Background

Safeguarding means avoiding harm to people or the environment. SinceIn early 2018, the the FCDO began hasto had a focus on safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) in the international aid sector.sector and has since extended that focus to all international work.

Our goal is to ensure all those involved in international work that we support take all reasonable steps to:

• prevent harm, particularly SEAH, from occurring
• listen to those who are at risk and affected
• respond sensitively but robustly when harm or allegations of harm occur
• learn from every case

The FCDO’s work on SEAH looks at both the FCDO and the partners we fund with Official Development Assistance (ODA).) and other funding.

Tackling SEAH contributes to a wider UK commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade, keep UK streets safer and deliver the 2026 UK International Strategic Framework on Women and Girls.

This page provides an overview of the FCDO’s work and points to guidance for those working in the aid sector and other international work on how to safeguard their people and programmes.

FCDO safeguarding standards

The FCDO expects all partners we work with to take all reasonable steps to safeguard the people they come into contact with (including staff and the communities in which programmesactivities are delivered) from SEAH. The FCDO holds itself to at least the same high standards we expect of our partners.

Along with many other OECDcountries Developmentand Assistanceorganisations Committee (DAC) donors, we align with key international principles and minimum standards on tackling SEAH, including:

• the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Core Principles and Minimum Operating Standards relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
• the relevant elements of the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability

CAPSEAH is built on and fully aligned with these principles and standards.

For partners working under an FCDO accountable grant or memorandum of understanding (MoU), these standards are reflected in our Safeguarding against SEAH Due Diligence guidance. All FCDO partners delivering a programme via an accountable grant or MoU will have their capability on safeguarding against SEAH examined as part of the overall FCDO Due Diligence process. In early 2025 the FCDO introduced a simplified application process in some circumstances.

For partners under Official Development Assistance (ODA) contracts, the standards are reflected in our Supply Partner Code of Conduct and terms and conditions (PDF, 350 KB). The Code ensures that suppliers and their deliverysupply chain partners have robust procedures in place to prevent, report and respond to safeguarding issues.

Email supplychainrisk@fcdo.gov.uk if you have any questions about the Code of Conduct in the FCDO standard terms and conditions.

How to report a safeguarding concern to the FCDO

If you are in immediate danger, call the police or your relevant security team if it’s safe to do so.

You should report any concerns about sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) relating to FCDO staff or programmes to the FCDO’s Safeguarding Investigations Team:

• reportingconcerns@fcdo.gov.uk
• telephone +44 1355 843747

If you are unsure whether to report a concern, contact us for advice.

You can report concerns anonymously and the FCDO will treat them in confidence. We will consider whether we should refer your concern to the National Crime Agency (NCA), Charity Commission, police or other relevant authority.

The FCDO expects its programme partners to have mechanisms in place to prevent SEAH, to facilitate reporting and also to respond sensitively but robustly when cases are reported.

The FCDO’s commitments and work on safeguarding

The FCDO is holding itself to at least the same high standards we expect of our partners on safeguarding against SEAH.

2024 Common Approach to Protection from SEAH (CAPSEAH)

CAPSEAH is a short guide launched in June 2024 to help all people and organisations working in ​​​​humanitarian, development and peace settings take action to tackle SEAH. It is also relevant to other settings.

CAPSEAH provides:

• a collective vision for action
• common principles to guide all work
• minimum recommended actions to protect against SEAH
• online practical guidance and links to PSEAH tools and resources including those funded or supported by FCDO, such as the Resource and Support Hub

CAPSEAH is voluntary and non-binding, but governments and organisations are encouraged to signal their support and commitment to tackling SEAH by endorsing using the form on the website. Countries and organisations do not have to publicly endorse CAPSEAH to use it. A full list of endorsers is available online. It includes the UK.

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2019 DAC Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance

In July 2019, The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance was adopted. It provides a coherent framework for aid agencies and their implementing partners to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) and respond better if it does occur. A 5-year progress report was published in 2024.

Donor commitments from the 2018 Safeguarding Summit

Twenty-two donors, including all UK government departments whospending spend Official Development Assistance, signed up to commitments at the 18 October 2018 Safeguarding Summit. Donors agreed to report back on progress.

Cross-sector progress reports

The FCDO has also worked with the other 8 key groups who made commitments at the 18 October 2018 Safeguarding Summit donors. This includes the UN, international financial institutions (IFIs), UK non-governmental organisations (NGOs), UK private sector, UK research funders, British International Investment (BII) and Gavi and the Global Fund, and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement who made related commitments in 2019 – to work on sector change.

The FCDO continues to chair the Safeguarding Cross Sector Steering Group (CSSG). The CSSG produced annual reports against the 2018 Summit commitments for 5 years:

• 5 years on (2022 to 2023) cross-sector progress report
• 4 years on (2021 to 2022) cross-sector progress report
• 3 years on (2020 to 2021) cross-sector progress report
• 2 years on (2019 to 2020) cross-sector progress report
• 1 year on (2018 to 2019) cross-sector progress report

FCDO progress reports

The FCDO has published reports with further detail on the action that has been taken within the department to take forward the commitments made at the 2018 Safeguarding Summit and from 2024 onwards against the framework of CAPSEAH:

• 7 years on (2024 to 2025) FCDO progress report
• 6 years on (2023 to 2024) FCDO progress report
• 5 years on (2022 to 2023) FCDO progress report
• 4 years on (2021 to 2022) FCDO progress report
• 3 years on (2020 to 2021) FCDO progress report
• 2 years on (2019 to 2020) FCDO progress report
• 1 year on (2018 to 2019) FCDO progress report

FCDO reports to Parliament annually, including on safeguarding. You can read the annual reports:

• FCDO annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026
• FCDO annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025
• FCDO annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024
• FCDO annual report and accounts 2022 to 2023
• FCDO annual report and accounts 2021 to 2022

Third party scrutiny of FCDO’s work on tackling SEAH

The UK Parliament’s International Development Committee (IDC) published a report following their 2018 inquiry into SEA in the aid sector and a subsequent follow-up report in Oct 2019. A third IDC inquiry into ‘SEA in the aid sector – next steps’ concluded in January 2021 and the UK government’s response was published by the IDC in April 2021. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) conducted a review in 2021 to 2022.