Select Committee · International Development Committee

Promoting dialogue and preventing atrocities: the UK government approach

Status: Closed Opened: 26 Nov 2021 Closed: 8 Mar 2023 19 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

Report and Government response published The International Development Committee has now published a Report on From Srebrenica to a safer tomorrow: Preventing future mass atrocities around the world and concluded Russia’s likely mass atrocities in Ukraine underline the urgent need for the UK to adopt a national strategy for preventing and responding to such crimes. …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - From Srebrenica to a safer tomorrow: Prevent… HC 149 17 Oct 2022 30 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
6 Recommendation Third Report - From Srebrenica to a saf… Accepted in Part

The United States has introduced sophisticated legislation on atrocity prevention, and it recently adopted an...

The United States has introduced sophisticated legislation on atrocity prevention, and it recently adopted an (inter-agency) Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities. The UK Government should take all opportunities to learn from, and collaborate with, the United States and like-minded partners in the Global Network of R2P Focal …

Government response. The Government is committed to a whole-of-government approach to atrocity prevention, with responsibility falling under the Minister of State for Human Rights within FCDO, but cannot commit to a written strategy at this time.
12 Recommendation Third Report - From Srebrenica to a saf… Accepted in Part

The new atrocity prevention strategy should be developed in consultation with civil society and relevant...

The new atrocity prevention strategy should be developed in consultation with civil society and relevant experts. (Paragraph 50) Skills and capabilities

Government response. The government will review training modules and assess the need to shift the focus of the atrocity response module towards prevention, and explore how atrocity prevention modules can be added to existing human rights training courses, engaging with stakeholders to …
24 Recommendation Third Report - From Srebrenica to a saf… Accepted in Part

In addition to the OCSM’s processes of longer-term monitoring and analysis, the Government should introduce...

In addition to the OCSM’s processes of longer-term monitoring and analysis, the Government should introduce a system for tracking and responding to imminent or escalating mass atrocities. This system for ‘raising the alarm’ should: a) provide UK Missions with a simple tool for reporting and urgent warning to be used …

Government response. The FCDO acknowledges the need for a system for tracking and responding to mass atrocities but states that existing communication, reporting, and decision-making processes are in place and will continue to be assessed and improved.
27 Recommendation Third Report - From Srebrenica to a saf… Accepted in Part

The Government must adopt a marker to tag aid programmes with a substantial atrocity prevention...

The Government must adopt a marker to tag aid programmes with a substantial atrocity prevention component, which it should use when reporting spending to the International Aid Transparency Index.

Government response. The government will consider whether it would be appropriate to use another approach for marking atrocity prevention programmes, as the OECD's Development Assistance Committee does not currently have an atrocity prevention marker.
28 Recommendation Third Report - From Srebrenica to a saf… Accepted in Part

The Government should reassess whether the new International Development Strategy allows for a sufficient share...

The Government should reassess whether the new International Development Strategy allows for a sufficient share of ODA to reach communities in fragile and conflict- affected states, as well as other states it assesses as being at risk of mass atrocities. It must also introduce a dedicated budget line for atrocity …

Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of FCAS in the IDS, stating that the majority of ODA will be allocated to low-income countries, where a higher proportion are FCAS, but avoids committing to specific ODA spend targets in FCAS or states …

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
24 May 2022 Leigh Stubblefield · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Matthew Field, Pete Vowles, The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office View ↗
11 Jan 2022 Denisa Delić · International Rescue Committee, Natalie Samarasinghe · United Nations Association – UK, Saidi Zirhumana · Support Office for Peacebuilding in the DRC (Bureau de Soutien pour la Consolidation de la Paix), Savita Pawnday · Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
26 Apr 2022 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Af…