Destruction of Uyghur Cultural Sites: Government agrees to raise this issue with UNESCO partners and says ” We agree that UNESCO should be fully aware of what is happening in Xinjiang, and consider carefully how it can pursue its mandate in this context.”

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL4058):

Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reported comments by the Foreign Secretary relating to genocide in Xinjiang, what discussions they intend to have with UNESCO about the destruction of Uyghur cultural sites including cemeteries. (HL4058)

Tabled on: 16 November 2021

Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:

As set out in the Government’s response to the recent Foreign Affairs Committee report on Xinjiang, we are committed to helping to protect culture and heritage around the world, including in Xinjiang, and it is important for UNESCO to pursue its mandate with determination and commitment. We agree that UNESCO should be fully aware of what is happening in Xinjiang, and consider carefully how it can pursue its mandate in this context. We intend to raise this matter with our UNESCO partners.

Date and time of answer: 29 Nov 2021 at 13:02.