The UK government signalled its desire for a mutually beneficial partnership with Africa at its first ever UK-Africa Investment Summit held in London in January 2020. Yet the COVID-19 pandemic has since become the top priority for a UK government that was also developing a more strategically integrated foreign policy post-Brexit. This includes reform of the machinery of government such as the merger of the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to create the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The full implications of this move for the UK’s engagement with Africa remain unclear, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed his concern that Tanzania is attracting more development assistance than the Balkan states and that as much aid is given to Zambia as Ukraine.
At this online event, James Duddridge MP will discuss the trajectory of UK-Africa relations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these processes, and the priorities for enhanced engagement going forward in light of the FCO-DFID merger.
Please note this event is postponed until further notice.
Participants
Rt Hon James Duddridge MP, UK Minister for Africa
Chair: Dr Alex Vines OBE, Managing Director, Ethics, Risk and Resilience; Director, Africa Programme, Chatham House
