Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in deploying the FCO specialist team to gather and investigate evidence of sexual violence against Rohingya people in Burma, in line with their policy on combatting sexual violence in conflict zones which was introduced in 2012.

The FCO sent two Deployable Civilian Experts to Bangladesh on 14 November, with support from the cross-Whitehall Stabilisation Unit. They will carry out an assessment of the extent of reported sexual violence, the current response to the needs of victims of gender based violence (GBV) in Bangladesh, and identify gaps in service provision and provide recommendations for the UK. They will also conduct a thorough review of the investigation and documentation of sexual violence, through use of the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict and make rapid recommendations on possible UK support in this area.
UK funding is supporting GBV response activities being delivered by international organisations including UNFPA, IOM, UNICEF and the NGO, Action Against Hunger, who are providing medical services, counselling and psychological support. The UK is also supporting UNICEF protection initiatives including 30 child-friendly spaces and referral pathways for GBV survivors. The UK is funding the deployment of a UNFPA expert to coordinate the interagency GBV response in Cox's Bazar and seeking ways to scale-up the GBV response, working in coordination with aid agencies and other partners.