HL Deb 23 November 1988 vol 502 c99WA
The Earl of Kimberley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will endeavour to have the subject of Ethiopia put on the agenda for the 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)

We do not intend to ask for Ethiopia to be put on the agenda. Such an attempt would be unlikely to succeed. However,we are content for the leader of the UK delegation to the Commission on Human Rights to refer to Ethiopia in the course of his speech, as last year.

The Earl of Kimberley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will endeavour to persuade other member states of the European Community that any aid given to Ethiopia under the Lome Conventions must be conditional on Ethiopia's observation of human rights.

Lord Trefgarne

We remain seriously concerned about human rights in Ethiopia and have made representations on this to the Ethiopian Government both bilaterally and with our European Community partners. Indeed this was one of the subjects which my honourable friend the Minister for Overseas Development raised during his visit to Ethiopia this month.

However, suspension of European Community aid would, in our view, primarily hurt the poorest sections of the population whom the aid is intended to benefit. What the European Community has done, and must continue to do in these circumstances, is to ensure that the aid it provides really does reach the people for whom it is intended and who are in great need.