Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 64
We welcome the Government’s decision to appoint a Minister for Development who will attend Cabinet.
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s decision to appoint a Minister for Development who will attend Cabinet. We also welcome the response to our letter that the Government is still committed to the ‘Leave no one behind’ pledge, but we were disappointed by the lack of explicit mention of that pledge in the recent International Development Strategy. The then Foreign Secretary argued that such an explicit reference was unnecessary, but we disagree; words matter. The UK has historically been a global leader in poverty reduction. Those working in the development space all over the world and other governments will be taking note of the UK’s priorities. To maintain the UK’s status as a global leader in tackling extreme poverty, the FCDO should explicitly reaffirm its commitment to the Leave no one behind agenda, including achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 1.1 of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030.
Government Response Summary
The government reaffirmed its commitment to the 'Leave no one behind' pledge. It outlined how the UK will deliver on the SDGs, including SDG 1, through the International Development Strategy and its alignment to Agenda 2030’s ‘Five Ps’.
Paragraph Reference:
64
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
On 11 August 2022, Amanda Milling wrote to the Committee as Minister with responsibility for development to confirm that the Government is committed to Leave No One Behind, including the pledge that “people who are furthest behind, who have least opportunity and who are most excluded will be prioritised.” The International Development Strategy outlines how the UK will deliver on the SDGs, including SDG 1. The IDS is closely aligned to Agenda 2030’s ‘Five Ps’: • Partnership: Our whole-of-government approach and commitment to global development partnerships and modern bilateral development partnerships that put our partners in the lead. • Prosperity: Delivering honest, reliable investment through British Investment Partnerships. • People: Providing women and girls with the freedom they need to succeed. • Peace: Stepping-up our life-saving humanitarian work and addressing the drivers and causes of crises, working both to prevent conflict and reduce conflict and violence. • Planet: Taking forward our work on climate change, nature and global health, including One Health. Our patient approach recognizes the interlinked root causes of crisis and is essential to deliver lasting growth, stability and poverty reduction. Our focus on women and girls, humanitarian work, and global health will help us meet the needs of some of the most at-risk people in the world.