§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What decisions were made by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting in London on 2 and 3 March. [HL907]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe eight members of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group met in London on 2 and 3 March, primarily to review the situation in The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the light of developments since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh in October 1997. The group recognised the progress made towards the consolidation of civilian democratic and constitutional rule in The Gambia. It welcomed the fact that the rule of the military junta in Sierra Leone had been brought to an end and decided to send a ministerial-level mission, comprising representatives from Britain, Canada, Ghana, Malaysia and Zimbabwe.
On Nigeria, the group discussed the state of the transition process and the criteria against which an eventual judgment on that process would have to be made.
I have placed the text of the concluding statement from the group's meeting in the Library of the House.