HC Deb 06 February 2002 vol 379 cc1011-2W
Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the pilot initiative to create an international ombudsman for humanitarian assistance to improve the accountability of agencies in emergency situations. [32788]

Clare Short

The Humanitarian Accountability Project (HAP) is a two-year inter-agency project launched in 2001 in Geneva in response to concerns among humanitarian organisations about the lack of accountability to crisis-affected populations. The project will investigate and test the feasibility of creating an Ombudsman for the humanitarian sector and seek to strengthen accountability towards those affected by crisis situations. It will also facilitate improved performance within the humanitarian sector and is part of a wider effort within the international humanitarian sector to improve transparency, accountability and performance.

Over the period April 2001 to January 2002 DFID will be providing funding of up to £500,000 in support of the project.