6th report - The FCDO's Approach to Displaced People

There is a global displacement crisis. The UK cannot solve it alone, and nor should it be expected to. However, significant cuts to UK ODA and development programming indicate a United Kingdom that is stepping back from the world stage at a time when engagement and collaboration are most needed. (Conclusion, Paragraph 15) FCDO strategy

Programming to reduce poverty, which drives displacement and exacerbates other drivers, has received a declining share of ODA in recent years. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)

The Department has failed to learn the lessons from previous cuts to stabilisation, peacebuilding and deconfliction programming, which likely contributed to the escalation of conflict in Sudan going unchallenged. We are concerned that the recent cuts to the Integrated Security Fund will lead to escalating conflict, with unpredictable ramifications for the UK both at home and abroad. (Conclusion, Paragraph 40)

Climate change is a current and growing driver of displacement, and the Department must better integrate the modelling of climate threats into its planning for its displacement work. (Conclusion, Paragraph 48)

In its response to this report, the FCDO should set out the measures it is taking to increase the data available to policy teams when planning medium to long-term climate adaptation investments; and whether prevention of climate-induced displacement is one of the criteria that these teams must remain cognisant of. (Recommendation, Paragraph 49)

The Government appears to have devised a strategy for influencing multilateral institutions, most notably the World Bank. This is a welcome effort to reinvigorate UK engagement at the multilateral level, given the significant cuts to other parts of the UK ODA budget. (Conclusion, Paragraph 56) 34

Engagement with the World Bank’s fragility, conflict and violence strategy update is positive, but the Government should not assume that it can outsource to multilateral institutions the need to also formulate strategy on preventing and reducing displacement. (Conclusion, Paragraph 57)

The Department lacks a holistic view of the drivers of and solutions to displacement, and therefore lacks an overarching strategy to establish solutions and prevention mechanisms. This means that UK impact in this area is constrained, reducing value for money of relevant spending and resulting in a wasted opportunity to assist displaced people. (Conclusion, Paragraph 58)

The FCDO should commission a holistic review of the drivers of and solutions to displacement, reporting its findings to the Committee within one year of the publication of this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 59)

The Department should appoint a new Special Envoy for Displacement who can oversee the discrete policy teams that work on mitigating the drivers of displacement, facilitating policy co-ordination between teams and ensuring consistency of outputs. (Recommendation, Paragraph 60) Displaced women and girls

Funding cuts to gender-specific programming will be devastating for women and girls, starving them of vital support and services. The Government has not learned lessons from the previous Government about the severe impacts of funding cuts to programming for women and girls. (Conclusion, Paragraph 77)

The policy of gender mainstreaming refers to a strategic approach to achieving gender equality through integrating women’s experiences and concerns in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes. However, while gender mainstreaming is part of the correct goal, the Government does not have the appropriate infrastructure in place to make it work. This gender mainstreaming will therefore reduce the impact of UK programming, as the problems faced by women and girls require gender-specific interventions. It is uncertain whether the Government will be able to mitigate the impacts of aid cuts to women and girls as it intends. (Conclusion, Paragraph 78)

It is astonishing that the Government has made cuts to gender-specific programming without seemingly understanding the impacts on women and girls. The Government must publish impact assessments, as promised by the Minister, as soon as possible and no later than the response to this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 79) 35

In the light of these impact assessments, the Government must reconsider the cuts to women and girls-specific programming announced by the Minister and should consider ringfencing funding for this programming. (Recommendation, Paragraph 80)

The Government must develop a robust strategy and a consistent, data-led methodology for mainstreaming and integration, to ensure that its efforts to mainstream and integrate gender take place in tandem with stand-alone programming (Recommendation, Paragraph 81) Working with the private sector

The private sector can play a pivotal role in stimulating the economies of fragile and conflict-affected states. British International Investment has a strong track record of investing in difficult environments, particularly within fragile and conflict-affected states, helping to mitigate the drivers of displacement. (Conclusion, Paragraph 87)

The FCDO should work alongside British International Investment ahead of its 2026 strategy refresh, including on how BII can place more emphasis on, and better target investment at, mitigating the drivers of displacement across fragile and conflict-affected states. (Recommendation, Paragraph 88) Localisation

Despite long-standing commitments, the Government is not making sufficient progress in meeting its commitments to localisation in humanitarian programming. The steps taken by the UNHCR on improving localisation in its partnerships should serve as a blueprint for how the Government can make progress in this regard. (Conclusion, Paragraph 96)

In response to this report, the Government must explain its reasoning for not signing up to the Global Compact on Refugees’ multi-stakeholder pledge on advancing localisation in displacement and statelessness responses. (Recommendation, Paragraph 97)

In response to this report, the Department must set out how it will make rapid progress in meeting commitments made, principally via the Grand Bargain and Global Compact on Refugees, to increase its engagement with and utilisation of local and national actors in humanitarian and development settings. (Recommendation, Paragraph 98) 36 FCDO’s use of data on displacement

The FCDO may be limited in its ability to accurately target displacement- related humanitarian and development spending owing to its sub-optimal data collection. (Conclusion, Paragraph 102)

To help determine a baseline and future targets, the FCDO should start systematically tracking and publishing official data on how much it spends on supporting refugees and internally displaced people overseas. (Recommendation, Paragraph 103)

The FCDO should ensure that the UK and partners disaggregate monitoring and programme data by age, gender, ability and displacement status at a minimum; do so systematically; and make this data available publicly. (Recommendation, Paragraph 104) 37