Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

We are following closely developments in Serbia where large-scale peaceful street protests have been underway for several weeks, following the tragic collapse of a station canopy last November. When I visited Belgrade last month, I noted the Serbian government's commitment to transparency in investigating the incident and their undertaking to act against corruption. During my visit I discussed with the Serbian government and others the importance of respect for citizens' rights of freedom of expression and assembly.

It is the Government's view that without a negotiated solution on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), Mauritius would inevitably have pursued a campaign to obtain a legally binding judgment against the UK. We could expect a binding judgment that the UK was not sovereign over the British Indian Ocean Territory, to be applied by international organisations, including UN Specialised Agencies such as the International Telecommunication Union. This would have real-world impacts on the protection and security of the base including our ability to operate the electromagnetic spectrum undisturbed. Regarding impact on other Overseas Territories, BIOT is a unique case. No impact would be expected on other Overseas Territories as the situations are not comparable.

The Government is working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible. The proceeds are currently frozen in a UK bank account while a new independent foundation is established to manage and distribute the money. They are not Government funds. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we are continuing on our efforts to reach a resolution.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ODA programme allocations for 2024/25 were published in a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS421) on Thursday 6 February 2025. We are prioritising predictability and stability after years of turbulence. Ministers will consider ODA allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months, and we will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The second phase of the Spending Review, concluding in late spring 2025, will set departmental ODA budgets for future years.

As set out in the 2024 Labour Party manifesto, the Government's plans are to strengthen international development work within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

All government spending is approved by Parliament in the Budget. There are no plans to introduce new legislation for ODA spending.

To support effective programme delivery, the publicly available FCDO Programme Operating Framework sets out the mandatory rules and the principles, controls, roles, and responsibilities for programme teams. We ensure delivery represents value for money by measuring and assessing programmes throughout their lifecycle and will work with the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to apply the highest standards to our ODA spend, including robust measures of development effectiveness.

We are deeply concerned by reports from the UN Group of Experts that M23 and Rwanda are illegally extracting critical minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and are clear that such activity must stop immediately.

We are committed to addressing risks around conflict minerals and protecting human rights. The UK works through several international mechanisms to deliver on this, including encouraging compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables businesses to operate responsibly from conflict-affected areas and the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals which aims to increase the proportion of responsibly sourced minerals in supply chains.

In 2023, British International Investment (BII) provided £449 million in climate finance, representing 37 per cent of all commitments. This includes supporting the growth of companies providing solar-powered irrigation systems for smallholder farmers, battery-swapping businesses for electric vehicles, and Sierra Leone's first large-scale solar project to be connected to the grid.

BII's 2024 Annual Review will be published in July 2025 and will include its audited climate finance break down for 2024 commitments. BII publishes its investments, including whether they qualify as climate finance on its website (https://www.bii.co.uk/en/our-impact/search-results/) and in its Annual Review.

The Government has agreed that BII should ensure that at least 30 per cent of its commitments between 2022-26 count as climate finance. In the first two years, 42 per cent of commitments have qualified.

The Government has agreed that British International Investment (BII) should ensure that 25% of its commitments between 2022-26 qualify as gender lens investments. In the first two years, 38% of new commitments are 2X qualified.

In 2023, £297 million qualified against 2X. Investments can qualify against more than one dimension of the 2X criteria. The proportion is as follows: A) 9%; B) 79%; C) 78%; D) 22%; E) 65%. Figures for 2024 will be confirmed in July 2025 as part of BII's Annual Review process.

BII publishes its investments, including whether they qualify as 2X qualified investments, on its website (https://www.bii.co.uk/en/our-impact/search-results/).

For many years the UK Government has funded the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) through provision of core unrestricted funding on a multi-year basis, as well as annual bilateral contributions to particular emergency contexts. In 2024, the UK provided over £192 million to the ICRC, of which £48 million was unrestricted funding. Future UK funding for ICRC will be determined as part of the Spending Review process.

The Foreign Secretary met with the ICRC's President Mirjana Spoljaric in October 2024 at the UN General Assembly. Ministers within the FCDO have also had several direct engagements with ICRC officials in recent months, both in London and in several humanitarian contexts. Officials from the FCDO meet and coordinate regularly with ICRC officials both in London and Geneva, and in conflict affected countries around the world. The UK is also co-chairing the ICRC Donor Support Group from June 2025.

For many years the UK Government has funded the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) through provision of core unrestricted funding on a multi-year basis, as well as annual bilateral contributions to particular emergency contexts. In 2024, the UK provided over £192 million to the ICRC, of which £48 million was unrestricted funding. Future UK funding for ICRC will be determined as part of the Spending Review process.

The Foreign Secretary met with the ICRC's President Mirjana Spoljaric in October 2024 at the UN General Assembly. Ministers within the FCDO have also had several direct engagements with ICRC officials in recent months, both in London and in several humanitarian contexts. Officials from the FCDO meet and coordinate regularly with ICRC officials both in London and Geneva, and in conflict affected countries around the world. The UK is also co-chairing the ICRC Donor Support Group from June 2025.

On 11 February, I met with the ERC, Tom Fletcher, to discuss how the international community can support the UN-led humanitarian response in Sudan through supporting efforts to establish UN presence in areas of greatest need, including Darfur, and South Kordofan. I then chaired a virtual meeting with ten development counterparts and the ERC to discuss how key donors can support this shift in ambition. I also engaged with international counterparts on these issues at the Munich Security Conference. This followed an open session on 6 January 2025, where we called on the warring parties to expand humanitarian access to all civilians in need, whether they live in SAF or RSF-held areas, and called on the Sudanese authorities to authorise further humanitarian hubs, including in Zalingei, Darfur. On 25 November 2024, the Foreign Secretary also chaired a Sudan session during the G7 + Arab Quint Foreign Ministers' meeting to discuss collective action the G7 and Quint could take with the warring parties to press for improved humanitarian access, including by pushing for an increased UN presence in Darfur and other conflict-affected areas.

Unconditional cash transfers and other social protection measures can play an important role in helping vulnerable households be more resilient to climate change. These measures have been shown to be deliver positive impacts and good value for money.

Using unconditional cash transfers to support international conservation is not an approach widely undertaken by the FCDO. While we have not formally assessed its effectiveness, we remain open to reviewing the evidence where available and using this to inform our policies and programmes.

The UK Government is committed to defending religious freedom for all in Myanmar. We continue to raise our concerns about discrimination of religious minorities in multilateral fora, including through our co-sponsorship of a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar in April, which underscored the importance of addressing the root cause of violations against religious minorities, including Christians. Additionally, we provide funding to the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and have established the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and preserve evidence of violations and abuses, including atrocities against religious minority groups within Myanmar.

Gaza lies in ruins, and it is crucial we move through the phases of the current ceasefire agreement to the reconstruction of Gaza. We oppose moving Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza strip. Palestinian civilians should be able to return to and rebuild their homes and their lives. We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Only that over time will ensure the long-term peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.

The Foreign Secretary frequently has calls with his US counterpart on a range of issues, including the situation in Gaza, most recently on 27 January. The role played by the US, alongside Qatar and Egypt, in negotiating the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, has been crucial, and the Prime Minister reiterated this in his recent call with President Trump. Gaza lies in ruins, and it is crucial we move through the phases of the agreement to the reconstruction of Gaza. We have been clear that we oppose moving Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza strip. Palestinian civilians should be able to return to and rebuild their homes and their lives. We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Only that over time will ensure the long-term peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.

Progress has been made towards the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and a girl is a third less likely to undergo FGM today compared to 30 years ago. Since 2013, UK programmes have helped over 10,000 communities, representing over 27 million people, pledge to abandon FGM.

However, population growth in high prevalence countries means that despite this progress, the number of girls at risk is growing. There are 230 million women and girls alive today who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and 4.2 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM every year. We must work 27 times faster to eliminate FGM by 2030.

Our main investments to end FGM are as follows: The UK is investing up to £35.5 million in the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM programme which operates in Kenya, Senegal, Somalia, and Ethiopia. We contribute towards the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Programme for the Elimination of FGM which operates in 18 countries. The UK is also investing up to £20 million towards the Sudan Free of FGM: Phase II programme.

Overall, in 2024-25, the UK spent at least £13.1 million on ending FGM. The UK's spend on FGM in 2025-26 is yet to be finalised.

Progress has been made towards the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and a girl is a third less likely to undergo FGM today compared to 30 years ago. Since 2013, UK programmes have helped over 10,000 communities, representing over 27 million people, pledge to abandon FGM.

However, population growth in high prevalence countries means that despite this progress, the number of girls at risk is growing. There are 230 million women and girls alive today who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and 4.2 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM every year. We must work 27 times faster to eliminate FGM by 2030.

Our main investments to end FGM are as follows: The UK is investing up to £35.5 million in the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM programme which operates in Kenya, Senegal, Somalia, and Ethiopia. We contribute towards the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Programme for the Elimination of FGM which operates in 18 countries. The UK is also investing up to £20 million towards the Sudan Free of FGM: Phase II programme.

Overall, in 2024-25, the UK spent at least £13.1 million on ending FGM. The UK's spend on FGM in 2025-26 is yet to be finalised.

Progress has been made towards the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and a girl is a third less likely to undergo FGM today compared to 30 years ago. Since 2013, UK programmes have helped over 10,000 communities, representing over 27 million people, pledge to abandon FGM.

However, population growth in high prevalence countries means that despite this progress, the number of girls at risk is growing. There are 230 million women and girls alive today who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and 4.2 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM every year. We must work 27 times faster to eliminate FGM by 2030.

Our main investments to end FGM are as follows: The UK is investing up to £35.5 million in the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM programme which operates in Kenya, Senegal, Somalia, and Ethiopia. We contribute towards the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Programme for the Elimination of FGM which operates in 18 countries. The UK is also investing up to £20 million towards the Sudan Free of FGM: Phase II programme.

Overall, in 2024-25, the UK spent at least £13.1 million on ending FGM. The UK's spend on FGM in 2025-26 is yet to be finalised.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary look forward to working with President Trump and the new Administration, to continue our shared mission to ensure the prosperity and security of our two great nations. The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump on 26 January and congratulated him on his inauguration. The two leaders stressed the importance of the close and warm ties between the UK and the US and agreed to meet in-person in the near future. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Secretary Rubio on 27 January. They both welcomed the opportunity for the UK and the US to work together to address shared challenges, including the situation in the Middle East, Russia's illegal war in Ukraine, the challenges posed by China and the need for Indo-Pacific security. The pair said they looked forward to working together and to meeting in person soon.

We are closely following developments in Serbia, where large-scale peaceful street protests continue after the tragic collapse of a station canopy last November. When the Minister of State for Europe visited Belgrade in January 2025, he raised the worrying incidents of violence against peaceful protesters. It is important that these incidents are investigated swiftly. The Minister of State for Europe underlined the importance of respect for citizens' rights of freedom of expression and assembly, and of continuing responsible policing of protests. When the Minister of State for Europe visited Belgrade last month, he discussed with the Serbian government and others, the importance of respect for citizens' rights of freedom of expression and assembly, and the importance of peaceful dialogue on all sides.

His Majesty's Ambassador to Tokyo has not held discussions with Fujitsu concerning the financial redress scheme related to the Post Office Horizon IT system. The scheme is led by the Department for Business and Trade and the Post Office. Department for Business and Trade officials have met with Fujitsu three times since the General Election to discuss their contribution to the cost of the Horizon scandal.

The Government has been clear that those responsible for the Horizon scandal must be held accountable. This will be determined by the public inquiry, which is ongoing.

There are no recent reports from the Lao authorities on the whereabouts of Sombath Somphone. During a bilateral meeting with the UK's Minister for the Indo-Pacific in 2023, the Lao Government stated that they were continuing to investigate the disappearance but had no new information.

We remain very concerned as to the whereabouts of Mr Sombath Somphone. The UK regularly raises the disappearance of Sombath Somphone bilaterally and through the UN Human Rights Council. Most recently, on 15 December 2024 our Embassy in Laos publicly raised the disappearance and continued to push for a thorough and impartial investigation into this case. We intend to continue to raise the case at the highest levels and to continue to stay engaged with Sombath's family who are still based in Laos.

I refer the Noble Lord to my response to Parliamentary Question HL3999 on the 27 January 2025.

The Noble Lord may be referring to allegations from 2018 of the use of white phosphorus by the Indonesian Armed Forces towards civilian population in Papua. While the use of white phosphorus as a weapon does not fall under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is not a matter for the OPCW, contemporary media reports suggested that it was used in a manner that may have violated international humanitarian law. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) monitored these allegations at the time and found no compelling evidence of white phosphorous being used in an illegal way.

The FCDO continues to monitor all reports of violent incidents in the Papua region. We regularly raise human rights issues, including the protection of civilians in Papua, with the Indonesian government.

The Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, visited Indonesia in January 2025 and raised the human rights situation in Papua in her meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights.

The UK will continue to use the UN Human Rights Council as a platform to raise the case of Sombath Somphone and other human rights cases. In the upcoming Universal Periodic Review in April, the UK will urge the Lao Government to follow and implement the recommendations from Member States. This includes undertaking impartial, thorough, and transparent investigations into all enforced disappearances, including Sombath Somphone.

The UK Government is committed to championing the human rights of women, girls, LGBT+ people, and those belonging to other marginalised groups. In my meeting with the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives on 22 January, I raised a variety of issues relating to the UK-Nigeria bilateral relationship, including the importance of championing human rights, inclusive economic growth and supporting women's participation in politics. Through programmes and advocacy, the UK government is supporting women and girls affected by conflict in North-East Nigeria; helping girls access education; supporting women's economic empowerment; tackling gender-based violence; and improving access to health services.

The review of the Gulf Strategy Fund's FY2023/24 thematic summary and how the data will be published from FY2024/25 is ongoing. Once agreement is reached on how we can best present Gulf Strategy Fund data in future, we will action the agreed approach.

UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Ethiopia for 2024/25 was £216 million. Most of this allocation has been used to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid, focused on emergency health, nutrition, and social protection. This includes our Productive Safety Net Programme, supporting those in food-insecure households. We are also investing in education and health services, including a programme to prevent maternal, new-born and child deaths, as well as a programme that provides water and sanitation in drought affected areas. We have allocated UK ODA to promote peacebuilding including a sustainable peace process in Tigray, through disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of combatants. We are also investing UK ODA towards economic reform, job creation and revenue raising through more effective taxation.

The international development review considers how to maximise the impact of the FCDO's integrated development and diplomacy model and how we can improve development capability and assurance within the department. The review scope did not include specific sectoral funding.

The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We continue to champion the right to FoRB, whilst promoting tolerance and mutual respect, through our engagement in multilateral fora, including through our position at the UN and Article 18 Alliance.

The development and use of religious apps presents both opportunities and risks for the enjoyment of human rights, including FoRB. It is important that we champion the positive potential of technology, whilst taking action to mitigate risks. We do this by working with international partners and through multilateral fora including the UN and regional organisations.

The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi contributing £1.65 billion to Gavi's current "5.1" strategic period covering 2021-2025. As part of the Spending Review (SR) the UK is looking at all global health investments in the round. Announcements will follow the completion of the SR. The UK is a strong supporter of Gavi and wants to see a successful replenishment. The UK is in regular contact with Gavi and Gavi donors to support the upcoming replenishment. The Foreign Secretary and I met with the Gavi CEO in February.

The British Council has incorporated Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its work to optimise productivity and efficiency. Examples include supply chain management and predictive analytics, automation of recruitment activities, analysis of grant applications, and the use of tools such as Copilot, Perplexity AI and ChatGPT in workplace activities.

The British Council released a commercial AI capability last year where AI is used to assess and adapt to English language learners' proficiency in real time. This capability will be incorporated into new learning and assessment initiatives.

The British Council is operationally independent from the UK Government.

The membership of the Soft Power Council includes several individuals with expertise spanning science, technology, education and research, in recognition of the importance of these themes to the UK's diplomatic work. As the strategy is developed over the coming months, science and research are among a broader set of sectors that are central to our planning.

The UK has committed £41 million for the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) this financial year to support the humanitarian response in Gaza and deliver essential services to Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the region. The E3 statement of 31 January sets out the UK's position, alongside France and Germany. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to work with international partners, including the UN, to ensure continuity of operations in the OPTs. No other entity currently has the capacity or infrastructure to replace UNRWA's mandate and experience. £1 million of our funding to UNRWA this year is supporting the implementation of the Colonna Report's recommendations to ensure UNRWA commits to its neutrality obligations.

The Government is committed to working closely with international trade unions through its foreign policy. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for human rights will soon meet the heads of global union federations to discuss international labour issues. We work actively through the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to promote decent work and workers' rights, including raising workers' rights issues with the ILO supervisory system. The Government acts globally to prevent forced labour in supply chains, including, for example, by supporting reform of labour migration policies in South East Asia to ensure fair treatment of migrant workers. In addition, As Minister for Development, I met with trade union representatives in Addis Ababa who were part of the ‘Taqaddum’ platform for civil society, as part of her work on the Sudan conflict and its humanitarian consequences.

Contracts awarded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are available via ContractsFinder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder) and Find-a-Tender-Service (https://www.gov.uk/find-tender). FCDO spend above £25,000 is available via https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-departmental-spending-over-25000, and summary figures are available via the FCDO's Annual Report and Accounts (the latest report is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024).

The FCDO is not responsible for procurement on behalf of our arm's length bodies.

I spoke at a reception in Parliament on the 28th January to mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) day. The meeting included a speech by Noma survivor and advocate Mulikat Okanlawon and I separately met with her to hear about her experiences.

The UK is committed to combating NTDs and towards working with global partners towards achieving the global goal target to end the epidemic of NTDs by 2030, including for Noma. The UK is a signatory to the Kigali Declaration on NTDs and supports the World Health Organization (WHO's) roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030.

The UK is a leading provider of flexible funding to WHO, which can support the full range of WHO priorities, such as NTDs. Other wider work that will also support reducing the prevalence and impact of Noma includes the department's support to strengthening country health systems, including in Noma prevalent countries such as Nigeria, and work to address factors associated with Noma such as malnutrition, other infectious diseases, and extreme poverty.

The department has not made any assessment, separate to those made by the WHO, of the prevalence and mortality rates of Noma.

I spoke at a reception in Parliament on the 28th January to mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) day. The meeting included a speech by Noma survivor and advocate Mulikat Okanlawon and I separately met with her to hear about her experiences.

The UK is committed to combating NTDs and towards working with global partners towards achieving the global goal target to end the epidemic of NTDs by 2030, including for Noma. The UK is a signatory to the Kigali Declaration on NTDs and supports the World Health Organization (WHO's) roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030.

The UK is a leading provider of flexible funding to WHO, which can support the full range of WHO priorities, such as NTDs. Other wider work that will also support reducing the prevalence and impact of Noma includes the department's support to strengthening country health systems, including in Noma prevalent countries such as Nigeria, and work to address factors associated with Noma such as malnutrition, other infectious diseases, and extreme poverty.

The department has not made any assessment, separate to those made by the WHO, of the prevalence and mortality rates of Noma.

I spoke at a reception in Parliament on the 28th January to mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) day. The meeting included a speech by Noma survivor and advocate Mulikat Okanlawon and I separately met with her to hear about her experiences.

The UK is committed to combating NTDs and towards working with global partners towards achieving the global goal target to end the epidemic of NTDs by 2030, including for Noma. The UK is a signatory to the Kigali Declaration on NTDs and supports the World Health Organization (WHO's) roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030.

The UK is a leading provider of flexible funding to WHO, which can support the full range of WHO priorities, such as NTDs. Other wider work that will also support reducing the prevalence and impact of Noma includes the department's support to strengthening country health systems, including in Noma prevalent countries such as Nigeria, and work to address factors associated with Noma such as malnutrition, other infectious diseases, and extreme poverty.

The department has not made any assessment, separate to those made by the WHO, of the prevalence and mortality rates of Noma.

The Foreign Secretary has put partnerships, not paternalism, at the centre of the UK's development relationships. I have been leading the focus on modern, mutually beneficial bilateral partnerships. This new model has been clearly communicated to FCDO officials. Partnership does not mean telling others we have the answers; the UK can act as a champion, seeking to bridge the gap between the Global North and Global South. As FCDO officials implement this modern approach to development, they will be treating other countries as equals, as part of resetting the UK's relationship with the Global South.

A timetable for the transfer of sovereignty will be among details of the proposed treaty, which will be laid before Parliament following signature.

The UK Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all, with a particular focus on those most likely to be marginalised and discriminated against, including on the grounds of their age. We are open in principle to the idea of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the human rights of older people and will continue to play a constructive role in discussions on this issue at the UN and other relevant fora.

The UK Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all, with a particular focus on those most likely to be marginalised and discriminated against, including on the grounds of their age. We are open in principle to the idea of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the human rights of older people and will continue to play a constructive role in discussions on this issue at the UN and other relevant fora. UK officials continue to discuss the issue with international counterparts.