Question:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the political situation in the Ivory Coast. (HL562)
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: ?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.
Question:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to hold discussions with the government of the Ivory Coast about honouring presidential term limits. (HL561)
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: ?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.
Question:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the forecasts by multilateral financial institutions including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, what plans they have to strengthen economic ties with the Ivory Coast. (HL560)
Answer:
The Earl of Courtown: The Department for International Trade (DIT) works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) to advance our trade relationship with the Ivory Coast.
DIT has recently increased promotion of the UK commercial offer and facilitated new business by supporting trade missions. DIT continues to develop a strong pipeline of projects in the market, eligible for UKEF financing, that UK companies are well positioned to invest in and is working to increase the visibility of the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) that supports the building of businesses throughout Africa.