Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the African Union as an organisation, and (2) the work it undertakes.

The African Union (AU) is Africa's foremost multilateral body and a key strategic partner for many UK priorities. We collaborate effectively across a range of issues such as peace and security, climate change, global health and trade. This includes supporting the AU on the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the AU's Green Recovery Action Plan and funding £20 million to the AU's Covid-19 Response Fund. The AU plays an important role in regional stability and we are grateful for the role the African Union played in brokering the Cessation of Hostilities agreement between the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People's Liberation Front on 2 November.