Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 35
35
Deferred
Paragraph: 107
Explain Government's approach to linking trade agreements with human rights record.
Recommendation
The Government should explain whether it is adopting a two-track approach: negotiating trade agreements separately from discussions on human rights, or a conditional approach: in which trade deals are explicitly linked to—and limited by— our trading partner’s human rights record.
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees but does not explain its approach to linking trade agreements with human rights. Instead, it highlights its increased diplomatic presence and understanding of local context in Pacific Island Countries.
Paragraph Reference:
107
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
35. The Government partially agrees with the Committee. Given the importance of building enduring partnerships based on patient diplomacy, diplomatic posts are essential to understanding the local context and inform UK decision-making in the long-term. The Government has already increased its diplomatic presence in the region. We have doubled the number of British High Commissions across the Pacific Island Countries over the past four years. The UK now has six High Commissions in the Pacific including: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.