £12 million which is
targeted at development assistance but also ensuring that
human rights, including freedom of religion or belief,
are enshrined in our projects and support across the
world.
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My Lords, noting recommendation 5, will Her Majesty’s
Government provide detail about how DfID assesses its
partners’ commitment to freedom of religion and belief
when determining where the funding goes around the world?
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The right reverend Prelate is right to draw attention to
the detail. I have written specifically on that point to
the APPG. There are assessment criteria that colleagues
at DfID apply. Those ensure that freedom of religion and
belief, as well as other elements of the wider human
rights agenda, as I said, are protected in the support
that we provide.
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My Lords, can I bring us back home and welcome this
week’s announcement by that the Government
will fund a new strand of the Lessons from Auschwitz
programme in support of the Holocaust Educational Trust
and the Union of Jewish Students to tackle anti-Semitism,
prejudice and intolerance on campus? Does the Minister
agree with me that it may be a welcome initiative if each
political party—some more than others—would ensure that
all future candidates be taken on such an educational
visit before they enter Parliament?
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My noble friend is quite right to raise the important
issue of anti-Semitism. It is a scourge that we all
despise, and it is important that we come together and
raise our voices wherever we see religion being used to
discriminate, be it anti-Semitism or Islamophobia—or any
particular view or belief. On the specific point of
Auschwitz, if I may provide a personal anecdote, I
remember visiting Auschwitz with schoolchildren just
before I took on my ministerial responsibilities at the
Department for Communities and Local Government. As
anyone who has been there knows, while we have heard
about it and may have seen films about it, the first
experience you have is chilling, and then you reflect on
the importance of what is in front of you. I totally
agree with my noble friend: it ensures that your mind
becomes focused, that never means never, and that we
never allow such a genocide to take place again.
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