HL Deb 11 March 1996 vol 570 cc43-4WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What the Asia-Europe Meeting in Bangkok has achieved in promoting greater respect, for human rights.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

The concluding statement of the Asia-Europe Meeting re-affirmed participants' "strong commitment" to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the 1993 Declaration of Vienna and Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights. The statement also specified that dialogue between the participants should be conducted on the basis of, among other principles, "promotion of fundamental rights".

The meeting established the framework for developing relations between the two regions. This will provide further opportunities for exchanges on human rights between the countries of the region. This was exemplified by the important meeting between President Soeharto and Prime Minister Gutteres in Bangkok itself, which we hope will lead to progress over the issue of East Timor.