Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the decision of the Government of Zimbabwe to secure a service level agreement with the IMF.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A Staff-Monitored Programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an important step for Zimbabwe to take in order to make progress towards a Staff-Level Agreement and clearing its foreign debt arrears. The UK is an active participant in the Structured Dialogue on Arrears Clearance, a multilateral platform for Zimbabwe to discuss arrears with its creditors and other development partners. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials participated in a roundtable side event on Zimbabwe's arrears at both the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in April and the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in May. The FCDO is also regularly in contact with the IMF to discuss Zimbabwe's economic reforms, both at headquarters and in-country.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department supports the return of Zimbabwe to full membership of the Commonwealth.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has always been clear that we want to see Zimbabwe return to the Commonwealth when the time is right. We recognise there has been progress, but further steps are needed on democracy, governance and human rights. Decisions on Commonwealth membership are for all member states. The UK has expressed support for a further Commonwealth assessment mission.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support (a) free and (b) fair presidential elections in the Ivory Coast in October 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to promoting good governance and democracy in Côte d'Ivoire, including transparent and inclusive elections.
On 25-28 May, the Minister for Africa visited Côte d'Ivoire, and discussed with the President and his government the importance of open civic space, democratic debate, and strong electoral institutions.
Our Embassy in Abidjan is engaging with relevant state institutions and all political parties, emphasising the importance of peaceful and fair elections, whilst coordinating their efforts with international partners.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recent decision by the Zimbabwean government to pay compensation to farmers whose land was confiscated.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome Zimbabwe's recent payments to farmers whose land was confiscated. We understand that 379 farmers covered by the 2020 Global Compensation Deed, which includes some British nationals, have been compensated. There have also been initial payments to farmers covered by Bilateral Investment Protection & Promotion Agreements, such as Germany, Dutch and Swiss nationals. This is in line with commitments made by the Government of Zimbabwe in the Structured Dialogue on Arrears Clearance.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help support a wide selection of candidates being available to eligible voters in the Ivory Coast for elections in October 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Matters of electoral practices are a matter for the Government of Côte d'Ivoire. Candidates for the presidential election are selected by political parties and must comply with provisions set out in Côte d'Ivoire's constitution and related laws.
The UK, along with likeminded partners, is monitoring the electoral developments in Côte d'Ivoire closely, through regular engagement with government officials, civil society actors and opposition figures. Beyond this, the UK has, through diplomatic engagements, consistently emphasised the importance of elections being free and fair as well as the need for voters to be presented with meaningful choice.
These issues were raised by the Minister for Africa, during his recent visit to Côte d'Ivoire on 25-28 May, where he discussed with the President and his government the importance of open civic space, democratic debate, and strong electoral institutions.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to urge the Government of Burma to release Aung San Suu Kyi from solitary confinement and prison on grounds of clemency ahead of her 80th birthday on 19 June 2025.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn the arbitrary detention of Aung San Suu Kyi. The charges against her are politically motivated. On 31 January, to mark the fourth anniversary since the coup, the Foreign Secretary called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, and all those arbitrarily detained. We will continue to call for her release, and the release of all those arbitrarily detained.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to sanction the Burmese (a) officials and (b) entities involved in conducting or planning the bombing against their own citizens.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In October 2024, the UK issued its nineteenth round of sanctions, targeting companies involved in the procurement of aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar military. In total we have imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and 39 entities under the Myanmar Sanctions regime and designated the military regime's two key conglomerates and their 111 subsidiaries under the Global Human Rights regime. The UK is committed to targeted sanctions, which directly impact the military without harming the wider population.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to President Trump's announcement on 13 May 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of lifting UK sanctions on Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the announcement by President Trump of the US' intention to lift sanctions on Syria and look forward to further details of the timeline and process. On 24 April, we lifted sanctions on some sectors of the Syrian economy, including trade, energy production, transport and finance. This follows the removal in March of asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities, including the Central Bank of Syria. These changes will help facilitate essential investment into Syria and underscore the UK's commitment to supporting the Syrian people to rebuild their country and economy. A stable Syria is in the UK's national interest.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has robust processes in place for reviewing the list of proscribed organisations. However, the Government does not routinely comment on whether or not an organisation is being considered for proscription. The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will consider the case of Ali Kololo in the review of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJAs so that it remains fit for purpose and captures emerging risks that could contribute to violations of human rights and IHL. As part of that review, the FCDO will consider a wide range of material from civil society and other stakeholders, including internal users across HMG Departments and our overseas network. We will consider the relevance of the Ali Kololo case to the OSJA guidance review.