Foreword by Foreign Secretary William Hague

I am delighted to introduce the 2010 Human Rights Command Paper. Our

coalition government is determined to strengthen the human rights work of the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as part of our commitment to a foreign
policy that has the practical promotion of human rights as part of its irreducible
core. This new report is one example of this intent.

The report covers the period from January to December 2010, though some
key events in early 2011 have also been included. It highlights the important
progress being made, serious concerns that we have, and what we are doing
to promote our values around the world. It will rightly be studied closely by
Parliament, NGOs and the wider public.

Promoting human rights is indivisible from our foreign policy objectives.

Ministers and officials always consider human rights in all of our bilateral and
multilateral dealings and raise our concerns about human rights wherever and
whenever they arise. In my first 10 months as Foreign Secretary I have
travelled to many countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Tunisia,
where I have raised human rights issues. Each member of my ministerial
team shares my commitment on this point.

Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East demonstrate the appeal of
political freedoms, regardless of nationality or background. As this report
highlights, 2010 saw demonstrations in support of greater freedoms for
individuals and the press, free and fair elections, and justice and
accountability. Protests took place in countries as diverse as Belarus, Yemen
and Iran, disproving the myth that these values are “Western” ideals.

I have also established a new human rights advisory group made up of a

broad range of experts, with a variety of perspectives on different human
rights issues, from NGOs, academia and international institutions. This group
met for the first time in December 2010 for a very useful and frank discussion
of the important and complex issues facing human rights in the coming years.
Our meetings in 2011 will focus on freedom of religion, which is of increasing
concern given the violence suffered by religious minorities over recent
months, and the relationship between trade and human rights. We will also
look at challenges in specific countries, including Afghanistan. These
meetings will be complemented by the various sub-groups which will focus
explicitly on torture prevention, freedom of expression and the death penalty.
I am determined to seek the views and advice of the members of these
groups, as well as that of other interested organisations, on other key issues
and events as they unfold, such as in response to events in Libya in February
2011.

I also made a commitment to increase the amount of online human rights

reporting by our diplomats. I would encourage you to visit the FCO’s website
to read about the latest developments and actions being reported by our
embassies and high commissions around the world. You can follow our latest
work on Twitter@fcohumanrights.

This Command Paper is also being posted online in a format that will enable
non-government organisations and others to host it more easily on
independent websites. The paper will also be viewable by section, so that
you can quickly find the information that most interests you. I hope that these
features, as well as the comprehensive nature of the content, will bring the
report to as wide an audience as possible, both in the UK and internationally.

As recent events have shown, 2011 may prove to be a historic year for
democracy and human rights. Throughout the months ahead, we will
continue to support those pursuing more open societies, political systems and
universal values.
Foreword by Minister of State Jeremy Browne

The Coalition Government is determined to embed human rights at the core of

our foreign policy. The many actions and policies outlined in this Human
Rights Command Paper clearly demonstrate this. As Minister responsible for
human rights policy within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), I
have overseen much of this work. I am proud of the role that the FCO plays
in promoting and protecting human rights around the world, and of the
commitment of staff in London and in our embassies and high commissions to
this foreign policy priority. I appreciate the support that I and the FCO receive
from NGOs and the meetings I have had with organisations such as Amnesty
International, UNICEF, Saferworld and Womankind that have helped inform
my work.

The British Government is pursuing the cause of human rights in all its
bilateral and multilateral relationships. We are determined to support
progress across the board and I have emphasised our commitment to
advance individual freedoms to governments in Latin America, South East
Asia, the Far East and the Caribbean during each of my overseas visits.
Where we see progress, Britain’s role is to support and encourage its
partners, but where we see deteriorating situations we have a moral
imperative to stand on the side of those whose rights are being violated.

I am personally very proud to lead the FCO’s effort to abolish the death
penalty worldwide. When I launched the Government’s strategy last October,
I emphasised the value of incremental progress and pragmatic engagement
on this issue. With Britain’s strong encouragement, 107 countries voted for a
worldwide moratorium at the UN last year. But the death penalty remains on
the books in 58 countries. As chair of the subgroup on the death penalty, set
up as part of Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Group on Human Rights, I am
strengthening our work with countries such as Kenya, Japan and those in the
Caribbean, with the ultimate ambition of a global ban.
We are also working to promote freedom of expression on the internet.
Networked communications are a revelation in world affairs but too often we
have seen states trying to silence dissent by blocking websites and shutting
down social networking sites. The internet has an unparalleled ability to
mobilise people across the world in pursuit of democratic freedoms. We have
a duty to protect it. The Foreign Secretary has reiterated Britain’s message
that access to the internet is both an economic and a human right and I have
discussed how Britain can provide leadership on initiatives on greater access
to information with industry leaders such as Facebook and Google. I will be
taking forward our work in this area in the coming months.

The Command Paper clearly shows how human rights are central to
achieving all of the FCO’s three new priorities of safeguarding Britain’s
national security, building Britain’s prosperity, and supporting British nationals
around the world. The Government’s primary duty is to safeguard our
national security. But in doing so, it is vital that we preserve the tolerance and
respect for civil liberties that terrorists seek to undermine. We have also been
clear that there is no contradiction between our work to build Britain’s
prosperity and our defence of human rights. Our pursuit of one is not at the
expense of the other. As the Foreign Secretary has clearly said, we will never
overlook human rights abuses wherever they occur. And as Minister for
consular affairs I have seen at first hand the vital work of our consular team in
protecting the rights of British nationals, frequently in difficult and demanding
circumstances.

The Paper also reports on 26 countries where we have serious human rights
concerns. This is not an exhaustive list, nor should it be seen as a league
table. Some countries, such as Sri Lanka, were the focus of a high level of
UK activity in 2010. In other countries such as Vietnam, significant
improvements could lead to positive developments in the wider region.
Eritrea and others are included in the report because of a serious lack of
progress over recent years.
Although human rights policy falls within my ministerial portfolio, promoting
human rights is the responsibility of the whole FCO ministerial team.
Ministers believe passionately in this. I hope this comes across in the report.