Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

The UK is committed to promoting democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and continues to work with international partners to press the DRC Government to improve political space, confirm release of political prisoners, recognise people's right to peaceful protest and refrain from using excessive force against protestors. The UK funds the Westminster Foundation for Democracy to build the capacity of the DRC Parliament and improve evidence-based law making and democratic accountability. In 2019 we also funded a local NGO to improve monitoring of violations against press freedom. More broadly, the UK continues to fund efforts to support stability and security as well as human rights in DRC through contributions to the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, humanitarian funding and through the Department for International Development conflict programming supporting stabilisation and peacebuilding in the East.