Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

West Papua Critical Minerals: Human Rights

Tuesday 1 April 2025 · 1 question

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK continues to support visit by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Promotes sustainability and respect for human rights through initiatives
  • Includes voluntary principles on security and human rights

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alex Sobel Labour (Co-op) Leeds Central and Headingley
Foreign Affairs
Context

In 2018, President Joko Widodo promised the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that he would be allowed to visit West Papua. No such visit has been facilitated by Indonesia despite two high commissioners' efforts.

Question

Will the Minister ensure that the UK does not engage in critical minerals extraction in West Papua before a UN High Commissioner visit takes place to assess the human rights situation?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Catherine West)

The UK continues to support the visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and promotes best practices on sustainability and respect for human rights through initiatives such as the voluntary principles on security and human rights.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a direct commitment regarding whether the UK will refrain from engaging in critical minerals extraction in West Papua until after a UN High Commissioner visit.

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