Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for International Development's Building Stability Framework is being used to inform the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and what actions they will take (1) to monitor, and (2) to address, any inequitable measures in response to the pandemic taken by (a) national governments, and (b) security services.

The UK is pursuing a strong and co-ordinated global response to COVID-19, particularly for the most vulnerable countries. We recognise the risk that responses to the pandemic in some contexts may include politicisation, exploitation and securitisation, which may risk fuelling grievances, triggering violent instability, dividing societies and emboldening conflict actors.

DFID’s 2016 Building Stability Framework continues to underpin our approach to promoting stability in fragile and conflict-affected states. The Framework recognises that conflict and fragility do not have single causes and constitute a complex system, and that helping fragile countries become more stable is a long-term endeavour.

DFID is taking steps to ensure that both our immediate responses to COVID-19 and long-term recovery efforts do not exacerbate conflict and instead help to build peace and improve governance. We monitor how the pandemic and responses to it interact with conflict and governance on an ongoing basis in fragile states. We are encouraging our implementing partners to demonstrate accountability, strengthen local owner and leadership and adopt inclusive, conflict sensitive approaches. We are also working with International Financial Institutions and the UN to ensure their humanitarian, development and peace efforts are galvanised into an effective and coordinated response.