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Today, international development secretary Penny Mordaunt will lead a global safeguarding conference drawing together key staff from NGOs in a bid to tackle the revelations of exploitation and harassment that have rocked the aid sector in recent months. There she's expected to announce the launch of a two million pound global register of those alleged to be sexual predators working within the aid sector. This is a tough time to work in international development. The abhorrent revelations of sexual abuse have undermined public trust and detracted from the urgent and vital work of lifting millions out of poverty, tackling disease and saving lives. But no one is more horrified about the situation in which we find ourselves than many of us working within development; for whom revelations about the scale of abuse that has taken place on our watch have been deeply upsetting. For some, it will have shattered the illusion that we are the good guys - the heroes and saviours in the story. But we also know that we do not stand apart from it - abuse is something many of us ourselves have experienced. Because the problems of abuse of power, patriarchy and the exploitation of the vulnerable are pervasive and deep-rooted within our society. This is not just the aid sector's problem, but a systemic rot that needs to be purged from our institutions: from politics, from business, from sport, from the Church. Those of us of the Christian faith will recognise the opportunity afforded to us to start afresh through the sacrament of confession. To use theological language, it has been a time for corporate penitence and repentance for what has gone before. But this is more than just about saying sorry. The victims of abuse and the vulnerable who have been exploited - no matter when and no matter where - require from each of us a process of what is called metanoia - a complete mind change and a decision to live differently in light of the repentance. This is what is required to achieve true justice. For deep-rooted change to happen, each of us must look again at who holds the power, and how we see others; and ask ourselves whether we really believe that every person is worthy of inherent dignity. It's my hope that today marks the end of the conspiracy of silence. I hope that I'll take up the challenge to put people first, to listen to those who are victims and survivors of abuse and to recommit to the rallying call found in Proverbs to "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute".