UK announces crackdown on abuse by aid workers overseas

Three initiatives set to tackle abuse in the sector

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has launched three initiatives to help combat abuse by aid workers. AFP

The British government is launching three initiatives to tackle abuse by aid workers overseas.

It has warned that "robust" checks are needed to crack down on abusers, working with partner organisations across the world.

The initiatives were launched on Monday by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Project Soteria will attempt to stop perpetrators hiding their offending by moving between organisations.

This will use Interpol’s tools and services to “better co-ordinate international law enforcement to limit access to jobs in the aid sector for sexual offenders”.

Its misconduct disclosure scheme will also provide a framework for organisations to legally share information about a past employee’s history of sexual misconduct at work.

And an aid worker registration scheme can also reveal an employee's history in the sector.

“It will now provide employers with a trusted source of evidence about a potential employee’s identity and past work history, closing the loop on those who lie or omit information about where they have worked in the past,” the government said.

The recommendations were in response to a report by the UK’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.

“We recognise the need for government bodies to take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas partners have robust safeguarding policies and that those partners carry out all appropriate criminal records checks, along with broader recruitment checks, such as references,” the government said.

“The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working on three initiatives to strengthen the employment cycle across the aid sector that aim to prevent individuals with a known history of misconduct from working in the sector, regardless of their nationality.

“Together, they will help employers make better-informed hiring decisions and prevent perpetrators moving around undetected.”

In November, the UK’s Middle East Minister James Cleverly warned that the World Health Organisation needed to crack down on abuse by aid workers.

Giving evidence to a virtual inquiry into sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector by the UK's International Development Committee, he said the government would be monitoring the WHO's internal investigation.

Earlier this month, the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee found that aid recipients are still being abused and sexually exploited by workers supposed to be helping them.

Its report, Progress on Tackling the Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Aid Beneficiaries, found 73 per cent of respondents believe there is still a problem with abuse by aid workers and warned it is likely to have become "significantly worse" during the coronavirus pandemic, as shortages of aid make beneficiaries more vulnerable to exploitation.

It said perpetrators are continuing to move from organisation to organisation with impunity.

The report suggested that the UK work in partnership with overseas governments to ensure they are equipped to handle abuse cases brought against aid workers.

The IDC report found that when victims or whistleblowers try to report abuse, little meaningful action follows, allowing perpetrators to continue working in the sector.

The UK Home Office said it has now commissioned the National Crime Agency to produce a list of countries where children overseas are considered to be at high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation from UK nationals and residents.