Tag: Douglas Alexander

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the remaining states who have not yet ratified the Arms Trade Treaty do so.

Mr William Hague

We will work to encourage states to sign and to ratify, in order to reach the 50 ratifications that are required to bring the Treaty into force. Like the negotiations on the Treaty itself, this will take time and require the considerable efforts and persistence of a broad coalition of supporters.

The UK has allocated £350,000 to support projects that will help countries to sign, ratify and implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). We are working through the UN and EU with countries that require technical assistance and advice on how to implement certain aspects of the Treaty e.g. enforcement training and framing legislation correctly. Other activities include raising awareness with key partners in regions such as West Africa, where communities are seriously affected by the illicit trade in Small Arms.

This year, through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s counter-proliferation programme, we will be funding a series of ATT-related projects specifically focused on ATT signature, ratification, implementation and early entry into force.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likelihood of reaching a comprehensive agreement between the P5+1 and Iran on its nuclear programme in advance of the 20 July 2014 deadline.

Mr William Hague

The current negotiations with Iran, which have built on the Geneva interim deal, have been constructive, but challenging. Any deal will require Iran to take significant steps to address comprehensively our proliferation concerns. But there remains commitment on all sides of the table to reach a deal.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the progress made by the Libyan government on drafting a new constitution.

Mr William Hague

The Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) in Libya is responsible for drafting the new constitution. The elections for the CDA took place on 20 February and Ali Tarhouni was subsequently elected as Chair of the body. Discussions are on-going to fill outstanding slots for minority groups. I welcome the recent G7 Communiqué which underscored the commitment of the international community to support the work of the CDA. The UK attends the UN Elections and Constitution coordination meetings in Libya which monitors the work of the CDA.

Whilst there is still much work to do in a challenging timescale and testing security environment, the CDA recently produced an initial programme of what they plan to include in the constitution including the main references and guiding principles. I welcome the efforts the CDA are making in developing a transparent and inclusive process which will benefit all peoples of Libya.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when a Minister from his Department will meet representatives of Egypt’s new President.

Mr William Hague

The National Security Adviser visited Cairo on 10-11 June and met President el-Sisi. Ministers and senior officials are in regular contact with the government of Egypt and I issued a message congratulating President el-Sisi on 3 June. We look to him to take steps to implement the rights contained in Egypt’s constitution by opening up political space, especially with regard to freedom of expression and association. We believe the best way for Egyptians to achieve the goals of the 25 January revolution of 2011 is through an inclusive political process in which all groups can participate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with other countries in the (a) EU and (b) UN about a potential candidate to replace the outgoing UN Special Envoy to Syria.

Mr William Hague

Since Mr Brahimi stepped down we have had discussions with the UN and with a number of EU partners about arrangements for a successor. The appointment is still under consideration by the UN Secretary General.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on the likely date for parliamentary elections in Egypt.

Mr William Hague

I met Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmy during his visit to the UK on 14 May and discussed a range of issues, including the timing of parliamentary elections. We believe the best way for the Egyptians to achieve goals of the 25 January revolution of 2011 is through free and fair elections and an inclusive political process in which all groups can participate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the prospects of achieving a UN Security Council resolution referring Syria to the International Criminal Court.

Mr William Hague

On 22 May Russia and China vetoed a resolution that would have referred the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, despite it having overwhelming international support, including from 13 members of the UN Security Council, 65 co-sponsors, over 100 Non-governmental organisations from across the world and the Syrian National Coalition.

Nonetheless, we need to ensure that those responsible for atrocities in Syria are held to account. Russia and China cannot indefinitely shield those responsible for horrific crimes. The UK is funding efforts to document war crimes and crimes against humanity, and we are pressing for an expansion of EU sanctions to cover those responsible.