Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 39
39
Acknowledged
We recommend that the Government’s engagement with multilaterals includes a tactical element of multilateral strategy...
Recommendation
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
Government response summary AI-generated
The government agrees on the need to defend the multilateral system and protect organisations from those who seek to undermine them, stating it is consistently active in this area.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The FCDO maintains oversight of the UK approach towards the multilateral system, and our posts overseas cover whole of UK Government (not just FCDO) interests. Officials regularly engage with counterparts across UK Government departments, agreeing shared approaches on issues such as multilateral appointments, sanctions and multilateralism more broadly, which help to ensure a coordinated and strategic approach. Our network of posts are an integral part of this engagement, for example, by influencing key stakeholders in the UN and its agencies, providing reporting and analysis of developments and upcoming opportunities and risks, and executing policy delivery on the ground. They keep track of the activities of authoritarian states within multilateral organisations and engage with HMG policy and multilateral leads to protect our interests and values. When necessary, we also defend our values and priorities within the multilateral system from states who seek to undermine or roll back previous agreements, norms, standards or programmes. We counter authoritarian states’ influence in various fora, including the Human Rights Council, World Health Assembly and more. In the UN General Assembly, the UK tracks the influence of states on issues that we care about in the UN (eg votes or statements on a range of issues including civil society access to the UN, sexual and reproductive health rights or specific human rights situations such as Syria or Xinjiang). We continually engage both likeminded and non-like-minded states to counter negative influences on issues of priority to us. Likewise, in the UN Security Council we work to counter adverse influences in Council discussions, statements and legally binding measures, such as sanctions regimes. The UK recognises the need for the international system to evolve to remain effective, relevant and fit for purpose. Vulnerabilities can be the result of weak institutions or arise from competition and rivalry between states. The relative openness of the international system can be viewed as a strength: it encourages the buy-in and engagement of a broad range of actors. However, it means the agendas of multilateral organisations are contested. We will continue to be vigilant in guarding our own interests and be proactive when states challenge them, building alliances amongst likeminded countries.
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