Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the US State Department’s policy of training staff in embassies and consulates in countries considered to be at risk in how to identify incipient mass atrocities and how to act upon early warning signals, what consideration they have given to training a dedicated officer in each UK embassy and consulate in at-risk locations in order effectively to bring such issues to the notice of relevant officers at the FCO in London.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently developing a training package on conflict and human rights which will include components on identifying, preventing and responding to mass atrocities and genocide. Staff serving in countries considered at risk will be expected to undertake this training as part of their overseas posting. This package will be accompanied by a set of wider training materials on these issues made available to staff.