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| William Hague’s summit against warzone rape seen as ‘costly failure’ | William Hague’s summit against warzone rape seen as ‘costly failure’ |
| (3 months later) | |
| • A response to this article is published below | |
| The money Britain spent hosting a global summit, headed by William Hague and Angelina Jolie, to end sexual violence in conflicts was five times higher than the entire confirmed budget the UK has dedicated to tackling rape in war zones this year. | The money Britain spent hosting a global summit, headed by William Hague and Angelina Jolie, to end sexual violence in conflicts was five times higher than the entire confirmed budget the UK has dedicated to tackling rape in war zones this year. |
| A year after the high-profile London summit concluded with Hague, the former foreign secretary, pledging “to end one of the greatest injustices of our time”, the Observer can also reveal the initiative has had negligible impact and that British funding has been withdrawn from vital projects. | A year after the high-profile London summit concluded with Hague, the former foreign secretary, pledging “to end one of the greatest injustices of our time”, the Observer can also reveal the initiative has had negligible impact and that British funding has been withdrawn from vital projects. |
| An investigation into the impact of Hague and US film star Jolie’s initiative in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) found that incidents of rape and sexual violence have increased in the region. | An investigation into the impact of Hague and US film star Jolie’s initiative in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) found that incidents of rape and sexual violence have increased in the region. |
| Evidence of the continued targeting of women and a failure to prosecute perpetrators will inform discussions this week as a new parliamentary inquiry into the “preventing sexual violence in conflict” initiative launched by Hague and Jolie in 2012 takes place. | Evidence of the continued targeting of women and a failure to prosecute perpetrators will inform discussions this week as a new parliamentary inquiry into the “preventing sexual violence in conflict” initiative launched by Hague and Jolie in 2012 takes place. |
| New figures reveal that the three-day London summit to promote the initiative last June cost £5.2m to host. The food bill alone came to more than £299,000, while total expenditure on taxis, hotels and transport reached £576,000. | New figures reveal that the three-day London summit to promote the initiative last June cost £5.2m to host. The food bill alone came to more than £299,000, while total expenditure on taxis, hotels and transport reached £576,000. |
| The Foreign Office on Saturday night would confirm only that it had awarded £1m this year to the project, stating that unspecified sums from other schemes would supplement the fund. | The Foreign Office on Saturday night would confirm only that it had awarded £1m this year to the project, stating that unspecified sums from other schemes would supplement the fund. |
| Marcy Hersh of the Women’s Refugee Commission said: “For an initiative that used such lofty language, I struggle to see what the initiative has tangibly created, other than recognition, acknowledgement and sympathy for the issue.” | Marcy Hersh of the Women’s Refugee Commission said: “For an initiative that used such lofty language, I struggle to see what the initiative has tangibly created, other than recognition, acknowledgement and sympathy for the issue.” |
| Related: Revealed: how the world turned its back on rape victims of Congo | Related: Revealed: how the world turned its back on rape victims of Congo |
| Although the high-profile summit was intended to end the impunity of war zone rapists in places such as the DRC, the American Bar Association in the Congolese city of Goma said that prosecutions for rape had fallen recently while a women’s refuge has reported an upturn in sexual violence. | Although the high-profile summit was intended to end the impunity of war zone rapists in places such as the DRC, the American Bar Association in the Congolese city of Goma said that prosecutions for rape had fallen recently while a women’s refuge has reported an upturn in sexual violence. |
| Critics said that the rhetoric of Hague at the summit contrasted with the actual resources devoted by the UK government to the issue. No member of the UK’s team of experts on sexual violence in conflict is based in the DRC. Throughout last year just one trip was made to the DRC and that was by a single individual from the UK team. | Critics said that the rhetoric of Hague at the summit contrasted with the actual resources devoted by the UK government to the issue. No member of the UK’s team of experts on sexual violence in conflict is based in the DRC. Throughout last year just one trip was made to the DRC and that was by a single individual from the UK team. |
| On Wednesday a House of Lords committee will begin examining Hague’s initiative as part of an evaluation into what the project has so far delivered. | On Wednesday a House of Lords committee will begin examining Hague’s initiative as part of an evaluation into what the project has so far delivered. |
| Baroness Nicholson, the chair of the inquiry, said it would attempt to discover if “we are just flying a kite with lots of wind behind it”. | Baroness Nicholson, the chair of the inquiry, said it would attempt to discover if “we are just flying a kite with lots of wind behind it”. |
| She added: “The Hague initiative was magnificent, a brilliant beginning, but what now? What has actually happened since the summit? What actually did it do? How do we move forward?” | She added: “The Hague initiative was magnificent, a brilliant beginning, but what now? What has actually happened since the summit? What actually did it do? How do we move forward?” |
| Last Wednesday it was announced that Hague had surprisingly stepped down as the special envoy in charge of the initiative, although on Friday he pledged to use his “unusual alliance” with Jolie to continue fighting sexual violence. | Last Wednesday it was announced that Hague had surprisingly stepped down as the special envoy in charge of the initiative, although on Friday he pledged to use his “unusual alliance” with Jolie to continue fighting sexual violence. |
| The Foreign Office said that since last year’s summit they had trained more than 100 military peacekeepers and 700 Kurdish peshmerga in “sexual violence prevention and response” in addition to training “countless human rights defenders on the international protocol.” | The Foreign Office said that since last year’s summit they had trained more than 100 military peacekeepers and 700 Kurdish peshmerga in “sexual violence prevention and response” in addition to training “countless human rights defenders on the international protocol.” |
| Outlining funding for this year, the Foreign Office said it had awarded £1m “to local NGOs in a range of countries” – an amount supplemented by funding awarded through the new conflict and stability security fund, and that it would continue giving money to the UN for tackling the issue. | Outlining funding for this year, the Foreign Office said it had awarded £1m “to local NGOs in a range of countries” – an amount supplemented by funding awarded through the new conflict and stability security fund, and that it would continue giving money to the UN for tackling the issue. |
| Baroness Anelay responds: | |
| The assertion that the government’s preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative “has had negligible impact and that British funding has been withdrawn from vital projects” is misleading and ignores crucial facts (“William Hague’s summit against warzone rape seen as ‘costly failure’”, News). | |
| The UK has provided more than £14m to PSVI-related work over the last three years. We have supported human-rights defenders and NGOs around the world. We have funded a wide range of UN and international agencies. UK programmes mean 100 African Union and UN peacekeepers, plus 700 Kurdish peshmerga, are trained to prevent and respond to sexual violence. We are tackling this heinous aspect of Islamic State’s crimes in Iraq. | |
| This year, we have already allocated a further £6m to PSVI work. The fight is long. Sexual violence in conflict is a complex issue. It will take years to bring about the cultural, political and practical changes required to end it. Last year’s global summit to end sexual violence in conflict was a milestone. It was the largest meeting of its kind, bringing together representatives from more than 120 countries, 100 NGOs and international organisations and more than 900 experts. It galvanised global action. | |
| The UK’s leadership makes this possible. Our determination to tackle this scourge is unwavering. We have never shied away from defending those in need. Our commitment continues. | |
| Baroness AnelayPrime minister’s special representative on preventing sexual violence in conflict |