Asked by Baroness Goudie Baroness Goudie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what projects they have funded in the past year to end child soldier recruitment in Burma.
Lord Popat: The UK provides central core funding to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) globally. UNICEF provides rehabilitation, reintegration, family-tracing and other forms of support to former child soldiers in Burma. UNICEF also provides assistance to help the military protect, respect and promote the rights of children. The Government of Burma signed an Action Plan with UNICEF in 2012 to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers by the Burmese military. In June 2013 the Government released a further 42 children from service in the armed forces.
Asked by Baroness Goudie
Baroness Goudie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the United Kingdom aid budget for (1) 201213, and (2) 201314.
Lord Popat: The United Kingdom’s aid budget is set on a calendar year basis to align with the Government’s commitment to spend 0.56% of Gross National Income as Official Development Assistance in 2012 and 0.7% from 2013 onwards.
Based on projections of Gross National Income updated at the 2013 Budget, the estimated funding required to deliver this commitment is £11,164m in 2013 and £11,609m in 2014. The provisional outturn for aid spending in 2012 is £8,620m.
Asked by Baroness Goudie
Baroness Goudie to ask Her Majesty’s Government, how many representations they made in the past year with respect to rape and sexual violence in Burma during United Nations Security Council discussions on resolutions 1325 and 1820.
Rt Hon Baroness Warsi PC: We regularly raise issues surrounding rape and sexual violence in Burma with international partners in UN Security Council discussions. The most recent discussion on Burma was the UN Security Council ‘Friends of Myanmar’ meeting on 10 July, which was addressed by UN Security-General Ban Ki-moon, and Vijay Nambiar, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Burma.
More broadly, we regularly lobby the Burmese government on the fights of women and children, particularly on preventing sexual violence against women and children in conflict areas. We are working with our partners in the UN Security Council working group on Children and Armed Conflict on a Burma country specific resolution, where we are pushing for language that calls for strong action against the perpetrators of sexual violence against children by the Burmese government.
Asked by Baroness Goudie
Baroness Goudie to ask Her Majesty’s government, what representations they have made to the government of Burma regarding the reform of rape laws in Burma.
Rt Hon Baroness Warsi PC: Whilst no specific representation have been made to the Burmese government on the reform of rape laws in Burma, the British Government regularly lobbies the Burmese government on the rights of women, particularly on preventing sexual violence against women in conflict areas.
Our embassy in Rangoon funds local non-governmental partners which provide technical support to the Burmese Ministry of Social Welfare to help the Burmese government fulfil its obligations under the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, to which Burma is a signatory.
Asked by Baroness Goudie
Baroness Goudie to ask Her Majesty’s Government, whether they have held discussions with any other government regarding a review as to whether Burma is upholding its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Rt Hon Baroness Warsi PC: Whilst the British Government has not held discussions with other governments regarding a review as to whether Burma is upholding its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we do hold regular discussions in the UN and EU on Burma’s human rights record.
During President Thein Sein recent visit to London on 14-16 July, the President met with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), who underlined the importance of international initiatives on human rights and Burma’s participation in relevant UN treaties was discussed.