HC Deb 21 May 2003 vol 405 cc789-90W
Patrick Mercer

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the nations against which the United Kingdom is applying economic sanctions(a) individually and (b) jointly with other EU member states, giving the reason in each case. [112652]

Mr. Rammell

As of 12 May 2003, the United Kingdom, along with EU partners, is implementing mandatory UN sanctions, imposed by the UN Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, in relation to Iraq, Liberia, Rwanda (and neighbouring States to prevent the supply of arms to Rwanda), Sierra Leone, Haiti and Somalia. The United Kingdom is also implementing sanctions imposed by the European Union in relation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Sudan and the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In accordance with a decision of the Organisation for the Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the United Kingdom is implementing arms embargoes on Armenia and Azerbaijan. The UK is also imposing unilateral arms embargoes on Iran and Zimbabwe.

A list of sanctions regimes and arms embargoes implemented by the UK is in the Library of the House. Annexed to this is a summary of additional UK restrictions on the export of strategic goods. These documents are also available on the FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk/sanctions) and are updated each time there are changes to sanctions regimes implemented by the UK or to UK restrictions on the export of strategic goods. The FCO website also contains full details of the reasons why such sanctions have been imposed (www.fco.gov.uk/country profiles).