§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to promote human rights in the Sudan. [158487]
§ Mr. WilsonWe remain concerned about the human rights of all in Sudan and we regularly urge all sides in the civil war to respect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. We make representations about our human rights concerns to the Government of Sudan, both bilaterally and with our EU colleagues through the EU/Sudan critical dialogue. The dialogue provides a forum for strong criticism of the Sudanese Government, and allows for a co-ordinated EU assessment of the human rights situation.
We also work with our EU colleagues in the UN fora to keep our concerns on the international agenda. For example, the EU recently sponsored a UN General Assembly human rights resolution on Sudan and we are currently working on a similar text at the UN Commission on Human Rights.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning violence in the Sudan. [158486]
§ Mr. WilsonWe receive numerous representations from members of the public, NGOs, and Members of Parliament, demonstrating the immense strength of feeling about the situation in Sudan. Indeed, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary recently received a petition organised by the Sudanese-British Human Rights Forum containing 18,000 signatures.