The United Kingdom’s 2015 strategy “UK aid: Tackling global challenges in the national interest” commits the United Kingdom to lead efforts in implementing leave no one behind. The policy paper “Leaving no one behind: Our promise” commits to putting the last first, targeting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, the most excluded, those in crises, and most at risk of violence and discrimination. It strives to end violence against girls and women, including ending female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage, and tackling sexual violence in conflict.
For the Department for International Development (DFID), an opportunity of leave no one behind is that growth and development benefit from being inclusive. In its draft framework, DFID focuses on three pillars: understand, empower, include. The understand pillar aims to get data and evidence on who, where and why people are left behind and is accompanied by a data disaggregation plan. Gender equality and disability are high priorities and four country offices – Bangladesh, Nepal, Rwanda and Zimbabwe – are testing new ways to embed leave no one behind.
In its programming, DFID uses poverty analysis to identify most vulnerable groups. It is developing new diagnostic tools, which will integrate inclusion tools into its portfolio-wide poverty diagnostic. Key challenges are managing the risks of people still being left behind in 2030 and understanding additional costs and then financing the cost of leaving no one behind.
