Policy paper

HMG strategy on protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH) in international work

Published 17 July 2026

Overview

All UK government employees and partner organisations have varying degrees of formal and informal power. That power helps achieve shared strategic objectives. But power between people is always relative and power imbalances can be exploited for personal gain including of a sexual nature.

International work carried out by, or on behalf of, His Majesty’s Government (HMG) brings with it risks of sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment (SEAH) from interactions with and between external stakeholders as well as between HMG colleagues. This strategy addresses those risks and sets out how we plan to prevent HMG staff and our partners involved in international work experiencing or perpetrating SEAH.

SEAH is driven by multiple factors. These can include weak law enforcement in humanitarian settings, or tolerance by leaders of attitudes such as sexism and racism that make it more likely that SEAH goes unchallenged. Risks must be understood and addressed through context-sensitive prevention and mitigation approaches. HMG will play its part in promoting more effective Protection from SEAH (PSEAH) including through this strategy.

This strategy replaces the 2020 UK Strategy on Safeguarding against SEAH within the Aid Sector, which was limited to UK government departments who help deliver Official Development Assistance. This 2026 strategy covers all HMG international activity including, but not limited to, ODA work and how we will prevent SEAH from occurring and respond when it does.

The strategy establishes a consistent, zero tolerance for inaction approach focused on strong leadership, clear standards and proactive safeguarding. The strategy prioritises building staff capability, setting clear expectations of partners, improving reporting and case handling, and ensuring survivor-centred support, while using the UK’s international influence to promote global standards and collective action. Overall, it aims to reduce SEAH risk, increase confidence to report, and embed safeguarding as a core part of effective, values-driven international engagement across and beyond HMG.

Introduction

What is SEAH and why does it matter?

Sexual harm takes many forms and there is no consensus on terminology. This document focuses on sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) as defined in the 2024 Common Approach to Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (CAPSEAH). Annex B contains those definitions and other key terms used in this strategy.

The impacts of SEAH can be multiple and devastating, especially to the victim-survivors. But SEAH also undermines achievement of strategic international work designed to build a safer, more equitable and sustainable future for people in the UK and around the world. SEAH perpetrated by HMG staff or delivery partners also reduces trust in all work involving UK nationals or organisations.

Victim-survivors of SEAH usually have less power or are more marginalised than the perpetrators for one or more reasons linked to different forms of inequality. Certain physical or sexual characteristics can bring heightened risk. Women and girls are most often affected, but men and boys are too.

Other risk factors include age, disability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, migrant status, race and ethnicity. These risk factors may intersect, leading to increased vulnerability. Tackling SEAH in international work involving HMG contributes to a wider UK commitment to halve Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) domestically in a decade and to keep UK streets safer and deliver on the 2026 UK International Strategic Framework on Women and Girls.

It takes bravery for victim-survivors of SEAH to disclose what has happened to them given barriers to reporting and risks of reprisals. Obstacles to reporting are acute for people in highly vulnerable settings, such as a young, unmarried mother in a refugee camp. HMG staff also face significant obstacles to reporting and several years of data from parts of HMG show that at least 5% of staff experience work-related SEAH each year, yet the vast majority never report it.

The framing for HMG’s recent and new approach to PSEAH

SEAH occurs in all walks of life in all countries. HMG sharpened its focus on PSEAH in international work in 2018 in response to high-profile cases in the international aid sector. The 2020 HMG Strategy on Safeguarding against SEAH focused on Official Development Assistance (ODA) for humanitarian and development work. The strategy was coordinated by FCDO and agreed by all HMG departments spending ODA.

The risk of SEAH remains high in humanitarian, development (notably health, education, infrastructure) and peace-related work, but is not limited to those sectors. Technology brings new types of SEAH risks which add to challenges linked to global economic pressures, illegal migration and in some countries roll-back on rights and reductions in service provision.

International cooperation has changed substantially since 2020 and continues to evolve. But HMG is committed to protecting from SEAH across all our international engagements whether within our ODA spend, or our wider partnership and diplomacy work. This strategy underlines our commitment to upholding our values and to minimise the risk that our international work causes harm.

The safeguarding standards we have are irrespective of the size of the UK ODA budget. We will continue to require that we and our delivery partners do all we reasonably can to prevent SEAH and to respond appropriately when required.

We will use our diplomacy and convening power to champion PSEAH work, drive improvements around the world, and to encourage more countries and partners to use the stronger PSEAH global standards and practices that the UK has helped develop since 2018. We will also invest in and support global tools that reduce SEAH risk.

The December 2025 UK Employment Rights Act introduces a legal obligation for UK employers to take “all reasonable steps” to protect employees from sexual harms and to not permit harms by third parties. This strategy helps HMG meet that duty and build a working culture that is inclusive and prioritises PSEAH.

The strategy also helps deliver the PSEAH elements of the April 2025 One HMG Memorandum of Understanding on the use of the One HMG Overseas Platform. Those elements are built around FCDO’s Safeguarding against SEAH Policy, which underpins the management of risk of sexual harm related to HMG work. Taking an aligned approach is important abroad given staff from multiple HMG departments work in close proximity, stakeholders often won’t distinguish between different departments and the behaviour of staff from one department impacts on all others.

This strategy applies to all HMG activities with an international angle. This will very often involve HMG staff or implementing partners located overseas, but not always. It covers all geographies and all UK-based staff and their qualifying dependants, country-based staff and anyone working on, or visiting, the UK overseas platform provided by FCDO.

The strategy is fully aligned with CAPSEAH which the UK has endorsed. We will continue to encourage and where possible require via funding agreements our implementing partners to meet the standards reflected in CAPSEAH.

HMG will use relevant tools at our disposal to implement this strategy and so prevent and respond to SEAH and protect the dignity and safety of HMG staff and everyone we engage with through international work.

Vision and target outcomes

Vision

HMG’s aim is simple: to work internally and with our international partners to keep people safe from SEAH. This strategy will strengthen how we prevent, and respond to, SEAH across all international work: diplomacy, development, humanitarian action, peacekeeping and consular services. We will drive change by improving PSEAH culture, capability, communication and contextualisation within HMG and with our partners.

Outcomes

The strategy aims to deliver 4 headline outcomes:

• HMG staff are less likely to experience or perpetrate SEAH: Key to this will be clear, consistent zero-tolerance leadership through transparency, accountability and high standards so contributing to a safe and respectful working environment

• HMG partners, including suppliers and communities, are less likely to experience or perpetrate SEAH: This will require zero tolerance for acts of SEAH; zero tolerance for inaction to prevent, report or respond to SEAH; and zero tolerance for retaliation against victim-survivors or whistleblowers

• More reporting and better response to SEAH incidents: This will mean more HMG staff and people or communities we work with who are affected by, or witness, SEAH linked to HMG work can safely report concerns and access timely, survivor-centred support

• Sustained focus on PSEAH: We want to see PSEAH considered more systematically in all international work, and PSEAH efforts to be resourced, coordinated, aligned and efficient. Support will need to be contextualised and tailored at local level and with a focus on building resilient and self-sustaining national PSEAH systems

Workstreams and focus areas for the 4 target outcomes

Outcomes

Each outcome has 3 focus areas which each have 3 priority workstreams. The text does not capture all HMG PSEAH-related activity.

Outcome 1: HMG staff are less likely to experience or perpetrate SEAH

Focus area (i): leadership and communication

Leaders need to show clear and visible commitment to zero tolerance for inaction on SEAH. This will be done through:

a) Leading and coordinating: Leaders across HMG at all levels must lead by example through their own conduct including by flagging this strategy to their staff and using it as a basis for active PSEAH risk management and communication. All HMG departments will have a clear staff code of conduct in place, making it explicit what behaviour is expected of staff in relation to PSEAH. FCDO will have dedicated teams focusing on PSEAH prevention and response and to support delivery of this strategy through coordination, ad hoc advice and regular communications

b) Proactive risk management: We will assess SEAH risk and take action to prevent and respond to SEAH within individual locations, departments and investments. Risk will also be monitored as part of the 1HMG governance framework and escalated to Ministers as needed. FCDO as the 1HMG Platform Provider includes SEAH risk as a risk category in its risk management framework which is regularly monitored and discussed by its Management Board

c) Proactive communication: HMG will signal the standards it expects of its staff and partners through this strategy and other documents. We will continue to have a dedicated Safeguarding against SEAH webpage on gov.uk and to promote other resources such as CAPSEAH. Some parts of HMG plan to publish annual statistics about the number of SEAH cases experienced by their staff and reported to them linked to their work, as well as headline information about disciplinary measures taken against staff who are found to have perpetrated SEAH

Focus area (ii): supporting HMG staff to tackle SEAH

All HMG staff working in the international space need to understand what SEAH is and how they can contribute to preventing and responding to it. We will do this through:

a) Basic training for all: All FCDO staff must complete a mandatory PSEAH training module periodically – currently every 2 years. FCDO also has an additional mandatory module for line managers. Under the terms of the 1HMG MoU, HMG must ensure officials who work and/or travel overseas can access the material in FCDO’s mandatory training modules, and are aware of the PSEAH standards that apply to all staff working or visiting overseas

b) Going beyond the basics: Most HMG overseas Posts and most FCDO Headquarters Departments have a Safeguarding Champion who helps build confidence and capability of HMG staff on PSEAH. The network of hundreds of Safeguarding Champions is coordinated and supported by the central FCDO Safeguarding Unit. Many teams also have a Safeguarding Capability Action Plan which sets out detailed capability building actions. HMG staff are also encouraged to make use where helpful of publicly available capability tools which are described in more detail under Outcome 2

c) Safe delivery of social, diplomatic and large-scale events: HMG will take proactive steps to ensure that social events, receptions, conferences and other large or high-profile gatherings linked to our international work are safe and respectful. SEAH risks associated with events should be considered during planning and delivery, with clear standards of behaviour and accessible reporting routes promoted

Focus area (iii): screening

This means using relevant vetting schemes and recruitment processes to prevent the hiring of perpetrators of SEAH. We will focus on:

a) Preventing perpetrators from working for HMG: HMG will continue to vet and seek references for potential new employees. Some departments include specific PSEAH language in information packs for candidates applying for jobs. Additionally, all candidates being offered and accepting Civil Service jobs for the first time will have to complete a declaration stating if during any previous employment within the last 5 years, they: have ever had a claim of sexual misconduct against them substantiated; have left employment while under investigation for sexual misconduct, including prior to a formal investigation being launched; or are currently under investigation for sexual misconduct

b) Keeping others safe when HMG staff or UK nationals are known perpetrators: While employment references are generally only provided to other employers with the consent of the individual concerned, if the reason an HMG employee is dismissed (or would have been dismissed) is related to SEAH, FCDO will disclose this information, subject to local employment law, if there is a substantial public interest (see Annex B for definition), such as preventing potential criminal behaviour. Other departments will consider following suit. HMG has also published a list of countries where children are at high risk of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation by UK nationals or UK residents

c) Making it harder for perpetrators to get international jobs: HMG funding supports the operation of 2 global screening tools and we encourage our partners to use them. The Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS) facilitates sharing of sexual misconduct data between employers. Project Soteria, managed by INTERPOL, aims to make it easier to identify and take action against perpetrators of sexual harms. Both are also an important part of work under Outcome 2 and are described in more detail there

Outcome 2: HMG partners are less likely to experience or perpetrate SEAH

Focus area (i): screening

This means we expect our partners to make PSEAH checks using relevant vetting schemes during recruitment processes so that they don’t unknowingly hire known perpetrators of SEAH. We will focus on:

a) Misconduct Disclosure Scheme: The MDS facilitates sharing of sexual misconduct data between employers to stop perpetrators moving between organisations undetected. This is a global PSEAH tool created in 2019 that by end 2025 had grown to over 380 members and under which 220,000 checks had been carried out and helped prevent 677 applicants from progressing through recruitment processes because of concerns about sexual misconduct of the potential employee. HMG will continue to support and actively promote use of the MDS

b) Project Soteria: This is managed by INTERPOL and aims to make it easier to identify and take action against perpetrators of sexual harms, and harder for perpetrators to move undetected between organisations and continue to cause harm. The globalised nature of international work including humanitarian and development, combined often with the urgency of recruitment and deployment, can make it hard for organisations to conduct thorough screening of staff during recruitment processes. Without full awareness, effective detection mechanisms, reporting and communication channels, sexual offenders can continue to move between organisations, putting children and vulnerable adults at risk

c)UN vetting system: HMG will continue to play its part to ensure perpetrators of SEAH are not hired within the United Nations system. We will lobby for wider and more effective use of the Clear Check system in line with the recommendations of the (2025 Joint Inspection Unit report)(https://www.unjiu.org/sites/www.unjiu.org/files/jiu_rep_2025_2_expanded_report.pdf) and encourage increased use of MDS to further enhance UN vetting processes. As a troop- and police-contributing country, HMG will continue to certify that no individual being deployed or rotated by HMG is known to have committed, or been alleged to have committed, violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law, or been repatriated on disciplinary grounds and barred from UN operations. We will also stand ready to provide PSEAH-related capability building when requested for other countries providing troops or police

Focus area (ii): capability building mechanisms supported by HMG

This is about ensuring those we work in partnership with directly or indirectly can access free basic tools to meet core international PSEAH standards. Specifically, we will promote:

a) Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub: The RSH hosts a range of free online resources, training, peer learning, technical guidance and signposting to specialist support. Since 2020 it has operated a platform available to anybody around the world and also a series of national hubs offering bespoke advice in multiple languages in countries with particularly high SEAH risk levels linked to international humanitarian and development work

b) Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance (CHSA): The UK works with the CHSA to help deliver a package of PSEAH support which includes a strong capability building component including basic PSEAH training, improved screening during recruitment and better investigation of allegations. The package sits within a PSEAH Fund open to annual or multi-year contributions from multiple investors and is designed to align PSEAH work and enable collective solutions to be sustained, scaled, and widely adopted

c) Community Outreach Fund: Raising community awareness on the risks of SEAH linked to international cooperation work is critical to preventing SEAH, as well as to ensuring that victim-survivors know where and how to safely report SEAH. The Fund is managed by the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and invests in community-led efforts to ensure people receiving assistance know their rights, understand that the assistance is never conditional on any sexual activity, and can safely report SEAH. It provides grants to local civil society organisations, including women-led organisations, and helps them to develop PSEAH outreach and communication materials tailored to local contexts, languages, and at-risk groups

Focus area (iii): Programme Operating Framework and due diligence

We will ensure partners delivering programmes on HMG’s behalf have structures in place to meet international PSEAH standards. We will do this through 3 mechanisms in particular:

a) Programme Operating Framework: SEAH risks are particularly elevated in humanitarian, development and peacekeeping-related work. The majority of HMG resources invested in those areas is managed by FCDO under the Programme Operating Framework, or PrOF for short, which covers all stages in the design, delivery and closure of programmes. SEAH risk management will remain an integral part of the PrOF and equivalent frameworks in other departments

b) SEAH clauses in due diligence and funding agreements: FCDO will continue to have specific PSEAH clauses in all relevant due diligence and funding agreements to help ensure that our delivery partners do everything possible to prevent SEAH and to respond appropriately when it occurs. Other government departments who provide similar project funding for international work will do the same

c) Mutual recognition of due diligence: HMG will continue to support and promote the Humanitarian Quality Assurance Initiative (HQAI). HQAI is an international independent auditor that certifies organisations’ adherence to the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) on Quality and Accountability which has a strong PSEAH component, and thereby builds good practice, transparency and accountability across organisations. The UK and other funders of international work have agreed that HQAI certification can replace large parts of bilateral due diligence requirements, so providing efficiencies and boosting standards.

Outcome 3: More reporting and better response to SEAH incidents

Focus area (i): quantitative reporting

We want to see a rise in the percentage of individuals at risk or experiencing SEAH knowing how to raise concerns and feeling confident to do so. To achieve this, we will:

a) Provide reporting mechanisms: HMG will provide multiple, safe, accessible mechanisms which allow staff and others to raise concerns that SEAH has occurred. This will include confidential email and phone hotline services, and whistleblowing tools, including the option to report anonymously. We will help our staff to know what to do if they experience, witness or suspect SEAH. We will check that organisations we intend to fund provide reporting mechanisms and encourage individuals to flag to us if they have any concerns that they are not functioning properly.

b) Track internal case numbers: Departments will continue to record and track SEAH cases where staff members are directly involved as either the alleged perpetrator or the victim-survivor. Some departments will report numbers to their board at least annually to allow discussion of patterns and challenges, and to adjust related processes based on lessons learned from cases. Departments may also periodically publish case numbers

c) Track external case numbers: HMG supports and promotes the Harmonised Reporting Scheme (HRS) platform which collects and analyses international SEAH data. HRS produces regular disaggregated (for example by age and sex of both victim-survivor and perpetrator) trend analysis reports that help inform and improve policies, strategies, and actions for better SEAH risk mitigation, prevention and response. HMG will also continue to promote alignment between international reporting mechanisms such as HRS and the United Nations’ ‘I-report’ system for collecting SEAH data

Focus area (ii): qualitative caseload information

We want to make it easier for more people to come forward with reports, and ensure more investigators are trained so that more cases are responded to more effectively and that we can see if PSEAH efforts are being effective. To achieve this, we will:

a) Analyse caseload data: Year-on-year increases in reporting may well be a positive indication of rising confidence among staff and partners to report SEAH and that there is growing perception that robust action will be taken. Trends will need to be analysed carefully and discussed with cross-sections of staff to test that hypothesis or whether more cases of SEAH are in fact occurring

b) Focus on quality of case handling: HMG will aim to gather data periodically about staff knowledge of, confidence in and willingness to use reporting mechanisms. This will include use in some departments of a ‘case conclusion survey’ with whistleblowers. We will remain open to third-party scrutiny of our case handling and suggestions to improve it. We will also encourage external partners to do the same and share headline findings to strengthen the global evidence base

c) Ensure more investigators are trained by the Investigator Qualification Training Scheme (IQTS): Investigator Qualification Training Scheme (IQTS). The IQTS strengthens global capacity for conducting survivor-centred investigations into allegations of SEAH with a focus on humanitarian and development programmes. Its aims include to train more women and staff based in low- and low-middle income countries to become qualified investigators. Specialist HMG SEAH investigators will undergo IQTS training as necessary

Focus area (iii): victim-survivor support

We will take a victim-survivor-centred approach and want to see more pathways available for victim-survivors of SEAH to access support services while respecting confidentiality and protecting against retaliation for them and whistleblowers. To achieve this, we will:

a) Provide training and information: Line managers are often the first person to be told about an incident. HMG will provide training for line managers on responding to SEAH disclosures. This will also be supplemented by periodic training sessions on “What happens after you report an allegation of SEAH” and internal communications such as blogs based on real examples. We will make links to broader HMG work on tackling harassment – often framed in the context of work on Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination – and promoting a ‘speak up’ culture

b) Support provision of direct services: We will ensure HMG staff members who experience SEAH are able to access a range of direct support services which address their specific needs. We will also seek to fund or encourage investment in the provision of support services in other countries where possible, notably those with a high amount of HMG-funded activities which carry with them a high risk of SEAH such as large-scale international humanitarian operations. This may involve support to local groups such as women’s rights organisations who are often the first point of contact for individuals experiencing SEAH

c) Amplify victim-survivor voices: There are many obstacles which make it hard for victim-survivors or others to report or describe SEAH that they experience or witness. And yet the experiences of those people are invaluable to prevention and response strategies. HMG will proactively and sensitively engage with representatives of those who have first-hand experience of SEAH to inform policy and practice, but in a way which is meaningful and minimises the risk of further harm including through re-traumatisation

Outcome 4: Sustained international focus on PSEAH

Focus area (i): alignment

We want more partners to engage with and use collective PSEAH approaches. We will focus on 3 things:

a) The Common Approach to Protection from SEAH: CAPSEAH embodies the evolution since 2018 of international efforts on PSEAH. CAPSEAH provides a common framework to improve standards and drive progress internationally to tackle SEAH. As resource constraints increase the risk of SEAH at the same time as impacting the ability of the international system to protect against it, maintaining international focus and maximising efficiency through alignment, collaboration and collective PSEAH approaches such as CAPSEAH is more important than ever. The UK has formally endorsed CAPSEAH and encourages all partners to do the same as a signal of political commitment to tackling SEAH, while recognising that some organisations choose not to while still using and promoting it

b) Dialogue: HMG will continue to proactively engage with our international partners whose work is central to PSEAH work. This will include major providers of ODA, and representatives from other funders, the United Nations, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), civil society, private sector, Red Cross/Red Crescent and independent experts. The focus of the dialogues will be to align efforts, maintain momentum and share lessons

c) Multilaterals: The UK is a major shareholder in the United Nations and most IFIs such as the World Bank and Regional Development Banks and other multilaterals focused on health, climate, education and other issues important to UK prosperity and security. The UN and IFIs play a pivotal role in international work, including related to PSEAH. We expect our multilateral partners to share our zero tolerance to inaction approach on SEAH and to dedicate sufficient human and financial resources to minimise the risk of SEAH across their operations, and to respond effectively when it occurs. Independent evaluations in 2025 for the UN and 2026 for the IFIs have set out clear recommendations for updating and strengthening their PSEAH work. The UK will work closely with UN and IFIs and all other shareholders to ensure a successful conclusion to those processes and to help ensure that PSEAH standards are prioritised and upheld across the international system

Focus area (ii): resourcing

We want our own organisations and those we work with to resource core PSEAH prevention and response functions and support PSEAH global public goods. We will focus on 3 levels to try and achieve this:

a) Internal HMG: FCDO will have a named Minister and senior officials who are accountable for leading PSEAH work within FCDO and across HMG. The FCDO Board will regularly assess SEAH risk and related mitigations. FCDO will have a Safeguarding Unit to lead policy, capability and stakeholder engagement work internally, across HMG and with external partners. FCDO will also have a dedicated Safeguarding Investigations Team to lead on investigations where an FCDO staff member is a victim-survivor or alleged perpetrator and to ensure investigations led by others related to FCDO work are completed to a high standard

b) External partners: HMG will continue to set clear expectations about the PSEAH standards and capacity we expect of partners who we fund directly or indirectly. Partners will need to use core resources to fund key PSEAH roles and activities. HMG will continue to encourage partners to include additional specific PSEAH lines in project budgets when justified and we will consider requests on a case-by-case basis

c) Supporting efficient, effective, global tools: The use of joined-up, multi-stakeholder PSEAH tools is more important than ever to help drive efficiencies, best practice, alignment and value for money. For example, small HMG investments in the Investigator Qualification Training Scheme help strengthen the quality of our own investigators and also provides us with a greater level of assurance about the quality of investigations undertaken by partner organisations. Funding of these global tools needs to be long-term, reliable and sustainable. We will help strengthen funding models and coordination and improve burden share across funders to ensure their resilience

Focus area (iii): evidence

There is a need for more evidence and learning about PSEAH to be generated and shared. We will focus on 3 areas in particular:

a) Case data: SEAH is under-reported because many individuals and organisations fear negative consequences if they report. Shining a light on SEAH trends is important, including to help protect more people from sexual harm. Zero tolerance to SEAH does not mean zero cases of SEAH being reported. Reporting is strongly encouraged and will not be penalised. HMG will therefore continue to lead by example and publish data about case numbers and action taken and encourage others to do the same. As outlined above, we will also proactively support the Harmonised Reporting Scheme (HRS) which enables the collection and reporting of comparable data on SEAH to analyse trends and patterns, helping us better understand the overall issue of SEAH to prioritise corrective actions and resource mobilisation. We will proactively work with the UN and IFIs to encourage alignment of their SEAH reporting with the HRS

b) Risk assessment: We will encourage the continued use and development of specific international tools such as the Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Risk Overview (SEARO). SEARO is a composite index that brings together indicators on a range of different factors that can influence the risk of SEAH with a focus on the highest-risk humanitarian settings

c) Knowledge sharing: We will harness PSEAH tools and international partnerships to help build the evidence base on PSEAH including knowledge of what works while protecting confidentiality related to individual cases. For example, the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub (RSH) provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for knowledge and resources related to PSEAH and facilitates peer learning among national and international organisations to share knowledge and resources. HMG supports the RSH and facilitates the sharing of other resources and tools via the CAPSEAH website

Monitoring and transparency of this strategy

Our vision is clear: to work internally and with our international partners to keep people safe from SEAH. This includes contributing to a UK where the right of women and girls and all other people to live free from abuse is a fundamental non-negotiable right, not a privilege.

We will hold ourselves to account through transparent reporting in FCDO Annual Reports, scrutiny from the Independent Commission on Aid Impact and relevant UK Parliamentary committees, internal management and Board oversight, and periodic public reporting.

Progress reporting will focus on outcomes, highlighting key workstreams, trends, and illustrative examples rather than comprehensive reporting by all individual parts of HMG.

June 2026

Annex A: HMG signatories

1. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
2. Bank of England
3. British Council
4. British Tourist Authority (trading as Visit Britain/Visit England)
5. Cabinet Office, including:
   • GCSI – Government Communication Service International
   • GDS – Government Digital Service
6. Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
7. Crown Prosecution Service
8. Department for Business and Trade
9. Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport
10. Department of Energy Security and Net Zero
11. Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
12. Department of Health & Social Care
13. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
14. Department for Transport, including:
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency
15. Department of Work and Pensions
16. Financial Conduct Authority
17. Food Standards Agency
18. HM Revenue and Customs
19. HM Treasury
20. Home Office, including:
• HM Passport Office
• Home Office – International Strategy, Engagement and Devolution
• Home Office – International Operations
• Return Logistics Operations
• Homeland Security Group
• UK Visas & Immigration
21. Intellectual Property Office
22. The King's Trust
23. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
24. Metropolitan Police
25. Ministry of Defence, including:
• British Defence Section Washington
• Defence Attaché Network
• Defence Geographic Centre
• Oil Pipelines Agency
• UK Hydrographic Office
26. National Crime Agency
27. Office for National Statistics
28. UK Export Finance
29. UK Health Security Agency
30. UK Intelligence Community
31. UK Research & Innovation

Annex B: Glossary and note on terminology

Sexual exploitation: any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power or trust for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. For example, coercing individuals into engaging in sexual activities in exchange for aid, services, employment opportunities, or other benefits.

Sexual abuse: the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. This includes sexual assault, rape, molestation, and other forms of non-consensual sexual activity.

Sexual harassment: a range of unacceptable and unwelcome behaviours and practices of a sexual nature that may include, but are not limited to, sexual suggestions or demands, requests for ‘sexual favours’, sexual, verbal or physical conduct, or gestures that are or might reasonably be perceived as offensive or humiliating. This includes jokes, comments or messages of a sexual nature; suggestive looks, staring or leering; display of or circulation of pornographic material. It is sometimes used to describe behaviour in a work environment but can also occur in communities and public spaces.

Note: some organisations distinguish between SEA and SH depending on whether the victim-survivor is a beneficiary of the services or support they provide (SEA), or a staff member (SH), and have separate policies and procedures on each. Other organisations have an overarching SEAH approach covering both SEA and SH. We use the collective term SEAH because each of SE, SA and SH are driven by power imbalances and inequality, particularly gender inequality, and all require action. Linking them encourages action to tackle all harmful and unwanted sexual behaviour by people delivering international work, regardless of where the incident happens or who the victim-survivor is.

Victim-survivor: refers to a person who has experienced harm as a result of SEAH. Some organisations and individuals prefer to refer to victims, to recognise the harm that has occurred to them, while others prefer to use the term survivor, in order to use a term with empowering connotations (although it must be remembered that unfortunately some victims do not survive). We use both terms in parallel.

Substantial public interest: this document uses the definition provided by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): “an interest that is real, concrete, and of wide benefit to society.” In the context of meeting safeguarding obligations, this includes disclosing conduct information to protect vulnerable individuals and communities from prospective perpetrators who may seek to exploit power imbalances through Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Sexual Harassment.