Recommendation 16

HM Government Not Addressed

17.1 We agree with the Committee’s recommendation. We have already been working to convene and catalyse negotiations to reform multinational organisations such as the UN’s Committees and Executive Boards, NATO, the Development Assistance Committee, and the Commonwealth, in order to maintain their relevance. 17.2 The multilateral system is vast, complex and diverse, but has provided benefits that are worth fighting to preserve: open trade, avoidance of great power war, and common approaches to shared global problems. At its core the international system is a means to an end – only as good as the outcomes it secures. The Government’s desired outcome is a functioning system that is fit to handle the defining issues of the future and secures the UK’s specific objectives and influence. The Government is mindful that it is not one-size-fits-all. We must tailor our effort, prioritising our activity where it is in the UK’s interest and where we can have meaningful impact in reforming and supporting. We must also be willing to work in other ways – such as through narrower coalitions - to achieve our goals. 17.3 We are already implementing this approach. At the UN we are a leading proponent of reform, both in the Secretariat and in the UN’s Agencies, Funds and Programmes. We support the efforts of the World Health Organisation, which acts in the UK’s interest and the global interest - that is why we are one of the biggest global funders of that organisation, contributing £340 million over the next 4 years, an increase of 30% on the previous four-year commitment. We played a key role in securing agreement in the General Assembly for major management, development system, and peace and security architecture reforms. As a top donor to the World Bank, we have used our seat at the board to secure agreement to significant reform and financial commitments from the International Development Association, including a doubling of support to the most fragile countries. At the recent annual meeting, we used our voice to shape the World Bank’s approach to the COVID-19 response, education and health, and climate change. 17.4 At NATO, the UK has played a leading role in the biggest reinforcement of deterrence and defence in a generation and we are a major contributor to NATO’s enhanced forward presence. We now have a roadmap to look at the impact of emerging and disruptive technology, recognised space as a domain of operations and agreed NATO’s first new Military Strategy in 50 years. 17.5 We have played a leading role in supporting the modernisation of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) ODA rules ensuring they continue to meet modern day development challenges. Since 2016 reforms have included: a new mechanism allowing countries struck by economic shocks/natural disasters to receive ODA again if there is a sustained fall in their national income; doubling UN Peacekeeping costs that count as ODA, recognising the vital role of peace and security in facilitating economic development; and delivering an increase in the percentage of the UN’s Regular Budget which counts as ODA (18% to 47%), in recognition of how much of the UN’s work is focussed on delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. 17.6 We have strengthened the Commonwealth, through our efforts and those of fellow member states to reform the governance of the Commonwealth Secretariat, with Commonwealth Foreign Ministers adopting a set of reform recommendations in 2019 - subject to endorsement at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.