First report - In the room: the UK’s role in multilateral diplomacy
- HC No.
- HC 199
- Published
- 17 Jun 2021
- Items
- 2
- Response
- Response document linked Read government response ↗
Select Committee · Foreign Affairs Committee
The UK’s role in strengthening multilateral organisations
Status: Closed
Opened: 18 Jun 2020
Closed: 10 Sep 2021
2 recommendations
1 report
Inquiry scope
The ways in which states engage with multilateral organisations is changing. Increasingly, smaller groups of like-minded states are taking collective action to shape the agenda and influence policy. There has been a rise in influence of states who are members of multilateral organisations, but do not necessarily share all their values; this can lead to the exploitation of vulnerabilities for their own internal or foreign policy objectives. This inquiry will focus on the role of the FCO in exerting the UKs influence within these organisations and examine how it might drive reform in order to reduce their vulnerability to abuse and misuse. Read the call for evidence for more details about the inquiryReports
Recommendations & Conclusions
We recommend that the Government’s engagement with multilaterals includes a tactical element of multilateral strategy...
Recommendation · source text
We recommend that the Government’s engagement with multilaterals includes a tactical element of multilateral strategy such that it tracks the activities of authoritarian states within both higher and lower profile multilateral organisations, reports on implications of any moves to exert influence; and adjusts its interventions accordingly. We recommend that the FCDO should coordinate this unified approach across Whitehall, covering all multilateral organisations. Coalitions of like-minded states
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
We recommend the FCDO should take strategic decisions with key allies as to which organisations...
Recommendation · source text
We recommend the FCDO should take strategic decisions with key allies as to which organisations the UK should prioritise exerting influence over rather than expending diplomatic capital challenging like-minded states for influence. 22 In the room: the UK’s role in multilateral diplomacy 4 Organisation-specific conclusions and recommendations
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb 2021 |
Foreign Affairs Committee
Beth Arthy · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,
Chris Jones · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,
HE Julian Braithwaite · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,
HE Neil Bush · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,
James Kariuki · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,
Neil Briscoe · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,
The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
|
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| 8 Dec 2020 |
Foreign Affairs Committee
Angela Mudukuti,
Anthony Dworkin · European Council on Foreign Relations,
Peter Lewis · International Criminal Court,
Sir Howard Morrison KCMG CBE QC · International Criminal Court
|
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| 17 Nov 2020 |
Foreign Affairs Committee
Dr Yanzhong Huang · Council on Foreign Relations,
Harpinder Collacott · Development Initiatives,
Professor James Bacchus · University of Central Florida,
Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox
|
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| 20 Oct 2020 |
Foreign Affairs Committee
Bruno Min · Fair Trials,
David Armond · Armond Consultancy Ltd,
William Browder · Hermitage Capital Management
|
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| 29 Sep 2020 |
Foreign Affairs Committee
Benjamin Ward · Human Rights Watch,
Fred Carver,
Hillel Neuer · United Nations Watch,
Mahamane Cissé-Gouro,
Peggy Hicks
|
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| 15 Sep 2020 |
Foreign Affairs Committee
Dr David Nabarro · Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London,
Professor Ilona Kickbusch
|
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| 1 Sep 2020 |
The UK’s role in strengthening multilateral organisations; Foreign Affairs Committee
Dr Neil Melvin · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI),
Hon Tony Abbott AC,
Mr. Alex T. Johnson,
The Lord Bowness CBE DL
|
View ↗ |
| 23 Jun 2020 |
The UK’s role in strengthening multilateral organisations
Ben Emmerson QC · Former UN Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Human Rights,
Her Excellency Sylvie-Agnès Bermann · China, the UK and Russia,
Rt Hon Alistair Burt · Foreign and Commonwealth Office
|
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Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Angela Mudukuti | — | 1 |
| Anthony Dworkin · Senior Policy Fellow | European Council on Foreign Relations | 1 |
| Ben Emmerson QC · Judge on the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia | Former UN Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Human Rights | 1 |
| Benjamin Ward · UK Director | Human Rights Watch | 1 |
| Beth Arthy · Head of Global Funds Department | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 1 |
| Bruno Min · Senior Policy Adviser | Fair Trials | 1 |
| Chris Jones · Director, Delivery and Analysis | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 1 |
| David Armond · Director | Armond Consultancy Ltd | 1 |
| Dr David Nabarro · Co-Director and Chair of Global Health | Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London | 1 |
| Dr Neil Melvin · Director International Security Studies | Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) | 1 |
| Dr Yanzhong Huang · Senior Fellow for Global Health | Council on Foreign Relations | 1 |
| Fred Carver | — | 1 |
| Harpinder Collacott · Executive Director | Development Initiatives | 1 |
| HE Julian Braithwaite · Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organisations (Geneva) | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 1 |
| HE Neil Bush · Head of the OSCE Delegation | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 1 |
| Her Excellency Sylvie-Agnès Bermann · former French Ambassador | China, the UK and Russia | 1 |
| Hillel Neuer · Executive Director | United Nations Watch | 1 |
| Hon Tony Abbott AC | — | 1 |
| James Kariuki · Multilateral Policy Director (outgoing) | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 1 |
| Mahamane Cissé-Gouro | — | 1 |
| Mr. Alex T. Johnson | — | 1 |
| Neil Briscoe · Head of UN and Multilateral Department | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 1 |
| Peggy Hicks | — | 1 |
| Peter Lewis · Registrar | International Criminal Court | 1 |
| Professor Ilona Kickbusch | — | 1 |
| Professor James Bacchus · Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Centre for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity | University of Central Florida | 1 |
| Rt Hon Alistair Burt · Former Minister of State for the Middle East | Foreign and Commonwealth Office | 1 |
| Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox | — | 1 |
| Sir Howard Morrison KCMG CBE QC · Appeals Judge | International Criminal Court | 1 |
| The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon | — | 1 |
| The Lord Bowness CBE DL | — | 1 |
| William Browder · Chief Executive Officer | Hermitage Capital Management | 1 |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jul 2020 | To committee | A letter from the Foreign Secretary on UK involvement in elections to multilateral organisations dated 22/7/2020 |