Recommendation 36

We recommend that within the next six months the Government outline the measures, including Magnitsky-style sanctions and legal proceedings both domestically and Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy 53 at the International Court of Justice, it is prepared to take against countries that might arbitrarily detain UK nationals for diplomatic leverage. It should work with international partners through the Canadian-led Declaration on Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations to work with international partners multilaterally wherever possible and appropriate. Specifically: • the Government should identify one or more of the voluntary work areas listed in the Partnership Action Plan which it will commit to; • the Government should continue to explore opportunities through the International Law Commission to bring clarity to other international conventions including the Hostage Convention and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to provide further legal protection for individuals.