Since my appointment as Minister with responsibility for Human Rights at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in September 2012, I have been constantly torn between pride at what we have achieved, and frustration at how much more needs to be done.
Over the course of 2013, we have made good progress on our six global thematic priorities: women’s rights; torture prevention; abolition of the death penalty; freedom of expression on the internet; business and human rights; and freedom of religion or belief.
We have worked hard, with international partners, to end the impunity that surrounds the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. In April, during our G8 Presidency, we secured an historic G8 Declaration that recalled that rape and serious sexual violence in armed conflict are war crimes and also constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Convention. In June, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2106, strengthening the UN’s capability to tackle this issue, while in September, at the UN General Assembly, we put forward a new Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, which has to date been endorsed by 141 countries.
On 26 June, I launched a campaign for increased ratification of the Convention Against Torture and its Optional Protocol. During 2013, Vietnam signed the Convention and both Norway and Burundi ratified the Optional Protocol. We will continue to persuade more states to do likewise in the months ahead.
We have worked with civil society and international organisations to influence those states that still use the death penalty. The most recent vote at the UN reinforced a global trend towards abolition, with 111 states voting in favour of a worldwide moratorium.
We continued to defend freedom of expression, online as in traditional media, and issued a toolkit and guidance to all our embassies about how to support human rights defenders further.
We also became the first country to publish an action plan to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights. By working seamlessly across government and business to show how “human rights due diligence” is good for the bottom line, we will encourage other countries to follow our lead.
As the UK’s first Minister for Faith, defending and promoting freedom of religion or belief remains a personal priority for me. The rising tide of persecution across the world has been a particular focus. On 15 November, speaking in Washington, I called for a cross-continent, cross-religion response to a pattern of intolerance and sectarianism which has led to the persecution of minority communities, including a mass exodus of Christians from places where they have co-existed with the majority faith for generations.
In January and September, I brought together foreign ministers and senior diplomats from across the world, to deepen and strengthen the political consensus on Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18. We achieved that. Now is the time to see 16/18 implemented.
Violent episodes around the world have strengthened my conviction that freedom of religion or belief increasingly represents a frontline for promotion and protection of human rights. I am determined to use my position in the UK government and my network of expert advisers and international colleagues to stem the tide of violence committed in the name of religion.
In July 2013, working with “Remembering Srebrenica”, the UK became the first county to mark Srebrenica Memorial Day. Srebrenica was a stark demonstration of what can happen when hatred, discrimination and evil are allowed to go unchecked. Our commemoration of this genocide underlies our commitment to learn from the past, and to help ensure Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future as a stable, inclusive and peaceful country.
In addition to my responsibilities on human rights throughout the world, three countries where we have significant human rights concerns feature in my portfolio.
When I visited Afghanistan in March and November, I was struck by how far it has come since 2001 and the determination of the Afghan people to hold on to the gains made in all areas of society. However, the Afghan people, particularly women and girls, continue to face many challenges in the realisation of what are fundamental human rights. But the UK will remain committed to helping Afghanistan consolidate the progress made over the last ten years.
With regards to Pakistan, I congratulate the Pakistani people for placing their trust in democratic institutions in 2013. However, I am mindful of the wide-ranging and serious human rights issues the country still needs to tackle. I have not shied away from raising difficult human rights issues with the Pakistani government, and we will continue to support the people of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
In Bangladesh, it was hugely disappointing that the January 2014 elections were marred by political violence throughout 2013 and on elections day itself. I have also been deeply concerned by the negative impact labour strikes, protests and disruption have had on Bangladesh’s economy. We continue to encourage political dialogue, greater democratic accountability, and capacity building for participatory elections in the future, without the fear of intimidation or reprisals.
In the battle to translate international obligations and commitments into practical action, I am privileged to work with a wide range of human rights experts through the Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Group on Human Rights, and the sub-groups I chair on torture prevention, abolition of the death penalty, and freedom of expression on the internet. To strengthen this network, we have created a Sub-Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which I will also chair. These groups bring together NGOs, academics, parliamentarians and business representatives to ensure that our policies benefit from the best external expertise.
The start of 2014 presented major challenges for human rights, not least in Syria, the Central African Republic and Ukraine. But we remain committed to defending human rights because any violation is a threat to global peace and security. I want to pay particular tribute to the work of the brave women and men who risk their own lives to defend the rights of others. Their voices must be heard, in their own countries, and in every corner of the world.
