U.K. Cabinet Office in Whitehall in Westminster, England. Photo by: Yau Ming Low / Alamy A United Kingdom policy overhaul will sideline conflict and development commitments in favor of boosting “national security,” its government has revealed , triggering strong criticism from politicians and peace-building groups. Officials have lifted the lid on the objectives behind the scrapping of the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund , which runs projects to “promote international peace and stability” in fragile states including Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, and Palestine. In April, CSSF will be folded into a wider-ranging Integrated Security Fund . In a new document, the U.K.’s Cabinet Office has: • Said ISF will be “aligned with” the Integrated Review Refresh , a 2023 foreign and defense strategy — but not with the recent international devel opment white paper , which promises to “champion early action to prevent conflict and atrocities.” • Dropped CSSF’s requirement for “mapping against relevant Sustainable Development Goals ” — stating the benchmark will be “the IRR’s goals.” • Failed to say whether funding for women, peace, and security projects — a key component of CSSF — will continue within ISF. • Refused to provide quarterly information about ISF’s operation during the transition period — arguing that would “not allow sufficient time for changes to become established.” The axing of CSSF was announced during Liz Truss’s brief time as foreign and development secretary, and goes ahead despite the white paper reversing much of her thinking with its renewed focus on tackling poverty, rather than on geopolitics. Aid organizations are also in the dark about whether existing programs will continue when ISF starts next April, and about the bidding process. There are fears the rushed timetable will make it harder for global south groups to apply successfully. This is despite the Cabinet […]
Click here to visit source. Outcry as UK shake up puts ‘national security’ ahead of conflict work