Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the (a) Trade Union Congress of Swaziland's complaint against the Government of Eswatini for violating conventions 87 and 89, (b) death of Mr. Sabelo Dlamini, a worker taking part in a Trade Union protest and (c) other attacks on trade unionists reported in that complaint; and what recent assessment she has made of the extent to which Swaziland meets the human rights requirements of the Commonwealth.

Following the violent confrontations in 2021, the UK remains disappointed by the lack of progress towards meaningful dialogue in Eswatini to address the restrictions on democratic and civil rights. The High Commissioner raised our concerns with His Majesty King Mswati III and senior Ministers earlier this month, and explored ways in which the UK and other international partners could facilitate constructive engagement. The Prime Minister also raised the political situation with the King at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda.

The International Labour Organisation has recently facilitated a bipartite dialogue between representatives of employers and workers to address outstanding questions of labour rights and mistreatment. This has provided a platform for constructive exchange and the High Commission is supporting efforts for further inclusive exchanges with other stakeholders.