Committees

Sub-Saharan Africa - prosperity, peace and development co-operation inquiry launched

29 July 2019

The International Relations Committee launches its inquiry, the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa - prosperity, peace and development co-operation.

Scope of the inquiry

In 2015 the African Union (AU) outlined, in Agenda 2063, its strategy to achieve the Pan African Vision of "An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena".

In February 2019, the UK and the AU signed a Joint Communiqué on the African Union-United Kingdom Partnership. This set out a "broad range of shared priorities in support of the African Union's objectives for the Continent and a shared vision of a prosperous, secure and innovative future for Africa, tackling common challenges such as climate change, and making the most of opportunities such as increasing trade links and the dynamism of Africa's youthful population".

In this context, the House of Lords International Relations Committee is launching an inquiry into how the UK can best work with the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa to support the AU's Agenda 2063 and the areas for co-operation set out in the 2019 AU-UK Joint Communiqué.

Chair's comments

Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Chair of the Committee said:

"The Committee will examine how the Government is fulfilling the commitment, made in February 2019, to support the African Union to achieve an 'integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa' The inquiry will focus on the UK's engagement with the Sub-Saharan African countries, and to consider issues including prosperity, peace and development. Our inquiry is open to contributions and we urge any organisations, individuals and interested parties to send in written evidence to inform the inquiry"

Focus of the inquiry 

 The Committee is seeking evidence to address the shared priorities set out in the Joint Communiqué on the African Union-United Kingdom Partnership:

  • Strengthening resilience
  • Driving prosperity
  • Creating the conditions to allow the full participation of women and disabled persons in society
  • Migration
  • Promoting and protecting an equitable and inclusive rules-based international system.

For the full list of shared priorities and the issues on which the Committee is seeking written evidence, please refer to the Call for evidence.

Timeline

Written evidence is sought by Wednesday 15th January 2020. Oral evidence sessions will be held from January 2020.

Further information