10th Report - Peace under pressure: Protecting Women, Peace and Security

Select Committee
International Development Committee HC 782 23 March 2026
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 23 items (12 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 23 of 23 classified)
Accepted 3
Accepted in Part 8
Acknowledged 6
Deferred 4
Rejected 2
Government response
1st Special Report: Peace under pressure: Protecting Women, Peace and Security: Government Response · published 10 Jun 2026
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Recommendations & Conclusions

23 results
1 Conclusion Accepted
The future of the Women, Peace and Security agenda hangs in the balance.
Conclusion
The future of the Women, Peace and Security agenda hangs in the balance. The agenda is more critical than ever against the backdrop of rising conflicts, a global anti–gender movement and a reported backsliding on the rights of women and … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, rejecting the assertion of being 'idle' and highlighting numerous ongoing efforts, including the Foreign Secretary's reaffirmation of leadership, active championing of WPS at the UN Security Council, and consistent advocacy through NATO and the OSCE.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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2 Recommendation Accepted
Gender equality should not become a footnote in UK diplomacy.
Recommendation
Gender equality should not become a footnote in UK diplomacy. The UK must use its clout on the international stage to strengthen the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. This means using the tools it has at its … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government 'Partially Agrees', detailing existing extensive efforts and ongoing commitments to champion the WPS agenda in multilateral forums like the UN, NATO, and OSCE, including advocating for gender-sensitive language, promoting WPS positions, and integrating WPS considerations into operational planning.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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3 Recommendation Rejected
The Government should explain why it did not convene a single dedicated session on Women,...
Recommendation
The Government should explain why it did not convene a single dedicated session on Women, Peace and Security during its time as President of the United Nations Security Council in February 2026. The Government should set out in its response … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government explicitly disagrees with the recommendation, explaining that it deliberately advanced the WPS agenda by integrating women's voices and perspectives into country-specific UN Security Council discussions, which it considered more meaningful and impactful than a standalone session.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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4 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The future of Women, Peace and Security hangs in the balance and must be addressed...
Recommendation
The future of Women, Peace and Security hangs in the balance and must be addressed in its entirety rather than solely through country specific work. The UK should convene a dedicated session on Women, Peace and Security the next time … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, emphasizing its commitment to embedding women's participation across all UN Security Council discussions and inviting women to brief in geographic-focused Council meetings, but does not explicitly commit to convening a dedicated WPS session when it next holds the presidency.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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5 Conclusion Acknowledged
The Government’s commitment to implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda, through its objectives in...
Conclusion
The Government’s commitment to implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda, through its objectives in the National Action Plan, appears to be waning. The limited attention given to prevention throughout the National Action Plan, despite the benefits for peace, is … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, reaffirming its commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, women's participation, and conflict prevention. It describes ongoing efforts to champion women's participation and leadership, citing the Foreign Secretary's renewed determination and a commemorative event in November 2025.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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6 Recommendation Acknowledged
The Government need not re–shape its approach to Women, Peace and Security beyond the existing...
Recommendation
The Government need not re–shape its approach to Women, Peace and Security beyond the existing four pillars and five strategic objectives. Considering the increasing number of global conflicts and the integral role women play in peace, the National Action Plan … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating it already champions and advocates for women's safe and meaningful participation in conflict prevention and peace processes. It reaffirms UK leadership on WPS and lists existing priorities, without committing to specific new actions for the NAP refresh.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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7 Recommendation Accepted
The UK should take a more active role in peace processes and make certain that...
Recommendation
The UK should take a more active role in peace processes and make certain that women can meaningfully participate. This includes working with organisations and non–governmental organisations to embed accountability for breaches of Women, Peace and Security efforts. The Government … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating it already focuses on influencing others, champions women's full and safe participation in peace processes, and advocates for them in conflict prevention. It reaffirms UK leadership on WPS and its existing priorities.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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8 Conclusion Acknowledged
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s development and gender experts play an essential part in...
Conclusion
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s development and gender experts play an essential part in delivering the participation and prevention objectives in the National Action Plan. The Government cannot expect to deliver on these commitments without this expertise. Considering the … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, recognizing the essential role of FCDO's technical advisers and experts. It states it will make decisions on how best to utilise expertise, references the existing social development profession, and is developing a new Women and Equalities Community of Expertise.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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9 Recommendation Acknowledged
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office must not lose its development or gender expertise.
Recommendation
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office must not lose its development or gender expertise. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office should commit to maintain development experts working on Women, Peace and Security with connections to local organisations and communities around … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, recognizing the important role of technical advisers and stating teams are strongly encouraged to maintain dedicated gender advisor expertise, but does not explicitly commit to maintaining specific levels of expertise or providing advisors to support external organizations like GAPS.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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10 Conclusion Accepted in Part
There is a lack of transparency surrounding the UK’s Women, Peace and Security spending, including...
Conclusion
There is a lack of transparency surrounding the UK’s Women, Peace and Security spending, including how much Official Development Assistance is directed towards Women’s Rights Organisations, making it difficult for civil society organisations and other actors to track and assess … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, explaining it refrains from naming individual partners for security reasons, but commits to providing over £3.5 million from a centrally managed programme for women peacebuilders and rights organisations for two financial years (FY26/27), thus providing some transparency on ODA.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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11 Recommendation Accepted in Part
As part of its National Action Plan refresh, the Government should set out how Women,...
Recommendation
As part of its National Action Plan refresh, the Government should set out how Women, Peace and Security objectives will be fully resourced and prioritised in the context of Official Development Assistance cuts, and how associated funding will be strategically … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, committing to provide over £3.5 million from a centrally managed programme to support women peacebuilders and rights organisations, with a similar amount in FY26/27. However, it does not commit to ringfencing multi-year funding for the broader WPS programming or to publishing and sharing comprehensive resourcing plans.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has assured us it remains committed to the Women,...
Conclusion
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has assured us it remains committed to the Women, Peace and Security agenda despite staffing cuts. However, it has had difficulty in upholding its commitments in the National Action Plan with current resourcing. It … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, asserting its unwavering commitment to the WPS agenda and explaining that FCDO restructuring is a redesign to improve coherence and focus, with priority work and frontline capability protected. They will review the governance structure as part of the 2026 NAP Refresh.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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13 Conclusion Accepted in Part
The Government has not learned lessons from the first round of aid cuts and continues...
Conclusion
The Government has not learned lessons from the first round of aid cuts and continues to enact policy changes that are devastating to the realities and futures of women, girls and marginalised groups. New sentence here: We welcome the Government’s … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, countering concerns about inadequate funding by detailing over £3.5 million in support for women's rights organisations and committing to similar funding for FY26/27. It defends its gender mainstreaming approach, explaining how it strengthens WPS implementation within the MOD.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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14 Conclusion Rejected
The commitments in the current National Action Plan lack dedicated funding, meaning that commitments are...
Conclusion
The commitments in the current National Action Plan lack dedicated funding, meaning that commitments are not resourced and their implementation is largely dependent on political will. (Conclusion, Paragraph 69)
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, but rejects the premise that commitments lack dedicated funding by detailing over £3.5 million in support provided to women's rights organisations and committing similar funding for FY26/27. It also highlights that WPS is treated as core business and institutionalised across the MOD.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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15 Recommendation Accepted in Part
To guarantee the sustainability of Women, Peace and Security, a stable, ringfenced budget focused on...
Recommendation
To guarantee the sustainability of Women, Peace and Security, a stable, ringfenced budget focused on flexible multi–year funding would protect against global socio–political changes and pressures. It would also allow 35 Women’s Rights Organisations and other partners to strategically plan … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, committing to provide over £3.5 million from a centrally managed programme for women peacebuilders and rights organisations for two financial years (FY26/27). However, it promotes mainstreaming WPS across the MOD as an institutional strengthening measure, directly countering the committee's concern about mainstreaming.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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16 Recommendation Accepted in Part
In response to this report, the Department should provide details to the Committee on existing...
Recommendation
In response to this report, the Department should provide details to the Committee on existing mechanisms for coordinating meaningfully between Government Departments, or how it intends to establish systematic coordination. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office should report findings back … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, detailing the existing robust governance structure for cross-government coordination and committing to review this structure as part of the 2026 NAP Refresh. However, it does not commit to reporting findings back to the Committee within six months.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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17 Conclusion Deferred
The lack of an operational Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning framework is not a technical issue...
Conclusion
The lack of an operational Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning framework is not a technical issue but a practical barrier to accountability, oversight, and outcome–focused programming. Current reporting risks being activity– driven rather than impact–driven, undermining efforts to improve the lives … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's concerns about the lack of an operational Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning framework, and states it is reviewing the current mechanism as part of the 2026 WPS NAP refresh to ensure it is robust, measurable, and can capture impact.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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18 Recommendation Deferred
As part of the Spring 2026 refresh of the National Action Plan, the Government must...
Recommendation
As part of the Spring 2026 refresh of the National Action Plan, the Government must establish and publish a cross–government monitoring framework for Women, Peace and Security, including a clear and consistently applied set of Women, Peace and Security–specific indicators … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation in principle but states that it is reviewing the current monitoring and evaluation mechanism as part of the 2026 WPS NAP refresh to ensure it is robust, measurable, and can capture impact.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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19 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government must establish a biennial engagement mechanism with parliamentarians, civil society, and academic experts...
Recommendation
The Government must establish a biennial engagement mechanism with parliamentarians, civil society, and academic experts to review and refine National Action Plan indicators and reporting. Existing data on women’s participation, lived experience, and programme impact must be 36 incorporated into … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government 'Partially Agrees', committing to ensuring a robust governance structure for the refreshed WPS NAP and stating it will consider introducing annual reporting to Parliament, with specifics on updated governance, including reporting, to be published as part of the 2026 WPS NAP Refresh.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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20 Conclusion Acknowledged
Given the Government’s stated commitment to meaningful engagement, we consider it to be disappointing that...
Conclusion
Given the Government’s stated commitment to meaningful engagement, we consider it to be disappointing that a copy of the National Action Plan has not been shared with us in advance of publication. Earlier sharing would have strengthened transparency and supported … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, acknowledging the importance of external scrutiny and stating it will consider sharing a draft of the refreshed WPS NAP with the Committee in advance of its 2026 publication.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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21 Conclusion Deferred
The Government has not allowed for sufficient external oversight and feedback on its Women, Peace...
Conclusion
The Government has not allowed for sufficient external oversight and feedback on its Women, Peace and Security commitments. The shift from annual to biennial reporting has reduced opportunities for meaningful scrutiny. This weakens transparency and limits the ability of Parliament … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government 'Partially Agrees' with the assessment, committing to a robust governance structure for the refreshed WPS NAP and stating it will consider introducing annual reporting to Parliament, with specifics to be published as part of the 2026 WPS NAP Refresh.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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22 Conclusion Deferred
Backing the Women, Peace and Security Private Member’s Bill would have been a significant demonstration...
Conclusion
Backing the Women, Peace and Security Private Member’s Bill would have been a significant demonstration of the Government’s commitments to the agenda. However, the Government has indicated that it does not yet support it. We are concerned about the future … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government 'Partially Agrees' with the underlying concern, stating it is committed to a robust WPS NAP governance structure and will consider introducing annual reporting to Parliament as part of the 2026 WPS NAP Refresh, where specific details will be published.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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23 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government must reinstate annual reporting to Parliament on Women, Peace and Security implementation following...
Recommendation
The Government must reinstate annual reporting to Parliament on Women, Peace and Security implementation following the 2026 National Action Plan refresh and commit to reporting which integrates progress on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, as set out in the Women, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, committing to consider annual reporting to Parliament for the 2026 NAP refresh but noting the NAP currently commits to biennial reports. It accepts including reporting on sexual violence in conflict within the WPS NAP strategic objectives and will publish governance structure specifics as part of the refresh.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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