Lord Collins of Highbury, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1357):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what priority they place on the promotion of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief; and whether and when they intend to appoint a new Special Envoy to ensure that Article 18 forms an important part of their cross-departmental policies. (HL1357)
Tabled on: 08 October 2024
Answer:
Lord Collins of Highbury:
Recognising that human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, this Government will champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. No one should live in fear because of what they do, or do not believe in. Envoy roles are under Ministerial consideration and will be decided upon in due course. In the meantime, we continue to use the strength of our global diplomatic network, including dedicated staff within the FCDO, to promote and protect human rights, including FoRB, around the world.
Date and time of answer: 22 Oct 2024 at 16:39.
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Lord Collins of Highbury, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1360):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of the 120 million people who are refugees or displaced worldwide, who have been forced to leave their homes because of, as one of the factors, Article 18 violations involving persecution against them on grounds of religion or belief. (HL1360)
Tabled on: 08 October 2024
Answer:
Lord Collins of Highbury:
The UK government does not track or estimate the proportion of people forcibly displaced due to persecution on grounds of religion or belief. The UK government is committed to upholding and promoting human rights, including freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. We continue to highlight the severity and scale of violations and abuses of FoRB all over the world. We do this multilaterally, by coordinating with partners at fora such as the UN to promote FoRB, and bilaterally through our diplomatic network.
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Lord Collins of Highbury, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1359):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government who will represent them at the forthcoming Ministerial on Freedom of Religion or Belief, being held in Berlin; and how they intend to engage with the theme of the conference: The Implications of Artificial intelligence for Freedom of Religion or Belief. (HL1359)
Tabled on: 08 October 2024
Answer:
Lord Collins of Highbury:
FCDO officials responsible for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) policy, attended the entirety of the Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, in Berlin 9-11 October. Following the conference, we will build on discussions focused on the implications of artificial intelligence for FoRB. The use of AI presents both opportunities and risks for the enjoyment of human rights. It is important that we champion the positive potential of AI, whilst taking action to mitigate risks. We will do this by working with international partners and through multilateral fora including the UN and regional organisations.
Date and time of answer: 22 Oct 2024 at 17:00.
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Lord Collins of Highbury, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1358):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government in which countries people are discriminated against or suffer persecution because of their religion or belief; and what is their estimate of the total number of people affected. (HL1358)
Tabled on: 08 October 2024
Answer:
Lord Collins of Highbury:
Many people are frequently discriminated against on the basis of religion or belief in many countries. The latest Pew Research Center study reports that in 2021, government restrictions on religion reached a new peak globally. Religious or belief groups faced harassment by governments in 183 countries, and governments interfered in worship in 163 countries. The UK government seeks to address the severity and scale of violations and abuses of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), all over the world. We do this multilaterally, by coordinating with partners at fora such as the UN to promote FoRB, and bilaterally through our diplomatic network.
Date and time of answer: 22 Oct 2024 at 16:30.
