Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
1
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We understand that the FCDO has reasons for clearly defining and limiting its liability in respect of its contractual relationships with its external partners. However, we believe that events in Afghanistan have clearly illustrated that the Government’s policies should encompass much more than the legal aspects of duty of care …
Read more
We understand that the FCDO has reasons for clearly defining and limiting its liability in respect of its contractual relationships with its external partners. However, we believe that events in Afghanistan have clearly illustrated that the Government’s policies should encompass much more than the legal aspects of duty of care as defined in its legal relationships with its suppliers and contactors.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government stands by its duty of care obligations to those whom it employs directly, and the FCDO publishes travel advice to reflect the security situation in each country.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
3
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We recommend that the FCDO take steps to better identify and assess the particular risks facing aid workers so that it can respond more effectively to those aid workers when they are in need of support in countries or regions where there is acute instability or signs of a rapidly …
Read more
We recommend that the FCDO take steps to better identify and assess the particular risks facing aid workers so that it can respond more effectively to those aid workers when they are in need of support in countries or regions where there is acute instability or signs of a rapidly deteriorating security situation. FCDO staff in embassies in such countries should better communicate any signs of a potential deterioration in the security situation in country to those delivering UK aid programmes so that they can take appropriate steps to protect the safety of their staff.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government already publishes travel advice reflecting the security situation, available to all including external partners, and committed to consistent safety and security advice.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
9
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We are very concerned about the time the Government has taken to disburse the UK aid it has pledged to Afghanistan, given the considerable and escalating humanitarian need in the country. The Government should have worked faster to disburse the UK aid it pledged to Afghanistan in 2021.
Read more
We are very concerned about the time the Government has taken to disburse the UK aid it has pledged to Afghanistan, given the considerable and escalating humanitarian need in the country. The Government should have worked faster to disburse the UK aid it pledged to Afghanistan in 2021.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The FCDO phases aid against developing needs, partners' capability to implement, and responds to aid agencies' appeals, ensuring funds are spent responsibly, engaging with partners and providing funding.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
11
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We urge the FCDO to release more information on its Development Tracker web pages to better ensure the transparency of reporting on the ODA funding it has allocated to projects in Afghanistan (if necessary, redacting parts of that information to mitigate any risks to safety and security).
Read more
We urge the FCDO to release more information on its Development Tracker web pages to better ensure the transparency of reporting on the ODA funding it has allocated to projects in Afghanistan (if necessary, redacting parts of that information to mitigate any risks to safety and security).
Show less
Government response AI summary
Information and documents relating to the majority of funding in 2021/22 has been redacted and re-uploaded to Development Tracker, and new or recently amended programmes are currently being redacted for publication as soon as possible.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
12
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We urge the FCDO to update information on all ODA allocations (for all countries) on Development Tracker within a three-month period of those allocations having been made. (Paragraph 63) Other factors affecting the humanitarian situation and the disbursal of aid
Read more
We urge the FCDO to update information on all ODA allocations (for all countries) on Development Tracker within a three-month period of those allocations having been made. (Paragraph 63) Other factors affecting the humanitarian situation and the disbursal of aid
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states that all financial contributions to partners will be published on the Development Tracker within three months, and in most cases much more quickly, with any potentially sensitive information redacted, as the Tracker is directly linked with FCDO's financial systems.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
13
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
The Government has been far too slow to work with its international counterparts to find ways to help unblock the banking system in Afghanistan. This has put at grave risk the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. It is also deepening the humanitarian suffering of the people …
Read more
The Government has been far too slow to work with its international counterparts to find ways to help unblock the banking system in Afghanistan. This has put at grave risk the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. It is also deepening the humanitarian suffering of the people of Afghanistan. (Paragraph 71) 30 Afghanistan: UK support for aid workers and the Afghan people
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government has been discussing the banking crisis with international partners and the UN since September 2021, secured UNSCR 2615, passed this into domestic legislation, updated UK guidance, and worked to provide assurance to financial institutions, and established mechanisms including co-leading a working group with …
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
14
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
The UK Government should be taking more urgent steps to collaborate with its international counterparts, economists, representatives of the banking sector and aid organisations to find ways to help address more rapidly the banking crisis in Afghanistan to ease the humanitarian suffering of, and enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance …
Read more
The UK Government should be taking more urgent steps to collaborate with its international counterparts, economists, representatives of the banking sector and aid organisations to find ways to help address more rapidly the banking crisis in Afghanistan to ease the humanitarian suffering of, and enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance to, the people of Afghanistan.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government has been discussing the banking crisis with international partners and the UN since September 2021, secured UNSCR 2615, passed this into domestic legislation, updated UK guidance, and worked to provide assurance to financial institutions, and established mechanisms including co-leading a working group with …
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
15
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We recognise the necessity of having to work with the Taliban. We endorse the Government’s policy of developing a pragmatic working relationship with the Taliban to enable humanitarian aid to reach the people of Afghanistan.
Government response AI summary
FCDO officials continue to engage in pragmatic dialogue with the Taliban. The UK has opened a temporary UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha to lead diplomatic engagement.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
18
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We call on the Government to ensure that it maintains its focus on working to try and ensure that the Taliban adopts a moderate position whereby it commits to behaving pragmatically towards the inclusion of women, girls and other minority groups in Afghan society.
Read more
We call on the Government to ensure that it maintains its focus on working to try and ensure that the Taliban adopts a moderate position whereby it commits to behaving pragmatically towards the inclusion of women, girls and other minority groups in Afghan society.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The Government states that it regularly consults with Afghan women to inform its policy and programming response, aims for at least 50% of aid recipients to be women and girls, funds child protection and gender-based violence services, and will continue to meet with Afghan women.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
23
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Afghanistan: UK support …
Accepted
We welcome the steps the Government has taken to help free up the funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. However, the World Bank’s progress on releasing those funds has been agonizingly slow. Political and bureaucratic wrangling is impeding the release of over $1 billion already set aside for the …
Read more
We welcome the steps the Government has taken to help free up the funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. However, the World Bank’s progress on releasing those funds has been agonizingly slow. Political and bureaucratic wrangling is impeding the release of over $1 billion already set aside for the Afghan people.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The UK has been a leading voice supporting the repurposing of the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. They were instrumental in supporting the announcement of 10 December 2021 transferring out $280 million of available funds to support the World Food Programme and UNICEF.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office