Safeguarding Panel

This panel will be a webinar discussion with representatives from FCDO, DAI Global and Social Development Direct on the topic of safeguarding. This event will be opened by Peter Taylor, Head of Safeguarding Unit, FCDO, who will offer remarks on CAPSEAH. The panel will provide an overview of the best practices in implementing safeguarding through all aspects of operations and programming, as well as addressing the challenges of implementation.

Safeguarding is understood as the responsibility to anticipate, mitigate and address harm in all processes of international development and is characterised by its six principles of empowerment, prevention, protection, proportionality, partnerships and accountability.

In 2018 the main UK private sector supply partners to DFID (now FCDO) proposed a set of commitments to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment in the international aid sector. In consultation with the FCDO’s top 30 suppliers across the supply chain and other networks, these private sector representatives on the Summit Steering Group signed up to the commitments and now make up the Safeguarding Leads Network (SLN).

In September 2020 FCDO launched the UK Strategy on safeguarding against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector that applies to all UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend. This includes a set of actions for the UK government departments that engage in ODA to improve safeguarding standards internally, in partner organisations, and across the whole international aid sector. Crucially, all 13 UK government ODA spending departments signed up to the strategy, thus confirming their commitment to safeguarding.

The panel discussion will be led by members from DAI Global and Social Development Direct (SDDirect) and representation from FCDO. Our panellists will be talking about the measures the SLN members (including DAI) take to ensure that programmes fulfil their objectives by integrating safeguarding and the characteristics of an effective or 'efficient' programme.

Agenda:

3:30 p.m. Introduction from chain (5-10 minutes)

3:40 p.m. Presentations from speakers (10-15 minutes each)

4:10 p.m. Panel Discussion and Q&A