Second Report - Never Again: The UK’s Responsibility to Act on Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond

The government rejects the recommendation to accept Parliament's view on genocide, reiterating its long-standing policy not to make such determinations, which it believes should be decided by a credible judicial process. However, it agrees there is compelling evidence of widespread human rights violations and commits to continued action with international partners.

The government's response refers to a combined response for Recommendations 2, 3, and 4, which is not provided in this item.

The government response refers to a combined response for recommendations 2, 3 and 4, which is not provided, thus the specific recommendation for increasing pressure and engagement for observer access to Xinjiang is not addressed in this text.

The government accepts the recommendation, noting its ongoing efforts to pressure China for access and welcomes the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' plans to finalise and publish an assessment of available information on atrocities in Xinjiang by the end of the year, which aligns with the call for external investigation.

The government rejects raising a bilateral complaint against China to CERD, arguing it would not increase scrutiny and would risk turning a global issue into a bilateral dispute, contrary to their strategy of concerted international pressure.

The government rejects the recommendation, stating that it does not currently believe there is sufficient support to successfully move for special sessions at the UN.

The government rejects the recommendation, stating that decisions on proprio motu investigations lie with the independent ICC Prosecutor, and that the ICC's jurisdiction is limited as the alleged crimes are occurring in a non-State Party territory.

The government accepts in part, committing to continue funding independent research to collect evidence of human rights violations in Xinjiang. However, it defers allocating funding for an international mechanism until such a UN mechanism is established, citing the need for a resolution, and does not explicitly address resources for locating missing persons.

The government accepts the recommendation, detailing its ongoing and past diplomatic efforts to build broad international coalitions, including leading UN joint statements, coordinating asset freezes with 29 other countries, and using its G7 Presidency to address the situation in Xinjiang.

The government accepts the recommendation, committing to strong environmental, social, financial, labour, governance, and transparency standards at the heart of its G7 partnership approach, building on agreed multilateral standards for quality infrastructure.

The government states it has not made decisions regarding its representation at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, clarifying that Team GB's participation is a matter for the independent British Olympic and Paralympic Associations, not the government.

The government highlights its past coordinated sanctions with allies against Chinese officials and entities for abuses in Xinjiang, and commits to continuing to keep potential listings under review and working closely with allies on future action.

The government agrees that UNESCO should be aware of the situation and commits to raising its concerns with UNESCO partners, but implicitly rejects pushing for an urgent independent review of UNESCO's powers or coordinating to block countries, citing UNESCO's limited mandate.

The government accepts the recommendation, committing to conduct further consultation with the Uyghur community to understand their challenges and use findings to inform government policy.

The government rejects the recommendation, stating it does not plan to implement a specific asylum fast track for Uyghurs, but ensures all asylum claims are considered on individual merits and in accordance with international obligations.

The government rejects forming a 'coalition of sanctuary states', stating they will continue to intervene through diplomatic channels and other tools with international partners to prevent deportations, believing this action is most effective.

The government rejects the recommendation to raise a bilateral complaint against states deporting Uyghurs to China under the UN Convention against Torture, stating that such action is more effective when conducted in concert with international partners.

The government rejects the recommendation. It states that extending the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund to Xinjiang is not currently feasible due to scope restrictions, funding requirements, and logistical challenges. It also states that the provision of an additional Uyghur broadcast service is for the BBC World Service to decide, and the government cannot accept this on their behalf.

The government accepts the recommendation, committing that the Department for International Trade will report back to Parliament at the conclusion of its urgent review of export controls as they apply to Xinjiang.

The government will continue to keep its policy on due diligence under review and would need to be persuaded that new mandated supply chain due diligence legislation would be practical and proportionate.

The government rejects reducing the Modern Slavery Statement threshold, citing a September 2020 review that determined the current £36m threshold remained appropriate and stating they have no plans to change it.

The government accepts the recommendation to provide a one-day training course on forced labour for Trade Envoys and officials, but rejects the proposal for a government-led grading system, stating this role is best for specialist organisations.

The government explicitly states it does not have plans to place import controls on goods from China, thus rejecting the recommendation for a ban, though it highlights other measures taken to tackle forced labour.

The government acknowledges the role of technology and is engaging with businesses and has existing guidance, but explicitly states it does not currently plan to issue further specific guidance on modern means of traceability and product origin verification.

The government accepts the recommendation, stating it already provides detailed guidance to UK companies operating in China, drawing on information from its overseas network, and commits to keeping this guidance updated.

The government highlights existing measures and previously announced actions, including some sanctions and supply chain due diligence, as their approach to tackling forced labour and does not commit to a new process of identifying specific factories for import bans via sanctions.

The government accepts the recommendation, noting they have already made a joint statement to the ILO to investigate forced labour in Xinjiang and will continue to press the ILO on this priority.

The government details a range of existing measures and support mechanisms already in place to help universities manage risks and make informed decisions regarding international research collaborations, including new guidance, export controls, and a new advice team. It commits to keeping this support under review, rather than explicitly mandating universities to avoid or terminate collaborations based on suspected links.

The government does not commit to funding a new due diligence database or convening a new panel, stating that existing security guidelines published by Universities UK, which advise universities on risk management and due diligence, are currently judged appropriate. They will continue to keep their approach under review.

The government has not committed to a general prohibition on all UK firms and individuals doing business with implicated companies. However, it has published guidance for UK firms, is introducing new guidance for public sector bodies to exclude suppliers linked to human rights violations, and plans to strengthen disqualification powers in the forthcoming Public Procurement Bill, thereby accepting the recommendation in part.

The government rejects the recommendation for a national, cross-departmental strategy for atrocity prevention, stating that individual FCDO departments are best placed to tackle risks regionally.

The government's response text refers to a combined response located elsewhere, thus not addressing the specific recommendation within this provided text.

The government has developed a dedicated atrocity prevention training module for all FCDO staff and provides guidance material, committing to continuously look for further opportunities to enhance this offer. However, it does not specifically commit to mandatory refresher courses or the creation of explicit 'toolkits'.

The government agrees on the importance of early warning tools, describes existing mechanisms, and states the FCDO is exploring better use of data and technology, but does not commit to implementing specific additional tools or renaming the Conflict Centre.

The government rejects the recommendation to appoint a Special Envoy on Atrocity Prevention, stating that Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon already oversees relevant government policy and is well-placed for this work.

The government explicitly accepts the recommendation and commits to funding further valuable research on the human rights situation in Xinjiang.

The government acknowledges the report's concerns and the need for further action, outlining a range of robust actions already undertaken, including leading UN statements, imposing sanctions, and raising concerns with China. They state they have addressed each of the Committee's 36 recommendations in full.