Recommendations & Conclusions
20 items
1
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Humanitarian crises moni…
We recommend that, as part of a renewed consistent approach to promoting global health, the FCDO should continue to fund existing programmes aimed at the eradication of previously identified diseases. The Government should use its integrated voice to lobby development allies and partners to stop any transfer of resources from …
Government response. As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement to the House on ODA on 26 November, investing in global health is one of the five ways in which the UK will prioritise ODA spending in 2021 to tackle COVID-19 and …
2
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Humanitarian crises moni…
Successive UK governments have always stated that safeguarding and action against gender-based violence, including sexual violence, were high priorities for action. We have previously welcomed this stance and recommend that the new Department continues to make it a priority to maintain and strengthen the international alliance around initiatives in this …
Government response. The Government remains committed to eliminating all forms of gender-based violence (GBV). This is a core part of this Government’s mission and of Global Britain’s role as a force for good in the world. We are proud that the UK …
3
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Humanitarian crises moni…
We recommend that the Government continues to project clearly onto the international stage, the importance it places on the UK’s place within the rules-based international infrastructure and the crucial foundations of human rights and the rule of law as fundamental British values. (Paragraph 55) The UK response
Government response. We will continue to build on our work so far in demonstrating the UK’s leadership on the international stage during the COVID-19 response. We are committed to working closely with partner countries and international bodies including the WHO, the World …
4
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Humanitarian crises moni…
We believe the FCDO should: • recognise that the eradication of the pandemic everywhere is an integral part of resolving the threat anywhere and therefore switch its financial support for Covid-19 vaccines, therapies and tests voluntarily from its ODA pot to other budgets (thereby freeing up resources for more frontline …
Government response. We are committed to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules and our ODA is allocated in accordance with current ODA eligibility Directives. The DAC ODA rules are clear that R&D investments which primarily aim to address problems faced by …
5
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Humanitarian crises moni…
We conclude that, for the time being, it would not be prudent for the Government to work on the basis that funding allocated to research for vaccines, treatments or tests for Covid-19 would count as ODA, as it “contributes to addressing a global challenge and not a disease disproportionately affecting …
Government response. We are committed to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules and our ODA is allocated in accordance with current ODA eligibility Directives. The DAC ODA rules are clear that R&D investments which primarily aim to address problems faced by …
6
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Humanitarian crises moni…
At a strategic level, we urge the PM and the Government to be more ambitious for the UK’s G7 Presidency than simply calling for better cooperation in spotting, preventing and fighting another pandemic more effectively. Rather, we recommend the Government lead a charge towards the establishment of a holistic global …
Government response. We are committed to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules and our ODA is allocated in accordance with current ODA eligibility Directives. The DAC ODA rules are clear that R&D investments which primarily aim to address problems faced by …
1
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
The reduction of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.7% to 0.5% of annual Gross National Income (GNI) from 2021 necessitates an approach which ensures that UK ODA is spent in a more strategic and effective way than ever before. This approach should be reflected in the priorities set and …
Government response. The impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced the Government to take the tough but necessary decision to temporarily reduce how much we spend on ODA, moving to a target of spending 0.5% of Gross National Income …
2
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
We support the Foreign Secretary’s inclusion of key secondary impacts of covid-19, such as famine, in the new Strategic Framework for UK ODA. However, we are concerned that the framework omits other crucial areas, including an explicit commitment to poverty reduction.
Government response. The Integrated Review, representing the most comprehensive articulation of a foreign policy and national security approach published by a British Government in decades, has made clear that the UK will remain a world-leading international development donor, committed to the global …
3
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
To strengthen the UK’s approach to tackling the secondary impacts of covid-19 in developing countries, the FCDO should design, apply and publish a long-term strategy relating to covid-19 by the end of the financial year. It should then revisit its ‘seven global challenges’ outlined in the new Strategic Framework for …
Government response. We agree with the need to take a strategic approach to tackling covid-19, and to think medium- and long-term about how best to respond to the impacts (both direct and indirect) that we have seen to date, particularly for the …
4
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
The pandemic is having a particularly detrimental effect upon already vulnerable groups by reinforcing inequalities and discrimination. To counteract this, we recommend that the FCDO take the following steps: • To undertake and publish impact assessments as quickly as possible (and no later than March 2021). • To collect and …
Government response. The most vulnerable people—those already facing humanitarian emergencies, or those already marginalised, including women and girls—are facing severe indirect impacts of covid-19. Working with the World Bank, the IMF and other institutions, we are tracking the impact of the pandemic …
5
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
We welcome the Government’s intention to reduce the number of expensive mega- contracts for the delivery of UK-ODA funded projects. To ensure that NGOs are able to continue essential work with vulnerable communities, the FCDO should replenish funds used by NGOs to tackle the impact of covid-19 in place of …
Government response. NGOs have played a critical role in the humanitarian response to the pandemic. We have allocated significant funding directly to international and UK-based charities since the start of the pandemic, to fulfil their critical role in supporting vulnerable communities with …
6
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
Covid-19 has affected healthcare systems in developing countries negatively. The urgency with which countries have had to respond has diverted already scarce resources towards covid-related care at the expense of other essential healthcare. This has caused disruption to routine vaccinations and treatments and is storing up years of future problems …
Government response. The UK has played a leading role in the global health response. Our support aims to balance the demand of responding to direct health impacts of the pandemic whilst also maintaining the delivery of, and access to, affordable essential services …
7
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
At a time of heightened need, it is more important than ever that healthcare is provided in a way that uses stretched resources as efficiently as possible through integrating responses to multiple health challenges. As part of a global health 38 Covid-19 in developing countries: secondary impacts strategy, the FCDO …
Government response. The covid-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in health systems globally. This highlights the importance of the UK’s continued commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage as part of our manifesto commitment to end preventable maternal, new-born 10 Eighth Special Report of …
8
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
We welcome the UK’s role in extending the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative to 30 June 2021, the measure to temporarily suspend debt service payments for the poorest countries. As the majority of these outstanding debts are governed by English law, the UK Government is in a unique position to …
Government response. The Government is deeply concerned about the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the finances of developing countries, especially its effect on debt levels. The UK has worked closely with G7, G20 and Paris Club partners to agree an unprecedented …
9
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
Livelihoods in developing countries have been devastated by the pandemic. Workers in economically precarious sectors, such as agriculture, are especially vulnerable to the economic shock and instability caused by covid-19. We believe that protecting these jobs is central to enabling people to lift themselves out of poverty. We request that …
Government response. The pandemic has exacerbated an already worsening global picture, where progress on growth and poverty reduction had slowed. The indirect impacts of covid-19 have been severe for the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, with the effect most marked …
10
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
While we welcome the appointment of a Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs and the £119 million aid package to support food security, we ask the FCDO to update us on a quarterly basis on the performance and achievements of its measures to counter food insecurity. We also …
Government response. Since the IDC inquiry, as part of the Famine Prevention ‘Call to Action’, FCDO has pledged further UK aid, bringing the total additional funding pledged since September to £180 million. This funding is focused on tackling food insecurity and helping …
11
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
We are concerned by the likely increase in gender inequality following the outbreak of covid-19 and its potential impact upon programmes promoting gender equality. In its response to this report, the FCDO should set out how they have implemented Covid-19 in developing countries: secondary impacts 39 their “Smart Rules”, their …
Government response. We are also concerned that the impact of covid-19 on women and girls has been disproportionate and that the crisis has exacerbated many of the challenges that they already faced. FCDO is working to ensure the needs and priorities of …
12
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
Gender-based violence has increased during the pandemic, with the risk especially acute for groups such as adolescents, migrants, refugees and displaced people. At the same time, access to support services has become more difficult. Therefore, it is disappointing that a specific commitment to the protection of women and girls from …
Government response. We are proud that the UK is recognised as a global leader in tackling gender-based violence, including pioneering approaches through our What Works to Prevent Violence programme that have shown reductions in violence of around 50%. The Government is deeply …
13
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
Access to sexual and reproductive health services is an essential element of healthcare, providing lifesaving services to women and girls and empowering them to make choices about their futures. The FCDO should publish an assessment of the effectiveness of current UK-funded programmes on the provision of sexual and reproductive health …
Government response. We regularly review all UK-funded programmes, including sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes, and make annual reviews available publicly via the Development Tracker website. FCDO takes an integrated approach to our programming on sexual and reproductive health and rights …
14
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Covid-19 in developing …
We welcome the FCDO’s continued commitment to prioritising girls’ education in UK ODA funding. However, we are concerned that the pandemic will push back progress in this area, with rising poverty levels forcing girls out of school and remote teaching techniques unable to reach key cohorts of girls of school …
Government response. FCDO works to ensure decisions are evidence-informed, data-driven, and equitable, prioritising the most marginalised children, especially girls wherever possible. The UK champions the right of all girls to 12 years of quality education, prioritising key stages in learning, such as …