Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
Utilise the United Nations system to advance British values and call out abuses.
Recommendation
The Government should make full use of the whole United Nations system to advance its foreign policy objectives and further British values of democracy and tolerance to counter assertive behaviour by other countries within the 45 United Nations. The Government in its engagement should include publicly calling out countries who are abusing or undermining the United Nations system. (Recommendation, Paragraph 36)
Government Response Summary
The government states it continues to be a leading player in the UN context, utilizing its skills to resolve conflicts and exercise leadership in line with international law. It provides examples of ongoing engagement with the US on UN Security Council mandate renewals and its response to Russian aggression across multiple multilateral organisations.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
14. HMG continues to be a leading player in the UN context. HMG also remains committed to utilising the skills and capability held by UK Missions and diplomats to confidently work towards resolving conflicts where it is not possible to do so within the UN Security Council, including using the UK’s full range of bilateral and multilateral relationships. While conflict prevention and resolution has a narrower definition within organisations such as the OSCE, the UK’s policy is to exercise leadership in line with international law and accountability. This is supported when efforts in one forum are then reinforced and amplified across all our multilateral equities. We have leveraged this via our chairing of the OSCE Security Committee in 2025 and 2026, and the Forum for Security Cooperation in late 2026. 15. HMG’s response to Russian aggression, which was called out in the UN Security Council and responded to by NATO forces, is an example of a complimentary and functional response across multiple multilateral organisations. Wider multinational initiatives such as the Coalition of the Willing focus on the potential for a combined effort to maximise the contributions of each Member State. 16. HMG is engaging closely with the US across all files in the UN Security Council. Since the publication of the Committee’s report we have, for example, cooperated closely with the US and other partners in the Council to agree UN mandate renewals including most recently on Yemen, South Sudan, and Haiti in addition to Western Sahara, Libya, and Colombia.