Call for Evidence

The deadline date for submissions to this inquiry was Monday 29 April 2024, however, the Committee will strive to consider written evidence submissions that arrive after this date.

In your written evidence, please state if you wish for it to be anonymous and/or confidential.

Reasonable adjustments

If you need an adjustment to help you send your evidence, please get in touch with committee staff by email or call 020 7219 1223. They’ll be able to talk about what we can do to help you send your evidence, so far as reasonably practical. That might include sending it to us in a different format or giving you more time to prepare your evidence. We’ll be happy to help you.

The Committee invites submissions addressing any of the following areas:

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the FCDO's approach to strengthening civil society in aid-recipient countries as part its wider development strategy?

What is the role of UK diplomats and staff in supporting civil society and civil society organisations?

Are the current processes for acquiring and reporting on funding enabling or preventing smaller civil society organisations as they seek to secure support? 

Do commitments made in the recent international development White Paper provide a sufficient foundation for the FCDO’s work on promoting civil society across aid-recipient countries?

To what extent has FCDO support for improving the enabling environment for civil society, and direct support for civil society organisations, aided progress towards reaching Sustainable Development Goal 16 - "Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions"?

What role can the FCDO’s work on improving civil society play in broader UK international policy?

What wider benefits can be harnessed from strengthened civil society?