Contributions
3,506 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMikheil SaakashviliI assure the noble Lord that we remind Georgia in our bilateral discussions of its international obligations. Let us not forget that Georgia itself, in the breakaway republics of…13 Jan 2022HANSARDMikheil SaakashviliThe noble Lord is quite right to draw attention to the issue of human rights and, if I could term it thus, the democratic backsliding that at times we have seen on rights…13 Jan 2022HANSARDAfghanistan: Humanitarian CrisisMy Lords, I am working directly and very closely with key agencies on the ground in this respect. Just before Christmas, I had a number of meetings, including with the likes of…13 Jan 2022HANSARDMikheil SaakashviliMy Lords, I agree with the noble Lord about the importance of the request by the European Court of Human Rights to the Government of Georgia that they ensure the safety of Mr…13 Jan 2022HANSARDAfghanistan: Humanitarian CrisisAs the noble Baroness will be aware, we have taken direct action in the sense of having officials who have visited Kabul continuing to engage at official level on these very…13 Jan 2022HANSARDAfghanistan: Humanitarian CrisisMy Lords, there are often challenges to the multilateral agencies working on the ground, particularly the United Nations. It is crises such as the Afghanistan crisis which really…13 Jan 2022HANSARDNuclear WeaponsMy Lords, within the NPT, as the right reverend Prelate will know, there are three key strands: disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Like him,…12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, democracy is one way, and all power to the people.12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, the noble Lord is right to draw attention to our role as chair-in-office. We put LGBT rights at the heart of our work on human rights within the Commonwealth. I am…12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, I pay tribute to the work of the noble Lord—he is aware that I very much appreciate his insights on the countries he visits. Specifically on what the Commonwealth can…12 Jan 2022HANSARDNuclear WeaponsMy Lords, first, on the P5 element, all countries have sustained their position on nuclear weapons being a defensive mechanism —I stress that point again. The noble Lord rightly…12 Jan 2022HANSARDNuclear WeaponsMy Lords, on the specifics of that question, I will of course defer to my colleagues at the Ministry of Defence and will write to the noble Lord. But, as he will be aware, in the…12 Jan 2022HANSARDNuclear WeaponsMy Lords, on the specific point about our own capacity, ultimately of course we retain our defensive capacity. Referring back to the P5 statement, it was encouraging that all…12 Jan 2022HANSARDNuclear WeaponsMy Lords, the United Kingdom recognises its responsibilities as a bridge builder among nuclear weapon and non-nuclear weapon states at the 10th review conference on the Treaty on…12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, I am always willing to meet. I will work with the noble Lord to arrange that meeting. On what is happening in country in Eswatini, the noble Lord is quite right to draw…12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, as it is the preference of the country, I will continue to refer to it as Eswatini. The engagement and the proposal that SADC has put forward are to ensure that all…12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, there is a lot we have achieved in our role as chair-in-office. The noble Lord will know from his experience in Eswatini that it is right that there is a level of…12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, I can assure the noble Lord that the ILO itself, because of its interests, is already involved in discussions in this respect. I will certainly follow up to see whether…12 Jan 2022HANSARDEswatiniMy Lords, Her Majesty’s Government frequently raise concerns about human rights and governance within eSwatini. My colleague, the Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, recently visited…12 Jan 2022HANSARDNuclear WeaponsMy Lords, what I can say to the noble Baroness—and as the noble Lord, Lord West, has pointed out—is that the primary aim of nuclear weapons being in the armoury of any country,…12 Jan 2022