Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the sanctions against the Zimbabwean Government and other Designated Persons from Zimbabwe.

We view EU restrictive measures as one of the tools to promote peace, democracy and the respect for the rule of law, human rights and international law. They are a tool used in conjunction with other methods, including political dialogue, as part of an integrated policy approach. They are targeted on specific individual and Zimbabwe Defence Industries and do no damage to the wider economy or the people of Zimbabwe.

The UK and our EU partners continue to assess the appropriateness of sanctions in light of recent developments. The crackdown on demonstrations in January 2019, as well as the disproportionate use of force by the authorities, called into question the Zimbabwean Government's commitment to uphold human rights and the rule of law. New listings can be swiftly adopted if required.