Select committee: International Development Committee

Sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector inquiry

Closed Opened 5 Mar 2018 Closed 14 Feb 2018

International Development Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)

Read the summary Read the conclusions and recommendations Read the full Report: Sexual abuse in the aid sector Read the Special Report Read the Committee response to the Government reply Read the Secretary of State follow-up letter Key points Sexual exploitation and abuse is across all organisations, countries and institutions Collective failure of leadership and engagement from top levels down over many years Self-delusion of aid sector in dealing with and tackling problems Failing to put victims at the heart of solutions could be harmful; certainly renders reforms ineffective

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 5 March 2018.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 8th Report - Sexual exploitation in the aid sector on 31 July 2018.

The government's response

Published 6 December 2018.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the Committee's report and, across its 18 recommendations, gives positions of "Agree" or "Partially agree" on each, pointing to commitments made at the 18 October 2018 international summit.

On an international register of aid workers, it partially agrees but states "we do not think a standalone international register is currently feasible"; it points instead to pilot measures including an aid worker "passport" and a Disclosure of Misconduct Scheme.
On safeguarding budgets, it partially agrees: partners should budget for safeguarding, but "DFID is not in a position to ensure that safeguarding is a line in every budget".
On an independent aid ombudsman, it partially agrees; DFID and other donor group members will "examine the study and consider next steps" over the coming months.
On annual reporting of its safeguarding activities, it partially agrees, saying it "will consider what additional level of detail to provide" in its annual report and Single Departmental Plan.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

8th Report - Sexual exploitation in the aid sector31 July 2018

All reports

Evidence

7 oral evidence sessionsLatest 11 July 2018

All evidence

Recent activity

10th Special Report - Sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector: Government response to the Committee's Eighth Report6 December 2018, Report published
8th Report - Sexual exploitation in the aid sector31 July 2018, Report published
Oral evidence session11 July 2018, Oral evidence

Reports

1 report

8th Report - Sexual exploitation in the aid sector

HC No.: HC 840
Published: 31 Jul 2018
Items: 0
Government response: Government response published 6 December 2018. Read the government's response ↗

Oral evidence sessions

7 sessions

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Date	Session and witnesses	Source
11 Jul 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
3 Jul 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
5 Jun 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
22 May 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
8 May 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
18 Apr 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
20 Feb 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter

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Published	Direction	Letter
26 May 2018	Not recorded	Letter, 24 May 2018, from Sir Alan Parker, Former Chairman of Save the Children, concerning evidence given on 22 May: Sexual exploitation in the aid sector