§ Lord Ahmed asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Whether they will consider widening the scope of the Department for International Development to include the work of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool. [HL3747]
§ Baroness Amos: DfID has been part of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) since its inception in 2001. The GCPP is a tripartite mechanism and DfID works with the FCO and MoD to develop strategies for conflict prevention in 14 different geographical and thematic areas.
§ DfID is represented on the GCPP steering team, and on each of the 14 tripartite strategy committees. DfID is the GCPP lead on the security sector reform and small arms and light weapons strategies. The Secretary of State for International Development, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Defence oversee the work of the GCPP through a Defence and Overseas Policy (DOP) sub-committee.
§ DfID's 2004 departmental report estimates that DfID spent £25.5 million through the GCPP in 2003—04. Some examples of DfID's work through the GCPP include:
§ supporting the UN to halt the proliferation of small arms and light weapons;
§ promoting responsible journalism in conflict hotspots in the Former Soviet Union;
§ police reform in Nepal;
§ supporting UNICEF's work to protect children caught up in armed conflict.