The FCDO's approach to displaced people

International Development Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 9 Dec 2024 Closed: 17 Sep 2025 Parliament page
2024 saw a continuing rise in global displacement, with at least 117.3 million people forced to flee their homes, including nearly 43.4 million refugees, around 40% of whom are under the age of 18. These vast movements of peoples, and the associated costs and disruptions, can cause significant problems in … Read more
11 Recommendations
12 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
4 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
3 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
29 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
1 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
4 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
FCDO’s approach to displaced people; FCDO's Approach to Value for Money
Matthew Wyatt · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Melinda Bohannon · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office The Rt Hon. the Baroness Chapman of Darlington · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
The FCDO's approach to displaced people
Achim Steiner · United Nations Development Programme Arafat Jamal · UNHCR Colin Buckley · British International Investment Mónica Ferro · UNFPA
The FCDO’s approach to displaced people
Bethan Lewis · Plan International UK Daphne Jayasinghe · International Rescue Committee Dr Jessica Hagen-Zanker · ODI Global Gideon Rabinowitz · Bond Hélène Kuperman-Le-Bihan · Mines Advisory Group Louis Hoffmann · International Organization for Migration
The FCDO's approach to displaced people
Belinda Fatimah Katy Nembe Katonda · CAFOD Tinebeb Berhane · ActionAid Ethiopia Zohal
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
1 Conclusion Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
UK ODA cuts indicate stepping back from addressing global displacement crisis.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines its comprehensive approach to displacement and notes its collaboration with international partners. However, it then reiterates the committee's conclusion verbatim without providing a direct response to the concern about significant cuts to UK ODA indicating the UK is stepping back from the world stage.
3 Conclusion Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
Department failed to learn from cuts to peacebuilding programming, risking escalating conflict.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government justifies the decision to reduce the ODA budget to 0.3% of GNI, stating plans to return to 0.7% when fiscal circumstances allow, but does not address the committee's concern about a failure to learn lessons from previous cuts or the impact on conflict escalation.
4 Conclusion Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
Better integrate climate threat modelling into displacement work planning.
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)
Government Response
The government response addresses issues related to peacebuilding in Sudan and the Integrated Security Fund, rejecting claims about funding cuts impacting conflict escalation, but it does not engage with the recommendation to integrate climate threat modelling into displacement planning.
9 Recommendation Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
Commission a holistic review of displacement drivers and solutions, reporting findings within one year.
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)
Government Response
The government response details consideration of equalities impacts in ODA allocations and efforts to mitigate negative effects on women and girls, but it does not address the recommendation to commission a holistic review of displacement drivers and solutions.
10 Conclusion Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
Appoint a new Special Envoy for Displacement to oversee policy teams and facilitate coordination.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government response outlines steps to strengthen gender and equality integration across the Department's work and its approach to mainstreaming, but it does not address the recommendation to appoint a Special Envoy for Displacement.
11 Conclusion Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
Funding cuts to gender-specific programming devastate women and girls, denying vital support.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government response highlights British International Investment's role in strengthening the private sector in fragile and conflict-affected states through economic resilience and job creation, but it does not address the committee's concerns regarding funding cuts to gender-specific programming.
12 Conclusion Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
Government lacks infrastructure for effective gender mainstreaming, reducing UK programming impact.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government response details efforts to direct humanitarian funding to local organisations and improve displacement data, completely failing to address the committee's concerns about gender mainstreaming infrastructure or the impacts of aid cuts on women and girls.
13 Recommendation Not Addressed
6th report - The FCDO's Approach t…
Publish impact assessments for gender-specific programming cuts, no later than report response.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government's response outlines efforts to improve data collection and disaggregation for various humanitarian projects, but it does not address the recommendation to publish impact assessments for cuts to gender-specific programming.
Government Response AI assessment · 23 of 11 classified

Total 11 recs + 12 conclusions