To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to appoint a trade envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what role such an envoy would play in ethically reliable extraction deals and socially responsible investment in the country’s infrastructure.
Answered on
6 June 2018
This Department has submitted recommendations to Number 10 for the position of Trade Envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The UK is at an early stage of commercially focused engagement with DRC. An appointment of a Trade Envoy to the DRC would focus on building up commercial level relationships and build a strategy to encourage UK companies to engage. The Trade Envoy would support HMG programmes to increase investments while reducing engagement risks by addressing the constraints to economic development. The UK aims to work with the Government of DRC and other partners to create a conducive investment climate to drive long-term sustainable development.