The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund: Diverting aid and undermining human rights

Type: Reports
Date: 4 December 2017
Campaigns: Aid

The UK government’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) raises all kinds of questions about the future of UK aid, the nature of the UK’s relations with states abusing human rights and the government’s openness with the public. Established in 2015, the CSSF is a £1 billion annual pot of money operating in dozens of countries which supposedly promotes the UK’s national security interests. Yet our analysis highlights such fundamental problems with the CSSF that we believe a complete overhaul is needed. This report highlights three fundamental problems with the CSSF:

• It is increasingly using aid money to fund military and counter-terrorism projects which do not appear focused on what aid should be about: eradicating poverty and promoting inclusive development.

• It is funding ‘security’ forces in several states involved in appalling human rights abuses, thus the UK risks complicity in these violations.

• It is not transparent.

Despite some improvements made to the Fund this year, programme details are scant and some appear to be misleading.