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The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

Ambassador Neil Bush outlines the UK’s commitments to gender equality and the launch of the International Women and Girls Strategy.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

The Prime Minister will host a UK-African Investment Summit in London on 23-24 April 2024.

• The announcement comes as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly signs new trade and investment agreement with Sierra Leone whilst in Freetown.
• Summit aims to promote two-way trade and investment, creating jobs and growth and supporting women entrepreneurs.

The Prime Minister will host a UK-African Investment Summit in London on 23-24 April 2024.

The Summit will bring together Heads of State and Government from 24 African countries with British and African business leaders. It will strengthen UK-African partnerships to create jobs and growth, supporting British and African talent in sectors such as finance and technology, and promote women entrepreneurs.

The Summit will build on the results of the UK-African Investment Summit 2020 and virtual UK-African Investment Conferences in 2021 and 2022. The UK-African Investment Summit 2020 marked an important milestone in our partnerships with African countries and announced over £6.5bn of deals, plus a further £8.9bn of investment commitments.

The virtual conferences in the following years built further connections between UK and African businesses, with more than 3,000 UK and African delegates looking at future opportunities to facilitate deals, with a focus on clean growth opportunities across the continent.

By 2050, two billion people will live in Africa, more than half will be under 25.

During the next two years, faster economic growth is expected across Sub-Saharan Africa than the global average. And as the world faces the stark and shared challenge of climate change, the UK is working with African countries to support them to mitigate and adapt to its effects, recognising Africa’s abundant potential for renewable energies of the future.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

To grow the UK’s economy, create opportunities for growth and bolster our economic security, we must deepen our ties with partners across the world.

This summit will ensure we are able to harness the potential of our relationships across Africa and grow our economies together, making them stronger, resilient, and innovative.

By facilitating business-to-business links, trade opportunities and investment, UK-AIS will help harness this potential for the creation of mutual prosperity, economic growth, jobs and a global transition to green energy.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary, James Cleverly, working closely with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade, Kemi Badenoch, will lead work across Whitehall to prepare for the Summit.

The Foreign Secretary said:

The UK’s trade and investment relations with countries right across the African continent are delivering significant mutual economic benefits to all of us.

Affirming the UK’s position as a leading investor in Africa, this second African Investment Summit in London will build on our successes since 2020 which have combined the strengths, innovations and expertise of the UK and our partners across Africa to support reliable, sustainable and long-term investment.

The UK and Africa go far when we go together.

The Foreign Secretary committed last December to focusing on partnerships of the future with countries whose economies, populations and ultimately influence globally are growing.

He sees countries in Africa as central to this and is seeking to build on our partnerships across the continent on the basis of respect, mutual benefit, common interests, and, most importantly, by listening to African countries’ perspectives.

That has been a major part of his visit this week to Sierra Leone, where he has signed an agreement between the UK and Sierra Leone on trade and investment. He also met members of the government and opposition leaders to take stock ahead of upcoming elections, and discuss UK support towards growing the Sierra Leonean economy.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets up annual UK – Sierra Leone trade and investment forums; and deepens the trade partnership between Sierra Leone and the UK.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

I’m pleased that we are building on the success of the 2020 Summit as we continue to strengthen our excellent relationships with our African partners.

These partnerships have already helped grow our economies, and I look forward to coming together again to discuss our joint ambitions to increase trade and investment, enhance market access and create jobs.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

Ambassador Neil Bush says that we remain deeply humbled by their courage and determination – and stand united with them today and forever.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As you and Ukraine have already mentioned, this morning we woke up to news of Russian strikes across Ukraine including Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv. There are reports of at least five people killed in residential areas of Lviv. We also note with concern reports of electrical power supply loss at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Only last week the IAEA again raised concerns about the risk of a nuclear accident at the plant. We condemn Russia’s continued attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. This has to stop.

Mr Chair, as we will later remark on, yesterday the world celebrated International Women’s Day. With that in mind, I will focus my statement today on the continued impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on women and girls.

On the last International Women’s Day, in March 2022, there was little to celebrate for the women of Ukraine. In the early months of Russia’s invasion, 90% of those forced from their country, and 60% of those internally displaced, were women – often making perilous journeys whilst Russian missiles rained down. Of those who made the difficult decision to remain, many women and girls suffered unspeakable cruelties at the hands of Russian forces. We will not forget the thousands of women and girls who have been killed or injured as a result of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war, including our colleague Special Monitoring Mission member Maryna Fenina. Maryna was killed just over a year ago on 1 March 2022 when Kharkiv was shelled by Russian forces. She was simply trying to find food and supplies for her family, her once peaceful city being turned into a war zone by Russia.

War affects everybody, regardless of gender or age – however, it has long been recognised that women and girls are disproportionately impacted and are at far greater risk of gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence and human trafficking. We have been compelled to speak multiple times in this Council of the documented, widespread and systemic use of sexual violence as a weapon by Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine. The evidence uncovered by this organisation, by the United Nations, by the Government of Ukraine, by civil society groups and by many more is staggering and utterly horrifying. This evidence exists because of the bravery of survivors and witnesses, who, in their refusal to be silenced, break down stigma and enable justice. We must not fail them in delivery of that justice.

Ukrainian women have found themselves as the primary caregivers and providers, taking on additional responsibility for their families and communities following the loss or absence of male family members. Access to vital services has been greatly reduced. As stated by the Director of the United Nations Population Fund, “access to sexual and reproductive health services are not peacetime luxuries; they are essential, and they save lives”. Ukrainian women should not be expected to give birth in makeshift underground maternity wards whilst dust falls from the ceiling, caused by relentless Russian shelling. Ukrainian women should not be denied safe abortion care, especially following the trauma of rape and sexual assault by Russian forces.

Despite the horror and trauma many have experienced over the past 12 months, Ukrainian women and girls have shown remarkable courage and resilience. From the tens of thousands of women serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Territorial Defence Forces, to the millions of women from all walks of life who go to work each day to support the defence of Ukraine, regardless of the daily air raid alerts, power shortages and near constant danger. From the female first responders and medical professionals, to those across the Ukrainian diaspora supporting refugees and displaced persons, we salute the bravery, the humanity and resilience of all those ensuring that Ukrainian voices are heard across the world.

These mothers, daughters, sisters and protectors of Ukraine demonstrate strength, compassion and integrity in support of the defence of their country, their people and their principles in what are for many, unimaginable circumstances. We remain deeply humbled by their courage and determination and we stand united with them today and forever.