Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to ensure that human rights are prioritized within his Department's approach to achieving the (a) SDGs and (b) other development outcomes.

The UK is committed to respecting, promoting and protecting universal human rights. Respect for human rights is important in itself and for achieving stable, inclusive and prosperous societies. Human rights underpin freedom, democracy and rule of law and form the basis of the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are at the heart of the UK Aid Strategy and the Department’s new Single Departmental Plan which guide DFID’s strategic decision-making.

The UK continues to be a strong advocate for Goal 16 on inclusive, peaceful societies, widely acknowledged as an enabler for all the other Sustainable Development Goals and for the protection and promotion of human rights.

DFID programmes support human rights across a range of areas such as health, education, peace and security as well as through our support for inclusive and accountable governance. DFID puts the rights of women and girls at the centre of our development efforts through the 2018 Strategic Vision for Gender Equality. We support southern grassroots organisations to protect girls from issues like female genital mutilation and enforced child marriage and DFID’s support to the Jo Cox Memorial Grants includes a specific tranche to build civil society’s capacity to predict identity-based violence.