Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

(asked on 8th September 2026) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 10 July 2025 (HL8885), what conclusions they have reached from their consideration of the future approach to the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative; and when they intend to publish a successor to the 2022–2025 strategy.


Answered by
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster Portrait
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 22nd September 2026

Preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) remains a Government priority. It is an important part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's women and girls priority as reflected in the International Women and Girls Framework, published in May 2026. Work is underway to refresh the UK's approach to preventing sexual violence in conflict. We will set out our approach in due course.

Since launching the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in 2012, the UK has helped strengthen international standards, improve the documentation and investigation of CRSV, support survivor-centred justice and reparations, and drive greater international action to prevent and respond to these crimes.

The PSVI programme has robust monitoring and evaluation arrangements, including quarterly partner reporting, ongoing outcome tracking and annual reviews (which are published on DevTracker). The Independent Commission for Aid Impact has reviewed PSVI, informing the UK's 2022-25 PSVI Strategy, and independent Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning reviews have been conducted to inform our CRSV programming and policy development, most recently in March 2026. The UK's work on CRSV will also be reported through the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan.

The recently appointed UK Special Envoy on PSVI will champion survivor-centred approaches and support global efforts to prevent CRSV and improve accountability. Success will be measured through strengthened prevention, survivor support, accountability and international engagement.

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