Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to right enduring inequalities in the Commonwealth in the light of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
At CHOGM 2024 in Samoa, the UK announced a series of initiatives aimed to address inequality. This included the new UK Trade Centre of Expertise, which will drive export-led growth across the Commonwealth by providing support to developing countries, increased technical assistance to small states to help them unlock access to climate finance, and continued funding for Commonwealth and Chevening scholars to create opportunities for future generations. The UK also announced increased support to protect and promote the rights and inclusion of LGBT+ persons and persons with disabilities in Commonwealth countries. I engaged civil society extensively during CHOGM, attending The Commonwealth Equality Network's reception to launch their CHOGM Shadow Report as well as participating in the Commonwealth Youth, Women's and People's Forums.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of (1) Cameroon, and (2) France, about inter-communal violence between the Anglophone and Francophone communities in Cameroon; and what is their assessment of the role of the churches in peace-making in that country.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK Government has been tracking the conflict in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, and continue to urge for all perpetrators to be held to account for violence against civilian communities. The Deputy Foreign Secretary raised our human rights concerns with senior government officials during his visit to the country in April 2023. He also set out the UK's commitment to supporting the country to find a peaceful resolution through inclusive dialogue. Our High Commission in Cameroon supports this, including through regular engagement with international partners. We welcome the work of the recent fifth session of the Follow Up Committee to implement the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue in August 2023, including engaging religious leaders.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operations of foreign mercenaries and other non-state armed groupings in the Sahel region of Africa and what support they have given to regional governments and institutions to counter their activities.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK has repeatedly raised concerns about non-state armed groups in the Sahel with partners in the region. Russia and its proxies capitalise on instability and poverty to exploit resources and gain influence. This has resulted in a destabilising focus on hard security, human rights abuses and disinformation, leading to the UK announcing 13 sanctions against Wagner in Africa in July 2023. The UK takes approaches conflict and stability holistically, working closely with international partners. In 2024, the UK will provide around £245m to the Sahel, primarily to meet humanitarian needs and support local level conflict prevention programmes in Mali and Niger.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threats to democratic governance in the Sahel region of Africa, and whether they intend to take measures to strengthen civil society in the region.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK condemns recent restrictions to democratic space in the Sahel and, in coordination with our international partners, we regularly raise our concerns with governments in the region. The UK remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance and supporting access to basic services for the people of the Sahel region. In doing so we seek to build resilience and address the root causes of insecurity and poverty, including by supporting inclusive political dialogue and engaging civil society actors.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic and social impact of collaboration in scientific research between British and African universities and research institutes.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Scientific research collaborations between British and African research institutions make vital contributions to economic growth and the UK's wider development in Africa. Scientific collaborations are helping to overcome many of the most significant global challenges, from public health emergencies to climate change, to energy, education and more. HMG therefore invests in a wide range of UK-Africa scientific collaborations, including partnerships with the including the Science Foundation for Africa, the African Research Universities Alliance, and the Science Granting Councils Initiative.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of collaboration between British and African science-based institutions in delivering the UK's International Development Strategy.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Science and technology play a vital role in delivering the UK's International Development Strategy. HMG invests to strengthen equitable UK-Africa scientific collaborations and ensure the power of science delivers impactful and transformative change. The UK is a proud advocate for Open Science, deploying our world class expertise to drive open standards for critical and emerging technologies while protecting research security. That is why we invest in collaborations such as the UK-South Africa health partnership, through which UK and South Africa researchers save lives in the UK, South Africa and beyond - with research into vital issues from noncommunicable diseases, health systems and financing to mental health and surgery.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to be represented at the Association of African Universities biennial Conference of Rectors and Vice-Chancellors in Windhoek, Namibia, for the launch of the Charter Initiative to promote equitable partnerships for scientific research between African and British scientific institutions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government is committed to strengthening UK-Africa equitable science and tech partnerships to deliver our mutual objectives and address global challenges. We work with leading African research networks and initiatives to drive this agenda forward, including the African Research Universities Alliance, the Science for Africa Foundation, and the African Science Granting Councils Initiative. Our dedicated science and tech teams on the continent are on hand to engage with all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of this common goal and will be exploring how we can work more closely with the Association of African Universities.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet with representatives of UK universities to discuss the potential of equitable collaboration between British and African research institutions in enhancing the impact of the UK Science and Innovation Network in Africa.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
HMG Ministers and officials regularly meet representatives of UK universities to discuss the potential of equitable collaboration between British and African research institutions. As part of this, our Science and Innovation Network frequently engage with UK and African institutions to enhance equitable science partnerships. For example, HMG Science and Innovation officials were instrumental in supporting the signing of a hydrogen collaboration MoU between the universities of Stellenbosch and Teeside during the State visit to the UK, and HMG continues to fund bilateral research chairs in South Africa (SA), which has enhanced University relationships between UK/SA partners, including the Nelson Mandela University and the University of Southampton in Ocean Sciences. The Science and Innovation Network continues to act as a matchmaker between UK and African institutions exploring opportunities for collaboration in a broad range of disciplines.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the number of Wagner Group operatives in Africa, and in which countries are they operating.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government has repeatedly emphasised the destabilising role of Wagner Group in Mali, Central African Republic (CAR) and the wider region. Open source reporting has suggested Wagner deployments in CAR, Libya and Mali range between 1,000 to 1,900 operators per country. True numbers are highly uncertain as Wagner is part of a wider grouping of companies associated with Evgeny Prigozhin. We work closely with our international and regional partners, including through the UN, to counter the malign use of proxies like Wagner Group by Russia. The UK Government sanctioned Wagner Group in its entirety in 2022, which will weaken their capabilities in Africa.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with the African Union and African regional groupings to counter terrorism and promote sustainable economic development as a basis for ending armed conflict.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK works with the African Union and other African partners to counter the threat posed by terrorism, foster long-term stability, and to address the root causes of conflict. For example, we have provided £47.5 million of funding over the last two years to the reconfigured African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), working with ATMIS as it supports Somalia's efforts to fight al-Shabaab. The UK is also assessing what support it can offer to the Accra Initiative, a regional security initiative, to help prevent the spread of violence and instability from the Sahel to coastal West Africa. Sustainable development is an important factor in reducing the drivers of conflict and consideration of that factor is an important element in our work with African partners across the continent. One example is our support to the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area.