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<p>The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) takes its responsibility to do
no harm very seriously. All CSSF programmes comply with the UK’s domestic and international
human rights obligations and have robust measures in place to protect the human rights
of beneficiaries.</p><p> </p><p>In order for programme teams to be able to assess
the risks of UK activity that could affect human rights, all security and justice
assistance is subject to Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJAs). The OSJA
is a risk management system used across Government to assess risk and consider what
mitigation might be appropriate. The OSJA Guidance specifies at what point Ministerial
approval is required.</p><p> </p><p>In order to determine the effectiveness of project
activity, all CSSF programmes are subject to Annual Reviews, which score how effectively
programmes have delivered their outputs and outcomes. In making an assessment the
Annual Review considers how programme teams manage commercial partnerships, risk and
budgets, adapt to changing contexts, , as well as assessing value for money. The Joint
Funds Unit (JFU) plans to publish the Rule of Law 2017/18 Annual Review summary before
the end of this Parliamentary session.</p><p> </p><p>Minister Field, the FCO Minister
responsible for South Asia, receives regular updates on the risks associated with
the Rule of Law programme’s activities. In addition, I reviewed all the relevant programme
documentation ahead of it being shared with the Joint Committee on National Security
Strategy, who have taken an interest in this programme and requested further, sensitive
documents on it.</p><p> </p><p>The OSJA covering the Counter-Terrorism Associated
Prosecutorial Reforms Initiative was fully reviewed in December 2018. Completed OSJA
checklists are sensitive internal documents providing an assessment of the human rights
situation in a country at a given time and are regularly updated. These are not published.
The Information Commissioner has previously reviewed and agreed with a Government
decision not to disclose an OSJA on Pakistan.</p><p> </p><p>Last year the JFU commissioned
an independent OSJA audit, in order to get a better understanding of how they are
used across the CSSF. The audit itself contains a number of sensitive in-depth samples
of OSJAs and therefore there are no plans to publish the audit.</p>
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