Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the political situation in the Ivory Coast.

​The British Government has a strong partnership with Cote d’Ivoire. Stability and inclusive economic growth are shared priorities, with a view to consolidating peace after a decade of crisis and uncertainty. We take every opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to peaceful, free and credible elections in 2020, in line with international law, and encourage all parties to work towards this goal. We have done so directly with government and opposition political parties in Cote d’Ivoire and at the 42nd Human Rights Council on 19 September in Geneva. The 2016 constitution of Cote d’Ivoire stipulates a two-term limit on Presidential mandates, which the incumbent will have reached by the 2020 elections. The elections are the responsibility of the Government of Cote d’Ivoire, all political parties and the Ivoirian people. We urge all parties to participate responsibly, engage fully in the process and avoid the use of inflammatory language. We continue to follow developments closely and hope to see extensive domestic and international observation encouraging transparency and due process before and during the elections in 2020.