Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
Engage US proactively and develop alliances with UNSC members to advance British values.
Recommendation
Where agreement or consensus with the US may not be forthcoming, the Government must engage the US proactively, in behind-the-scenes and backdoor diplomacy. Simultaneously, the Government should have the confidence to develop robust alliances with Elected Members to the United Nations Security Council to advance British values including the belief in a rules and values-based international order and commitment to reduce global conflict and to secure progress on UK penholder files. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52) Government coordination and alignment
Government Response Summary
The government states it already champions broad and thorough engagement when penholding, consulting widely and championing co-penning with relevant Member States, citing examples with African members and Sierra Leone. However, it rejects a 'one size fits all' approach to co-penning, arguing it is not appropriate for every agenda item.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
32. HMG has championed broad and thorough engagement when penholding. As a matter of principle, we consult widely on all UK-penned UN Security Council products from the outset, with a particular focus on countries whose interests are most affected or whose diplomatic influence is most germane to resolving a particular conflict. The UK has championed co-penning in recent years, and we engage with relevant Member States when and where we feel a UN Security Council product would benefit from being co-penned, taking every effort to ensure that products being negotiated in the Council are informed and empowered by relevant voices. For example, numerous press statements drafted and negotiated jointly with the African members, including on Libya and Sudan, and the UK-Sierra Leone draft resolution on protection of civilians in Sudan. However, co-penning is not appropriate for every agenda item, and we therefore do not agree with the Committee that the UK should take a “one size fits all” approach.