Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Sixth Report - Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy
Foreign Affairs Committee
HC 166
Published 4 April 2023
Recommendations
10
Accepted
Para 35
We recommend biennial meetings of Ambassadors and Deputy Heads of Mission of ‘Five Eyes’ countries...
Recommendation
We recommend biennial meetings of Ambassadors and Deputy Heads of Mission of ‘Five Eyes’ countries in states with a record of state hostage taking to discuss live cases and lessons learnt, and to disseminate best practice.
Government Response Summary
The government states that there is already regular (at least biennial) communication amongst diplomatic and consular colleagues from ‘Five Eyes’ countries between capitals and overseas.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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14
Accepted
Para 43
All cases of arbitrary detention should be pursued at speed from as early as possible...
Recommendation
All cases of arbitrary detention should be pursued at speed from as early as possible with a full mobilisation response before the person is formally charged. We recommend that appropriate consultation take place to establish a clear system for quickly …
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Government Response Summary
The government believes that their current approach, led by Ministers, and supported by Ambassadors and senior officials who hold the necessary political and geographic expertise, is the best route to securing the release of those who have been arbitrarily detained for diplomatic leverage.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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16
Accepted
Para 46
We recommend that in the next six months the Government learns lessons from the extending...
Recommendation
We recommend that in the next six months the Government learns lessons from the extending of Diplomatic Protection to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and draws up clear guidelines on situations where diplomatic protection could be considered and how it might be employed. …
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Government Response Summary
The Government believes that its current approach, led by Ministers, and supported by Ambassadors and senior officials who hold the necessary political and geographic expertise, is the best route to securing the release of those who have been arbitrarily detained for diplomatic leverage.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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19
Accepted
Para 55
The presumption that “quiet diplomacy” and family silence is always appropriate throughout cases of state...
Recommendation
The presumption that “quiet diplomacy” and family silence is always appropriate throughout cases of state detentions and state hostage taking is a false one, other than in the initial phases. Silence abets state hostage taking. We recommend the Government uses …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and says it already seeks to support families who wish to proceed publicly, assessing options on a case-by-case basis and offering advice while respecting the family's decision.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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21
Accepted
Para 60
We recommend that if a family believes their case would be best served by going...
Recommendation
We recommend that if a family believes their case would be best served by going public, the Government should have frank, detailed and regular conversations with them on the likely impacts of their decision and advise on how to proceed …
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Government Response Summary
The government states it has adopted the task force approach recommended in the Macgregor review to harness the widest possible range of knowledge, experience, and expertise and works with external partners.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Conclusions (2)
11
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 39
In cases we have examined, the FCDO has been too slow to identify detentions of concern and to escalate these cases within the department. Any system of rapidly identifying such cases needs to be able to harness the extensive knowledge of the environment held at Post with guidance based on …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the FCDO already uses a task force approach to harness knowledge and expertise, and trains staff to reassess complex consular cases systematically and escalate them to senior staff without delay.
15
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 45
The evidence would suggest that the Government’s use of diplomatic protection in cases of arbitrary detention was badly handled. It was ill thought through and poorly implemented. It is likely that this was due to officials’ discomfort with this approach and a failure to implement it fully. This episode serves …
Government Response Summary
The government believes that the current approach, led by Ministers, and supported by Ambassadors and senior officials who hold the necessary political and geographic expertise, is the best route to securing the release of those who have been arbitrarily detained.