The world needs the Special Relationship now more than ever.
Author: Ryan Baldry, Communications Manager
The G7, NATO and COP are all incredibly important groups and institutions. Of this there is no doubt. But as we move forward into an increasingly turbulent world with hostile states unafraid to impose their own views and policies by using the pandemics and financial crises to their will, the world needs strong transatlantic partnerships more than ever.
Recently, we have seen Russia and China pushing the limits of their influence as they try to take advantage of the COVID pandemic. Combined with four years of a United States that turned away from the world stage and we have reached a dangerous point. The Biden administration and the UK Government must refocus foreign policy on countering these threats by revitalising institutions like the UN, G7 and NATO. We have already seen some promising moves in this direction such as the Biden White House re-entering the Paris agreement, appointing John Kerry as their COP Ambassador and re-applying for a seat on the UN Human Rights Committee. The UK has been clear that the WTO requires reform and I am glad that we are supporting Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO President, in her efforts to do this as we regain our seat in this important forum.
But the action required goes far beyond multilateral organisations because reform of these will be slow and arguably held up by states who may not want to see a shift in the status quo. Russia or China could happily veto many changes to the Security Council which would only damage the reputation of this key forum. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden must work together to rebuild the influence of Western democracies and global institutions by proving that there are options for states in the Southern hemisphere that don’t include a debt-laden pivot towards China.
The UK and US have an incredibly rich and deep relationship that goes way beyond the current occupant of the White House and links together society, the armed forces and security. Both the UK and the US also find themselves in a position where they are both able to redefine their positions on the world stage. This is an incredible opportunity to focus on encouraging growth in trade, providing security for those less able to defend themselves and also creating an environment for prosperity through focused development initiatives that improve infrastructure and standards of living both at home and abroad.
We have seen countless areas where UK and US cooperation can have a real difference on the world stage. Whether it is to protect civilians from their own tyrannical government in Libya with air strikes and no fly zones through to the global response to the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa driven by the UK and US.
The upcoming G7 and COP meetings are incredible opportunities for the US and UK to set out their commitments to the world order and environmental challenges we face. It’s great to see that the UK Government has set out their main aims of our G7 Presidency of championing our shared values, promoting free and fair trade as well as tackling climate change. These are goals that we should strive to meet and even exceed. The UK must commit to continued leadership within the UN so that we can bring other states, not usually included in the G7, along with us as we look to build back stronger from COVID. The UK’s recent chairing of the UN Security Council saw some incredible actions such as global debates on climate change and security through to sanctions on military officials in Myanmar. The UK can be an incredible force for good in the world and we should ensure that this only continues to be the case. The UK must now look to increase pressure on China regarding the rights of Hong Kong, look to China on human rights abuses and Russia for their silencing of opposition. The world needs strong liberal voices and leadership on these incredibly pressing issues facing us.
We must harness the power of the UK’s global influence through trade, defence and development. Only when these three pillars of foreign policy work together do we see the incredible results that they can provide. With the UK and US showing a renewed commitment to the international order and human rights, now is the time for Global Britain to become more than a soundbite or a plan and for it to become an incredible beacon of hope and prosperity for millions around the world.
