Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
6th report - The FCDO's Approach to Displaced People
International Development Committee
HC 525
Published 17 September 2025
Recommendations
7
Accepted
Formulate independent strategy for preventing and reducing displacement, not outsourcing to multilaterals.
Recommendation
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)
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Government Response Summary
The government explicitly states it does not assume it can outsource the need to formulate its own strategy on preventing and reducing displacement, affirming it has developed a cross-cutting strategic approach to address forced displacement.
15
Accepted
Develop a robust strategy and data-led methodology for gender mainstreaming and integration.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees to develop a robust, data-led strategy and methodology for mainstreaming and integration, stating it is currently refreshing its approach to strengthen gender and equalities issues across its work.
17
Accepted
Work with British International Investment to target investment at mitigating displacement drivers.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees to work closely with British International Investment ahead of its 2026 strategy refresh, committing to explore a wide range of priorities including how BII's ambitions in fragile markets can further mitigate displacement drivers.
20
Accepted
Set out plan to rapidly increase engagement with local actors in humanitarian settings
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees, detailing how it is making progress by leading global donor efforts to transform humanitarian funding, increasing contributions to pooled funds for local organizations, and integrating local leadership into FCDO partnerships through initiatives like the Sahel Regional Fund and support for the Start Network.
22
Accepted
Start systematically tracking and publishing official data on spending for refugees overseas
Recommendation
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)
Government Response Summary
The government states it already systematically tracks and reports data on spending for refugees and IDPs to the OECD, which is then published online.
Conclusions (2)
18
Conclusion
Accepted
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)
Government Response Summary
The government details existing efforts to direct humanitarian funding to local organisations, engage with UNHCR, and advocate for increased funding to local actors through pooled funds.
21
Conclusion
Accepted
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)
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of improving displacement-related data and lists various ongoing projects and pledges, including contributions to the UN's CRAF'd and EGRISS, and ONS efforts, to enhance data collection and statistical inclusion.