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 with civil society to prepare for the 2022 Summit for Democracy.

The UK Government welcomes the Summit for Democracy. The Prime Minister delivered a statement to the Summit and the UK was also able to field Ministers across a range of summit events, including on Democracy-Affirming Technology and Disability-Inclusive Democracy.

In advance of the summit we engaged with civil society, hosting discussions at ministerial and official level on the main topics of the Summit: Fighting Corruption; Defending Against Authoritarianism, and Advancing Human Rights.

The Summit is an opportunity to advance the Network of Liberty through collaborating on technology, trade, investment and infrastructure so that together, democracies can advance the cause of freedom from a position of strength. We will continue to value the views of civil society and look forward to engaging with them during the "Year of Action" leading to the second in-person Summit.