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CM8017 Human Rights and Democracy United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office Human Rights and Democracy: The 2010 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report Cm 8017 £39.75 United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office Human Rights and Democracy: The 2010 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by Command of Her Majesty March 2011 Cm 8017 £39.75 © Crown copyright 2011 You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or e-mail: [email protected]. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: Human Rights and Democracy Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles St London SW1A 2AH This publication is also available on http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/ ISBN: 9780101801720 Printed in the UK by The Stationery Office Limited on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office ID: 2420077 03/11 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum. CONTENTS Foreword by Foreign Secretary William Hague 4 Foreword by Minister of State Jeremy Browne 6 SECTION I: Promoting British Values 8 Democracy 10 Elections and election observation missions 10 The Westminster Foundation for Democracy 12 Human rights defenders 14 Freedom of expression 15 Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law 17 The death penalty 17 Torture prevention 20 Prison reform 21 International justice system 22 International Criminal Court 22 International criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda 23 Extraordinary Chambers of the Court of Cambodia 24 Special Court for Sierra Leone 25 Special Tribunal for Lebanon 26 Equality and Non-discrimination 26 Freedom of religion or belief 26 Women’s rights 30 Children’s rights 32 Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights 33 Disability rights 35 Indigenous rights 37 Dalits 37 Racism 38 Roma 40 Antisemitism 41 Post-Holocaust issues 42 SECTION II: Human Rights in Safeguarding Britain’s National Security 46 Countering Terrorism 47 Deportation with Assurances 49 Counter-terrorism programme work 50 Detainee package 51 The Detainee Inquiry 52 Consolidated guidance to intelligence officers and service personnel 53 1 Guantanamo Bay 53 Counter-proliferation 54 Export licensing 54 Cluster munitions 55 The Arms Trade Treaty 57 Reducing Conflict and Building Stability Overseas 57 The Conflict Pool 57 The Responsibility to Protect 64 Women, peace and security 65 Protection of Civilians Strategy 65 Children and armed conflict 66 UK stabilisation capacity 67 Peacebuilding 68 Private military and security companies 69 SECTION III: Human Rights in Promoting Britain’s Prosperity 70 EU Trade and Human Rights 71 The human rights “essential element” clause 71 Third-country free trade agreements 72 Generalised System of Preferences 73 Sanctions 74 Promoting Responsible Business Practice 75 OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 76 Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights 77 The Kimberley Process 78 Bribery and corruption 79 Arms export licensing 81 SECTION IV: Human Rights for British Nationals Overseas 83 The Death Penalty 83 Overseas Prisoners 83 Forced Marriage 85 Female Genital Mutilation 86 Child Abduction 87 SECTION V: Working Through a Rules-based International System 89 United Nations 90 The European Union 96 EU enlargement 98 The European Neighbourhood Policy 103 The Commonwealth 106 The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 108 The Council of Europe 110 2 SECTION VI: Promoting Human Rights in the Overseas Territories 112 Constitutional Development 113 Turks and Caicos Islands 114 Pitcairn Islands 115 Supporting the Extension of the International Human Rights Conventions to the Overseas Territories 115 Other Projects 117 SECTION VII: Human Rights in Countries of Concern 119 Afghanistan 120 Belarus 132 Burma 138 Chad 149 China 158 Colombia 168 Cuba 175 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 180 Democratic Republic of Congo 185 Eritrea 194 Iran 200 Iraq 216 Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories 225 Libya 237 Pakistan 243 Russia 253 Saudi Arabia 264 Somalia 274 Sri Lanka 282 Sudan 298 Syria 310 Turkmenistan 318 Uzbekistan 323 Vietnam 332 Yemen 342 Zimbabwe 348 3 Foreword by Foreign Secretary William Hague I am delighted to introduce the 2010 Human Rights Command Paper. Our coalition government is determined to strengthen the human rights work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as part of our commitment to a foreign policy that has the practical promotion of human rights as part of its irreducible core. This new report is one example of this intent. The report covers the period from January to December 2010, though some key events in early 2011 have also been included. It highlights the important progress being made, serious concerns that we have, and what we are doing to promote our values around the world. It will rightly be studied closely by Parliament, NGOs and the wider public. Promoting human rights is indivisible from our foreign policy objectives. Ministers and officials always consider human rights in all of our bilateral and multilateral dealings and raise our concerns about human rights wherever and whenever they arise. In my first 10 months as Foreign Secretary I have travelled to many countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Tunisia, where I have raised human rights issues. Each member of my ministerial team shares my commitment on this point. Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East demonstrate the appeal of political freedoms, regardless of nationality or background. As this report highlights, 2010 saw demonstrations in support of greater freedoms for individuals and the press, free and fair elections, and justice and accountability. Protests took place in countries as diverse as Belarus, Yemen and Iran, disproving the myth that these values are “Western” ideals. I have also established a new human rights advisory group made up of a broad range of experts, with a variety of perspectives on different human rights issues, from NGOs, academia and international institutions. This group met for the first time in December 2010 for a very useful and frank discussion of the important and complex issues facing human rights in the coming years. Our meetings in 2011 will 4 focus on freedom of religion, which is of increasing concern given the violence suffered by religious minorities over recent months, and the relationship between trade and human rights. We will also look at challenges in specific countries, including Afghanistan. These meetings will be complemented by the various sub- groups which will focus explicitly on torture prevention, freedom of expression and the death penalty. I am determined to seek the views and advice of the members of these groups, as well as that of other interested organisations, on other key issues and events as they unfold, such as in response to events in Libya in February 2011. I also made a commitment to increase the amount of online human rights reporting by our diplomats. I would encourage you to visit the FCO’s website to read about the latest developments and actions being reported by our embassies and high commissions around the world. You can follow our latest work on Twitter@fcohumanrights. This Command Paper is also being posted online in a format that will enable non- government organisations and others to host it more easily on independent websites. The paper will also be viewable by section, so that you can quickly find the information that most interests you. I hope that these features, as well as the comprehensive nature of the content, will bring the report to as wide an audience as possible, both in the UK and internationally. As recent events have shown, 2011 may prove to be a historic year for democracy and human rights. Throughout the months ahead, we will continue to support those pursuing more open societies, political systems and universal values. 5 Foreword by Minister of State Jeremy Browne The Coalition Government is determined to embed human rights at the core of our foreign policy. The many actions and policies outlined in this Human Rights Command Paper clearly demonstrate this. As Minister responsible for human rights policy within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), I have overseen much of this work. I am proud of the role that the FCO plays in promoting and protecting human rights around the world, and of the commitment of staff in London and in our embassies and high commissions to this foreign policy priority. I appreciate the support that I and the FCO receive from NGOs and the meetings I have had with organisations such as Amnesty International, UNICEF, Saferworld and Womankind that have helped inform my work. The British Government is pursuing the cause of human rights in all its bilateral and multilateral relationships. We are determined to support progress across the board and I have emphasised our commitment to advance individual freedoms to governments in Latin America, South East Asia, the Far East and the Caribbean during each of my overseas visits. Where we see progress, Britain’s role is to support and encourage its partners, but where we see deteriorating situations we have a moral imperative to stand on the side of those whose rights are being violated. I am personally very proud to lead the FCO’s effort to abolish the death penalty worldwide. When I launched the Government’s strategy last October, I emphasised the value of incremental progress and pragmatic engagement on this issue. With Britain’s strong encouragement, 107 countries voted for a worldwide moratorium at the UN last year. But the death penalty remains on the books in 58 countries. As chair of the subgroup on the death penalty, set up as part of Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Group on Human Rights, I am strengthening our work with countries such as Kenya, Japan and those in the Caribbean, with the ultimate ambition of a global ban.
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