Human Rights & Democracy The 2019 Foreign & Commonwealth Cp 273 Office Report Human Rights & Democracy The 2019 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by Command of Her Majesty July 2020 Cp 273 Human Rights and Democracy: The 2019 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report © Crown copyright 2020 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/official-documents. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at Communications Team, WH1.165, Multilateral Policy Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH ISBN 978-1-5286-2051-2 CCS0320406130 07/20 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Designed in-house by the FCO Communication Directorate Cover images: A photojournalist documenting war and conflict, and a male photojournalist in a war zone. (iStock) Human Rights and Democracy: The 2019 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report Contents Preface by the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab ........................................................................ iv Foreword by Minister of State for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict .............................. v CHAPTER 1: Human Rights and Democracy Priority Themes ...................................................... 2 Democracy and Democratic Freedoms ...........................................................................................................................2 Westminster Foundation for Democracy ................................................................................................................................ 2 The Community of Democracies ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Civil Society ....................................................................................................................................................................4 Freedom of Expression ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 Human Rights Defenders ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Restrictions of Civil Society Space ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Media Freedom ..............................................................................................................................................................5 Gender Equality .............................................................................................................................................................8 Women and Girls’ Rights ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Girls’ Education ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Violence against Women and Girls ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) .......................................................................................................... 10 Women, Peace and Security ..................................................................................................................................................11 Sexual Exploitation and Abuse ..............................................................................................................................................12 Children and Armed Conflict .................................................................................................................................................12 Rights of the Child ................................................................................................................................................................12 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Rights ..................................................................................................................13 Freedom of Religion or Belief .......................................................................................................................................14 Post-Holocaust Issues ..................................................................................................................................................16 Modern Slavery ............................................................................................................................................................16 Human Rights and the Private Sector ..........................................................................................................................17 Business and Human Rights ..................................................................................................................................................17 Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights .............................................................................................................. 18 Private Security Companies .................................................................................................................................................. 18 Responsible Sourcing of Minerals ......................................................................................................................................... 18 The Kimberley Process ......................................................................................................................................................... 18 Transparency and Open Government ................................................................................................................................... 18 Death Penalty and Torture Prevention .........................................................................................................................19 Overseas Security and Justice Assistance .....................................................................................................................20 Export Controls ............................................................................................................................................................20 Migration and Human Rights .......................................................................................................................................21 Economic and Social Rights .........................................................................................................................................21 Women’s Economic Empowerment ...................................................................................................................................... 21 Rights of People with Disabilities .......................................................................................................................................... 22 Human Rights and Democracy: The 2019 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report Rights of Older Persons ........................................................................................................................................................ 22 Right to Health ..................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Water, Sanitation and Land .................................................................................................................................................. 23 Social Protection .................................................................................................................................................................. 23 The Overseas Territories ...............................................................................................................................................23 Human Rights and Democracy Programmes ................................................................................................................24 Case studies of programme work supporting human rights and democracy ........................................................................ 25 CHAPTER 2: Human Rights and the Multilateral System ........................................................... 26 Human Rights at the UN ..............................................................................................................................................26 Human Rights Council .........................................................................................................................................................