The UK coalition government is plunged into a major row today over its commitment to human rights amid claims that it will scrap the Foreign Office's landmark annual assessment of abuses across the world.
The Observer has learned that civil servants have been told to stop working on the next edition of the FCO Annual Report on Human Rights, which highlights incidents of torture and oppression, monitors use of the death penalty and aims to expose the illegal arms trade. The report also acts as a guide to MPs and businesses over which countries it is ethical to trade with.