Home / Sources / Select Committees / Foreign Affairs Committee / Tech and the future of UK foreign policy
Index live
Select Committee · Foreign Affairs Committee

Tech and the future of UK foreign policy

Status: Closed Opened: 8 Mar 2021 Closed: 24 Oct 2022 8 recommendations 2 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry will focus on how the FCDO should be supporting the UK’s response to the opportunities and challenges presented by new and emerging technologies, including through new forms of diplomatic engagement and building globally shared understandings of standards, rules and norms for the responsible development and use of new technologies. Read the call for … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third report - Encoding values: Putting tech at the heart o… HC 170 8 Jul 2022 10 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
2 Recommendation Third report - Encoding values: Putting… Acknowledged

The UK’s global technology leadership ambitions should be Government-led but will need to pull in...

The UK’s global technology leadership ambitions should be Government-led but will need to pull in significant support from the private sector as well as academia. There is an opportunity for the FCDO to exemplify the values articulated in the Integrated Review by leading on collaboration with the private sector and … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of science and technology leadership and states it participates in multi-stakeholder fora and engages with external stakeholders to ensure diverse voices are heard. They highlight existing partnerships and programs that support this aim.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
3 Conclusion Third report - Encoding values: Putting… Acknowledged

The UK should work with allies to ensure global practice in frameworks designed to protect...

The UK should work with allies to ensure global practice in frameworks designed to protect data, and to prevent our adversaries exporting data from around the world to build the massive data sets needed to develop algorithms to automate surveillance systems, military systems and disinformation systems. We need to think … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees that global challenges around data collection, aggregation and access are a national security liability, and that the upcoming International Technology Strategy will cover this area. However, they do not advocate export controls on data, instead preferring free flows of data where there …
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
6 Recommendation Third report - Encoding values: Putting… Acknowledged

We cannot meaningfully influence the global order without the cooperation and support of our partners.

We cannot meaningfully influence the global order without the cooperation and support of our partners. While there is an opportunity for the UK to exercise thought leadership, we cannot go it alone and should not seek to carve out a “fourth way” for the UK in global technology governance. We … Read more

Government response AI summary
The UK will leverage its position and strengths in technology to ensure that the global technology ecosystem aligns with our values and shape global decisions. The International Technology Strategy makes having a values-based approach to technology governance and regulation a strategic priority.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
9 Recommendation Third report - Encoding values: Putting… Acknowledged

The FCDO’s forthcoming International Technology Strategy should set out clear objectives and targeted actions for...

The FCDO’s forthcoming International Technology Strategy should set out clear objectives and targeted actions for achieving them, to be used as a blueprint or framework that diplomats can easily use to guide their decisions and activities at Post level and to ensure a coherent approach across the FCDO’s global network. … Read more

Government response AI summary
The International Technology Strategy provides a framework and sets out the UK's top international priority actions to deliver the UK's technology ambitions and will guide the development of more detailed actions across the diplomatic network via an internal implementation plan.
Read full response →
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
1 Mar 2022 Chris Jones · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Professor Charlotte Watts · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Rt Hon Amanda Milling View ↗
11 Jan 2022 Balthasar Staehelin · International Committee of the Red Cross, John Hughes · Twitter, Miranda Sissons · Meta, Sarah Spencer · International Committee of the Red Cross View ↗
2 Nov 2021 David Sullivan · Digital Trust & Safety Partnership, Jason Pielemeier · Global Network Initiative, Joe Westby · Amnesty International, Katie O'Donovan · Google UK View ↗
7 Sep 2021 Anne-Marie Engtoft Larsen · Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark, Martijn Rasser · Center for a New American Security (CNAS), Tobias Feakin · Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ulrike Franke · European Council on Foreign Relations View ↗
29 Jun 2021 Ashish Jaiman · Microsoft, Harriet Moynihan · Chatham House, Hugh Milward · Microsoft, Ria Thomas · Polynia Advisory, Toomas Ilves View ↗

Who gave evidence

20 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Anne-Marie Engtoft Larsen · Tech Ambassador Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark 1
Ashish Jaiman · Director of Technology Operations Microsoft 1
Balthasar Staehelin · Director for Digital Transformation and Data International Committee of the Red Cross 1
Chris Jones · Director, Delivery and Analysis Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 1
David Sullivan · Executive Director Digital Trust & Safety Partnership 1
Harriet Moynihan · Senior Research Fellow at the International Law P… Chatham House 1
Hugh Milward · UK Vice President of Corporate Affairs Microsoft 1
Jason Pielemeier · Deputy Director Global Network Initiative 1
Joe Westby · Deputy Director, Amnesty Tech Amnesty International 1
John Hughes · Global Head of Geopolitical and Economic Public P… Twitter 1
Katie O'Donovan · Public Policy Manager Google UK 1
Martijn Rasser · Director, Technology and National Security Program Center for a New American Security (CNAS) 1
Miranda Sissons · Global Director of Human Rights Meta 1
Professor Charlotte Watts · Chief Scientific Adviser and Director for Researc… Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 1
Ria Thomas · Managing Director Polynia Advisory 1
Rt Hon Amanda Milling — 1
Sarah Spencer · Digital Specialist Consultant and Digital Threats… International Committee of the Red Cross 1
Tobias Feakin · Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technol… Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 1
Toomas Ilves — 1
Ulrike Franke · Senior Policy Fellow European Council on Foreign Relations 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
6 Jul 2022 — Correspondence from the Tech Envoy & HM Consul General to San Francisco on his …
24 Nov 2021 To cttee Letter from Google following their appearance before the Committee on 2 Novembe…
28 Jul 2021 — Correspondence from Microsoft following up on their appearance before the Commi…