§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she intends to take to prevent the future exploitation of children by aid workers in Africa. [40245]
§ Clare ShortUNHCR has undertaken to increase security in the camps, improve aid distribution, introduce a code of conduct and improve reporting procedures. A full investigation is underway by the UN Office of Investigation and Oversight Services. The UN Secretary General and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have declared a policy of "zero tolerance" for this kind of abuse. We shall monitor closely UNHCR's implementation and development of the Framework for Action it has adopted to ensure that the exploitation of children exposed in their recent report is stopped. We shall encourage all implicated organisations urgently to review their policies and to ensure that they have appropriate procedures in place to prevent the recruitment of individuals who might exploit their positions of power and trust, and to detect and remove any individuals found doing so.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what guidelines her Department issues to aid organisations working with children regarding sexual exploitation. [40241]
§ Clare ShortWe do not issue specific guidelines to partners on the conduct of their staff. It is the responsibility to each agency to set and monitor its own code of conduct. We shall encourage those implicated in the recent UNHCR/Save the Children-UK report urgently to review their policies and procedures for the detection and prevention of any exploitation by their staff of their positions of power and trust.