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 effectiveness of the UK's use of soft power to support free and fair elections worldwide.

Supporting democracy and defending democratic freedoms are fundamental for the UK. Election observation is an integral part of democratic scrutiny. It contributes to transparent and accountable political processes and institutions overseas.

The UK is a firm supporter of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and its vital work deploying missions to observe elections in the OSCE region. This autumn, the UK supported the OSCE's work by funding over 135 election observers to five countries, including to highly contested elections in Georgia and Moldova.