Edition 1 23/01/2021 Welcome to the first edition of Outreach, a weekly newsletter that aims to explain how events and decisions from the Government and in Parliament impact the role and the image of the UK in the world. This week we explain how in a vote in Parliament on Tuesday the Government passed on taking action that would show the UK to be standing up to genocide, in a move that goes against the promises of the UK being more international after leaving the European Union. Also, we briefly look into what is being done by the UK to ensure that around the world, people are not excluded from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as a result of where they live. Finally, we explain how the UK continues to push back against the EU by denying its ambassador diplomatic status, and present a view on diplomatic immunity in the present day. Government Sends Message of of the Uighurs in Xinjiang, China. countries access any vaccine at the Disregard for Genocide However, adding this amendment to the earliest opportunity. The UK has been Trade Bill would have ensured that the one of the largest contributors to global In a vote in the House of Commons on UK could send a strong message of vaccine efforts, hopefully this will Tuesday, the Government narrowly condemnation to any country continue so that the UK can lead the way avoided defeat on a motion to disagree committing genocide. Unfortunately, the in making sure a vaccine can reach with Lords Amendment 3 of the Trade amendment in this form now looks everyone that needs it. Bill. Amendment 3, if passed, would unlikely to be included as the bill heads have required any future international back to the House of Lords. Government Refuses to give EU trade agreements to be revoked if the Ambassador Diplomatic Status High Court determined that a signatory UK Contribution to International Vaccine Effort When the UK left the European Union, of the agreement had committed the EU appointed João Vale de Almeida genocide under the United Nations SNP MP Alison Thewliss said to Health as ambassador to the UK, as the UK Convention on the Prevention and Secretary Matt Hancock in Thursdays become a ‘third country’ to the EU. The Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Urgent Question on the COVID-19 Foreign Office however is refusing to The result of the vote was 319 to 308 to vaccine roll-out that as the UK has allow the EU ambassador official status disagree, very close considering the acquired rights for vaccines to vaccinate and the privileges that this affords, such governments working majority is 87. the population many times over, and as diplomatic immunity. Among the group of 34 Conservative asked what was being done to ensure It is worth considering whether MPs that opposed the government was that surplus vaccine could be shared diplomatic immunity for ambassadors Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the Foreign with less developed countries. The continues to be necessary. There have Affairs Committee. He said in the debate Health Secretary replied explaining that been many cases where it has done that this amendment was a vote to take the UK has put more money than any more bad than good. It has been used on back control of our conscience, and other country into the international countless occasions by states ‘about reminding ourselves that when a effort to ensure that everybody around sponsoring crime and terror, and for people is under oppression so that their the world can be vaccinated. circumventing human rights and very existence is threatened, we have a Oxfam announced in December that in employment regulations. In London, duty and a responsibility to stand up’. nearly 70 poor countries, only one in ten diplomatic missions and international Another was Tobias Ellwood, who said people will be able to access a COVID-19 organisations accumulated £95 million on Twitter ‘I should not have to rebel vaccine, and that rich countries have in unpaid Congestion Charge Fees against my own Government to support representing 14% of the world’s between 2003 and 2015. the international moral high ground. It population have bought 53% of all the should be our default position’. It would be hopeful to think that the most promising vaccines. There is an move made by the UK Government was One point that kept reoccurring in the obvious gap where richer countries, a response historical abuses of debate, and was used to defend the such as the UK, need to step up to diplomatic immunity, however the Governments position by the Minister ensure that people will not miss out on cynical, and most probably realistic for Trade Greg Hands, was that we do a much-needed vaccine simply because answer is once again another attempt by not currently have a trade deal with of the country they live in. the to make a point to the EU. China, the general understanding was So far, the UK has committed £534 that this was amendment aimed at Twitter: @OutreachNewsUK million to the COVAX Advance Market addressing the treatment and genocide Commitment which will help the poorest Email: outreachnewsletter1@gmail.com
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