Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent sexual abuse by people employed by (a) NGOs and (b) the UN who are delivering (a) UK Official Development Assistance and (b) UK funded humanitarian assistance.

Safeguarding remains a top priority for the FCDO and we require all partners, including NGOs and the UN, to adhere to the highest standards of safeguarding against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH). FCDO monitors compliance throughout all programmes and staff are provided with guidance and training to do that. If partners do not meet our high standards, we will take swift and robust action.

FCDO convenes eight sets of organisations - including NGOs and the UN - to discuss delivery of the commitments made at the UK-led 2018 Safeguarding Summit to prevent and better respond to SEAH and we publish an annual progress report. FCDO funds initiatives to help partners meet our standards, including the Resource and Support Hub which offers guidance, tools and analysis, focusing on grassroots organisations in developing countries.

FCDO is supporting initiatives to prevent perpetrators of sexual abuse moving around the sector, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme which in 2019 prevented 36 people with a history of misconduct from being offered aid sector jobs.

The UK supports safeguarding capability-building initiatives in the UN and uses UN Executive Board discussions and joint initiatives with other major donors to ensure continued focus and improvement in this area.