Conclusions and recommendations
1. We
conclude that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Human Rights
Annual Report 2005 makes a substantial contribution to the transparency
and visibility of the Government's work in this important area.
(Paragraph 5)
2. We conclude that
the Government risks downgrading its human rights work by combining
human rights responsibilities with trade in the person of the
same minister and also by subsuming human rights work into the
more general category of sustainable development. (Paragraph 9)
The international framework
3. We
welcome moves to establish a permanent Human Rights Council. We
recommend that the Government ensure that the Council starts its
work at the earliest opportunity. We further recommend that the
Government outline what measures will be put in place to ensure
that the Council's work does not suffer from tactical voting or
ideological opposition from particular states, as was the problem
with the UN Commission on Human Rights. We also recommend that
the United Kingdom, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council,
should continue to make its utmost endeavours to bring the serious
human rights situation in states such as Burma, Uganda and Zimbabwe
to the Security Council's attention. (Paragraph 15)
4. We recommend that
the Government set out in its response to this Report the human
rights achievements and disappointments of its Presidency of the
European Union. (Paragraph 17)
5. We conclude that
the incentive of EU accession has played an important role in
prompting human rights improvements in Turkey. We recommend that
the Government support the Turkish government in its implementation
of legislative changes, and that it maintain pressure on Turkey
to make further reforms. (Paragraph 22)
6. We recommend that
in its response to this Report the Government set out what it
is doing to encourage other states actively to support the ICC.
(Paragraph 28)
7. We conclude that
the capture of war crimes indictee Ante Gotovina is a most welcome
development, but stress that accession to either the EU or NATO
should remain impossible for any of the Balkan states, including
Croatia, until they have fulfilled all of their obligations to
the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
(Paragraph 32)
War against terrorism
8. We
conclude that the continued use of Guantánamo Bay as a
detention centre outside all legal regimes diminishes the USA's
moral authority and is a hindrance to the effective pursuit of
the war against terrorism. We recommend that the Government make
loud and public its objections to the existence of such a prison
regime. (Paragraph 39)
9. We conclude that
the Government has a duty to enquire into the allegations of extraordinary
rendition and black sites under the Convention against Torture,
and to make clear to the USA that any extraordinary rendition
to states where suspects may be tortured is completely unacceptable.
(Paragraph 52)
10. We welcome the
Government's new frankness on the question of the use of information
derived by other states from torture. We recommend that a policy
of greater transparency be maintained. However, we conclude that
the use of such information presents serious ethical dilemmas
in terms of complicity, especially in the wake of a ruling by
the House of Lords which described the use of torture as "dishonourable".
We recommend that the Government clearly set out its policy on
the use of information derived by other states through torture
in its response to this Report and that it encourage a public
debate on the ethical dilemmas it faces. (Paragraph 58)
11. We conclude that
the Government should only use Memoranda of Understanding when
it can be sure that the monitoring mechanisms in place are entirely
effective, and that the Memoranda must not be used as a fig leaf
to disguise the real risk of torture for deported terrorism suspects.
We recommend that in its response to this Report the Government
give full information on the monitoring arrangements which apply
under existing Memoranda of Understanding, including where possible
examples of how they work in practice. (Paragraph 66)
12. We recommend that
the 2006 edition of the Annual Report should incorporate more
information about the human rights situation in Iraq, including
the impact on civilians of intense military operations such as
those in Falluja in 2004, the position of Christian and other
religious minorities and the treatment of detainees by the Iraqi
government. (Paragraph 70)
13. We urge the Government
to ensure that all appropriate measures are in place to curtail
any possibility of abuses by coalition forces, and we recommend
that the Government set out what it has done to prevent their
re-occurrence. (Paragraph 72)
14. We conclude that
the United Kingdom has a responsibility to engage its ally both
privately and publicly on the question of abuses by US troops.
We recommend that the Government make clear and public its condemnation
of human rights abuses committed by any of the multinational forces
in Iraq, and that its coverage in the human rights report should
expand to include more detail of the USA's investigations into
abuses committed by its soldiers and of the measures in place
to prevent their recurrence. (Paragraph 76)
15. We conclude that
while the trial of Saddam Hussein is a matter for the Iraqi people,
the Government should urge the Iraqi administration to ensure
the trial fulfils the accepted norms of justice. We recommend
that the Government set out in its response to this Report how
the United Kingdom will do so, for instance by providing security
for lawyers and witnesses at the trial and by offering support
for the Iraqi authorities in ensuring the application of due process
of law. (Paragraph 81)
General themes
16. We
conclude that while the expansion of democracy in the former Soviet
Union is most welcome, free elections are still a rarity and human
rights abuses are widespread. We recommend that the Government
work to support civil society organisations and regional institutions,
such as the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative (SCPI), as
well as supporting the election monitoring and evaluation work
of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
and in particular its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (ODIHR), in order to help implant strong and enduring human
rights norms in the post-Soviet world. (Paragraph 87)
17. We commend the
Government's backing for the Arms Trade Treaty. We recommend that
in its response to this Report the Government report on progress
to increase support for the ATT and to ensure forward momentum
in 2006. (Paragraph 90)
18. We recommend that
the Government include a detailed explanation of export licence
decisions in each of the countries of concern sections of the
Annual Report so as to ease public concern about military exports
to those states, including Colombia. (Paragraph 96)
19. We conclude that
the Government must do its utmost to encourage states to improve
their corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards so that
companies can compete on a level playing field and that states
with human rights failings are not tempted to work with unethical
trading partners. We recommend that the Government work to broaden
international support for instruments, like the UN Convention
against Corruption, which enshrine ethical standards for business
at an international level. (Paragraph 100)
States of concern
20. We
conclude that the human rights situation in the Russian Federation
has deteriorated over the last year. We recommend that the Government
make clear to President Putin and other Russian authorities that
a creeping return to authoritarianism is not an acceptable policy
to pursue. We also recommend that the British Government engage
with the Russian government on the question of Chechnya and the
North Caucasus. We are concerned that the Kremlin's policy in
Chechnya may result in further radicalisation of the population
and an increase in recruits to Islamic terrorist groups. (Paragraph
107)
21. We conclude that
the Government must maintain pressure on the Islam Karimov regime
in Uzbekistan. We recommend that the Government should work hard
to establish a consensus with its allies in the EU and NATO, including
Germany, to put pressure on the Uzbek government and to add weight
to its call for reform. (Paragraph 115)
22. We recommend that
the Government include more information about its work to strengthen
human rights standards in Angola in its Human Rights Annual Report.
(Paragraph 119)
23. We conclude that
the appalling human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of
Congo are a matter of grave concern. We recommend that the Government
make clear to the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbours
that interference is unacceptable. We further recommend that the
Government do its utmost to ensure that those guilty of human
rights abuses in the DRC are held accountable for their crimes.
(Paragraph 122)
24. We conclude that
the Annual Report should include information about the state of
human rights in Equatorial Guinea, and that the Government should
press the Equato-Guinean authorities to improve human rights.
(Paragraph 125)
25. We conclude that
a resumption of hostilities in the Horn of Africa would seriously
damage human rights in the region, and recommend that in its response
to this Report the Government set out what measures it is taking
with its Security Council partners to prevent an outbreak of war
and establish respect for human rights and democratic governance
in the region. (Paragraph 133)
26. We conclude that
the Government must maintain pressure in all possible forums on
the Sudanese government in order to bring the abuses in Darfur
to an end. We recommend that the Government continue to call for
an end to the slaughter and an end to the immunity of the abuses
from judicial proceedings, to support referrals to the International
Criminal Court, and to offer resources to the African Union and
UN missions in Darfur. We also recommend that the Government urge
its Chinese counterparts to support UN Security Council measures
against Sudan. (Paragraph 137)
27. We conclude that
the United Kingdom must urge the Ugandan authorities to cease
their interference in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and
to curtail the trade in illegal gold which underpins the wartime
economy in Ituri and other regions which suffer severe human rights
abuses. We recommend that the Government make clear its condemnation
of the arrest of opposition politicians in Uganda and support
for free and democratic elections there. We also recommend that
the Government continue its efforts to bring the question of human
rights in Uganda before the UN Security Council. (Paragraph 140)
28. We conclude that
the Government should continue its policy of putting pressure
on the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe, and should do its utmost to
win support for this policy from other states in Southern Africa
in general and from South Africa in particular. We recommend that
the United Kingdom start a campaign for the referral of Robert
Mugabe to the International Criminal Court for his manifold and
monstrous crimes against the people of Zimbabwe. We also recommend
that the Government should continue its efforts to place the question
of human rights in Zimbabwe before the UN Security Council. (Paragraph
147)
29. We conclude that
human rights in Iran have deteriorated over the last year, and
worsening relations are making dialogue increasingly difficult.
We recommend that the Government set out what it hopes to achieve
with the human rights dialogue with Iran, and that it continue
its efforts to bring Iranian human rights to international attention
and to urge its EU counterparts to do the same. (Paragraph 155)
30. We conclude that
the human rights situation for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories
is not acceptable and we recommend that the Government expand
its coverage in the Report to include more detail on the problem
of impunity in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). We also recommend
that the Government urge Israel to take human rights issues into
greater account when dealing with the Palestinians, and that the
Government should continue to restate its position that those
parts of the barrier beyond the Green Line are illegal. (Paragraph
160)
31. We recommend that
the Government should explore the human rights situation in the
Palestinian Territories in a separate section in its next Report,
and that it should explore in greater detail the extent of the
abuses committed in the Territories. (Paragraph 163)
32. We conclude that
the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia continues to give cause
for grave concern. We recommend that the Government continue to
make clear that the Saudi Kingdom's instances of discrimination
against women and other human rights abuses which are endemic
in Saudi Arabia, breed discontent and fall far short of universal
standards. We recommend that the Government engage the Saudi authorities
on the questions of women's rights and the rights of guest workers,
the use of torture and of the death penalty for a wide range of
crimes including apostasy, adultery and 'acts of sabotage and
corruption on earth'. (Paragraph 168)
33. We recommend that
the Government set out in its reponse to this Report what it is
doing to seek to improve human rights in Syria, and we also recommend
that its next report should contain more information about Syria.
(Paragraph 170)
34. We conclude that
human rights abuses in Afghanistan are manifold and serious, and
that security is a particularly difficult challenge. We also have
major concerns about the lack of judicial process against human
rights abusers in Afghanistan and urge the Government to do its
utmost to support any mechanisms which will implement justice
and aid reconciliation in Afghanistan. We also recommend that
the Government increase its support for women's rights programmes
in Afghanistan. (Paragraph 176)
35. We conclude that
the United Kingdom should maintain its policy of pressing the
Burmese military junta to permit reform and introduce basic rights
which are universal and inalienable, and that its efforts to bring
other ASEAN states around to its perspective should not falter.
We recommend that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office should continue
to report on Burmese human rights in its Annual Report, and redouble
its efforts to bring the question of abuses by the Burmese authorities
to the attention of the UN Security Council. (Paragraph 179)
36. We conclude that
the UK-China human rights dialogue appears to have made glacial
progress. We recommend that the Government set out in its response
to this Report what measures it uses to determine whether the
dialogue is a success, what it sees as the achievements of the
dialogue to date, and why it wishes it to continue. (Paragraph
186)
37. We conclude that
the situation in Tibet is of great concern, and we recommend that
the Government should make public its condemnation of the human
rights abuses carried out by the Chinese authorities in Tibet.
(Paragraph 189)
38. We conclude that
the improvements in human rights in Indonesia are welcome, but
that the Government must engage with its Indonesian partners to
move further towards reform, particularly in the light of the
USA's decision to reinstate military to military ties with Indonesia.
We also recommend that the Government should expand its coverage
of the West Papua conflict in its Annual Report. (Paragraph 194)
39. We conclude that
the Government should include more information in the next Annual
Report on the human rights situation in the Maldives. (Paragraph
197)
- We conclude that the Government should maintain
pressure on the King of Nepal to reintroduce democracy and to
work to establish human rights standards throughout Nepal. We
also condemn the bloody acts of terrorism perpetrated by the Maoist
insurgents in Nepal. We recommend that the Government maintain
only limited military assistance to the Nepali government until
accountable government is reinstituted. (Paragraph 202)
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