To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the recommendations in the Rt. Rev. Philip Mounstephen's report entitled Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, Final Report and Recommendations, published in 2019, what steps his Department has taken to incorporate the protection of Christian communities into its international development strategy.
Answered on
7 March 2025
An independent review of the FCDO's implementation of the Truro recommendations in 2022 was largely positive. This has now been concluded, and we are focused on the looking to the future, as we continue to champion the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work and our programme funding, including the FCDO John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. We will continue to monitor and respond to the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside the persecution of other groups.
The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts.