Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Lab)

My Lords, I fully recognise the right of the United States of America to take part in or leave international organisations as the elected Government see fit. It seems very strange that a presidency that chases peace awards has withdrawn funding from and organisational commitment to Education Cannot Wait—the organisation set up to support child refugees suffering from conflict—the United Nations’ Peacebuilding Commission and Peacebuilding Fund, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict. In the UK, there has been cross-party support for these five bodies across several terms of Parliament. Will this Labour Government maintain the funding committed by the previous Conservative Government to these organisations as the new funding round is announced over the coming months? Will the UK also use its good offices at the United Nations through the friends of peacebuilding to try to ensure increased support from others to try to make up for this American shortfall?