Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate which took place at the Council of Europe on 22 June 2022 entitled Justice and security for women in peace reconciliation.

The UK has played a leading role in taking forward justice and security for women in peace reconciliation through our diplomatic, defence and development efforts, by formulating detailed National Action Plans (NAP) and through the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI). The UK's fifth Women, Peace and Security NAP is currently being developed and will launch in the end of 2022. Violence Against Women and Girls can dramatically increase in scale and severity during conflict and crisis and we recognise the Council of Europe, in particular the role of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, for their work in this sphere. We note that the recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course.