Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government is responsible for the Overseas Territories legal compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Sir Alan Duncan

The protection and promotion of human rights are primarily the responsibility of territory governments. However, as the State party, the UK Government is ultimately responsible under international law for the Overseas Territories’ compliance with their international obligations. These include any international treaty to which the UK has extended its ratification, such as the European Convention on Human Rights.