Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to call for ethnic and religious minorities to be added to the UN’s diversity approach to humanitarian assistance; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which UN agencies have (1) protected religious freedom, (2) guaranteed the safety of religious minorities within their remits, and (3) provided equal and impartial support and access to services.
Answered on
20 July 2017
The UK’s humanitarian aid operates under International Humanitarian Law and is provided based on need. It must be available to people of all faiths and of none. All UN agencies are required to carry out comprehensive vulnerability assessments to ensure aid is reaching those most in need, including those from religious minorities. We do not intend to call for ethnic and religious minorities to be added. The Multilateral Development Review restated our vision of building open societies, where no-one is held back by their gender, ethnic group, sexual orientation, disability or belief system.