Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

We are also working to promote freedom of expression on the internet. Networked
communications are a revelation in world affairs but too often we have seen states
trying to silence dissent by blocking websites and shutting down social networking
sites. The internet has an unparalleled ability to mobilise people across the world in
pursuit of democratic freedoms. We have a duty to protect it. The Foreign Secretary
has reiterated Britain’s message that access to the internet is both an economic and
a human right and I have discussed how Britain can provide leadership on initiatives
on greater access to information with industry leaders such as Facebook and
Google. I will be taking forward our work in this area in the coming months.
The Command Paper clearly shows how human rights are central to achieving all of
the FCO’s three new priorities of safeguarding Britain’s national security, building
Britain’s prosperity, and supporting British nationals around the world. The
Government’s primary duty is to safeguard our national security. But in doing so, it is
vital that we preserve the tolerance and respect for civil liberties that terrorists seek
to undermine. We have also been clear that there is no contradiction between our
work to build Britain’s prosperity and our defence of human rights. Our pursuit of
one is not at the expense of the other. As the Foreign Secretary has clearly said, we
will never overlook human rights abuses wherever they occur. And as Minister for
consular affairs I have seen at first hand the vital work of our consular team in
protecting the rights of British nationals, frequently in difficult and demanding
circumstances.
The Paper also reports on 26 countries where we have serious human rights
concerns. This is not an exhaustive list, nor should it be seen as a league table.
Some countries, such as Sri Lanka, were the focus of a high level of UK activity in
2010. In other countries such as Vietnam, significant improvements could lead to
positive developments in the wider region. Eritrea and others are included in the
report because of a serious lack of progress over recent years.
Although human rights policy falls within my ministerial portfolio, promoting human
rights is the responsibility of the whole FCO ministerial team. Ministers believe
passionately in this. I hope this comes across in the report.
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