Summary
This report examines the FCO’s administration and funding of its human rights work overseas and explains how we intend to scrutinise the FCO for the remainder of this Parliament.
In evidence to this Committee on the FCO and the 2015 Spending Review, the FCO’s Permanent Under-Secretary indicated a shift in this Government’s approach saying that human rights is “not one of our top priorities”. Whilst the Minister strongly rejected the suggestion that the FCO has deprioritised human rights, the written evidence that we received indicates that there is plainly a perception that this has occurred.
Whilst it is early to assess the impact of the FCO’s shift to three human rights themes, opinion on this change was mixed. Some written submissions were positive about the potential for greater attention on some issues than was possible under the 6+2 approach. There were however concerns about the lack of specific commitments in the three themes and the difficulties that this generates for implementation and accountability.
We welcome the doubling of the FCO’s annual funding for its dedicated human rights and democracy programme (renamed the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy) to £10.6 million.
The Minister of State confirmed that applicants to the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy must be legal and registered, which prevents organisations unregistered by host states from receiving support. By not permitting any discretion, the current administration of the Fund acts against an intelligent deployment of resources which takes into account a clear assessment of in-country human rights priorities.
Whilst it is difficult to assess the impact of the UK’s actions on human rights outcomes, several of the written submissions we received criticised the lack of measurable targets and objectives against which the FCO could be held to account. The FCO should continue to address how it evaluates its human rights work.
The FCO’s efforts to improve the accessibility of its Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy are welcome but there is, however, some way to go before its reporting becomes as user-friendly as DfID’s Development Tracker.
Designation of a country by the FCO as a Human Rights Priority Country sends an important message to the country concerned, the wider international community, and to those who are suffering from human rights abuses.
The failure to include Egypt and Bahrain amongst the list of Human Rights Priority Countries contributes to the perception that the FCO has become more hesitant in promoting and defending international human rights openly and robustly, notwithstanding the importance of private diplomacy.
The Committee’s work on human rights over the course of this Parliament will entail:
- Consideration of the FCO’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy
- Specific thematic and country inquiries on areas of immediate concern
- Reviews of the FCO’s contribution and progress in specific individual cases, issues and countries to be revisited on a yearly basis
© Parliamentary copyright 2015
Prepared 30 March 2016