UK International Priorities -...

UK International PrioritiesA Strategy for the FCO

UK International PrioritiesA Strategy for the FCO

Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs

by Command of Her Majesty

December 2003

Cm 6052 £16.25

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1

The defeat of Communism was a victory

for liberty and democracy which lifted

the threat of global nuclear confrontation.

When the cold war ended the world

became a better place, although we

have faced a dangerous aftermath.

Managing that aftermath in the Balkans

and elsewhere was our biggest challenge

for several years.

But after 11 September 2001 we

understood that we had entered a new

era. We now see that problems and

threats whose gravity we may previously

have underestimated require new and

more urgent responses. How we react

now will shape our future.

International terrorism and the spread

of weapons of mass destruction have

emerged as potentially the most

catastrophic dangers to our national

security in the early twenty-first century.

These threats can arise across the world

and are taking new forms. We need to

understand them and to act to neutralise

them.

It is clear also that success in this will

require action on a wider agenda

of issues such as international crime,

environmental degradation, state failure,

disease, poverty and conflict. These

problems are of great importance in

themselves if we want a more just and

prosperous world, and can also create

the conditions in which new direct

threats to international security develop.

Foreword by the Foreign Secretary

It is a guiding principle of UK foreign policy that to promote our national interests

and values we need to be active and engaged around the world. This has never

been truer than today.

Since 1997 the Labour Government has helped to reshape Europe after the cold

war. We have championed wider EU and NATO membership and confronted

dictatorship in Kosovo. Outside Europe we have used our leading role in the UN,

the EU and other international bodies to promote peace and security in Sierra

Leone, East Timor, the Middle East and the sub-continent. We have joined military

action to confront terrorism in Afghanistan and to enforce Security Council

decisions in Iraq. Across the world we have worked to alleviate poverty and

defend human rights.

They constitute a global agenda affecting

all countries; they are linked to each other;

and we need to address them before

they lead to crises. We can only do that

together with others, especially with the

EU and the United States.

The action in Iraq sent a powerful

signal to regimes who persistently flout

international law. But it also revealed

serious disagreement between our most

important international partners about

how we should act collectively and

rapidly to defend international security

from dangers we have not faced in the

past.

To overcome this we shall need to agree

how far we should become involved in

problems that some might argue do not

directly concern us. We cannot, however,

afford to stand aside, because in this

complex, interdependent world such

problems will have a wider impact.

We shall need to be ready to use all

the instruments we have - aid, advice,

training, pressure and, if appropriate,

military force - to protect ourselves and

others from harm. And we shall need to

agree in the UN the principles on which

such action will be based.

To be sure that we are ready to tackle

this changing agenda I asked the FCO

last year to consider some fundamental

questions about our future approach.

What do we expect to be the

international priorities for the UK in the

next decade? What exactly will the role

of the FCO be in working on them? How

should we be organised to pursue with

others an active, engaged and modern

foreign policy?

This document is a first, but not a

definitive, answer. It has been discussed

with the Prime Minister and Cabinet

colleagues. This is the first time that

the FCO has published such a paper.

I shall welcome wider debate on the

questions it raises. It will be the basis

for future FCO business planning and

is supported by a programme for

internal change in the FCO and closer

co-ordination across Government on

international policy.

The key policy questions are considered

in more detail in the chapters which

follow. Some important underlying

lessons have also emerged about the

nature of modern diplomacy.

Today, international affairs are of direct

concern to us all. This is partly because

dramatic things are happening around

the world. It is also because foreign

affairs are no longer really foreign. What

happens elsewhere increasingly affects us

at home, and the FCO and its Embassies

Foreword by the Foreign Secretary

2

abroad support many domestic policy

objectives. We help the UK economy by

working to reduce trade barriers and

assisting businesses; we help to protect

the UK from terrorism, drugs and crime;

we help to tackle illegal immigration;

we promote educational contacts -

and so on.

Moreover, what happens around the

world is increasingly beyond the full

control of states, let alone foreign

ministries. The people behind terrorism,

proliferation and international crime

may operate outside any jurisdiction.

The international influence of private

sector organisations and of individuals

also continues to grow. In different

ways, both these factors challenge

the traditional methods of conducting

relations between states.

In response, the FCO now works

closely with a wide range of people

and organisations - Members of

Parliament, the Devolved Administrations,

Local Government, businesses, non-

governmental organisations (NGOs),

Trade Unions, the media, academics and

members of the public. We should not

duplicate what others can do better.

Our aim is to facilitate and guide their

international activity.

Providing direct services to British citizens

abroad is an ever more important part of

our work. FCO consular and visa services,

and our support for business, are essential

if the UK is to prosper in today’s world.

They are the part of the FCO which most

people know and by which they judge us.

Increasingly they throw up difficult policy

problems, for example in our advice to

travellers. I am committed to achieving

consistent, high quality public services,

as part of the Prime Minister’s initiative

to modernise Government.

At the same time the FCO must preserve

the diplomatic expertise, knowledge and

professionalism that are its core strength,

rightly admired across the world. But if it

is to adapt successfully to the changes

this document describes it will need to

be focused on new priorities, more flexible

in responding to change, more open

and better equipped to serve the public.

This will require changes to our structures

and working practices, and far-sighted

management. And, as our country

becomes more diverse, the FCO needs to

engage with all its people and represent

the full range of their interests, conveying

a modern image of the UK abroad.

The purpose of this Strategy is therefore

to clarify our priorities, so that we can

concentrate the efforts of the FCO where

they are most needed, build flexibility and

capacity to respond to the unexpected,

and so best serve the UK and its citizens.

Jack Straw

3

4

Chapter 1 examines the role of the

FCO - what we do and how we do it.

(Page 6)

Chapter 2 looks at the world in the next

ten years, analysing trends that will affect

the UK. (Page 12)

Chapter 3 considers the UK’s future role

in the international system and our key

relationships. (Page 24)

Chapter 4 draws on this analysis to set

new UK strategic international policy

priorities for the next decade. It also

describes in more detail how the FCO will

pursue these in the short term, and the

countries and regions on which we will

focus. (Page 30)

Chapter 5 does the same for the FCO’s

service delivery priorities. (Page 46)

Chapter 6 examines the implications

for the FCO’s network of Posts abroad.

(Page 54)

Chapter 7 describes how we are

changing our organisation and working

practices. (Page 58)

Chapter 8 explains how we intend to

put this Strategy into practice. (Page 62)

Introduction

This Strategy sets policy, public service and organisational priorities to guide the

FCO’s planning for its work over the next ten years.

The role of the FCO

1Chapter

6

Responsibilities

The role of the FCO is to co-ordinate and

pursue UK policies abroad. We give expert

advice and support to the whole of

Government in order to strengthen UK

influence and bring about international

actions that advance UK interests.

In its agreed objectives for 2003-061,

the FCO has four specific policy

responsibilities: promoting the security

of the UK within a safer, more peaceful

world; improving prosperity in the UK and

worldwide through effective economic

and political governance globally;

promoting a strong role for the UK in

a strong Europe responsive to people’s

needs; and making sure that UK Overseas

Territories are secure and well governed.

We share responsibility with the Ministry

of Defence and the Department for

International Development for preventing

conflict; with the Home Office for

regulating entry into the UK; and with

the Department of Trade and Industry

and the Department for International

Development for reducing trade barriers.

We also provide services to the public

in the UK and abroad2:

• our consular services include travel

advice, issuing passports, assistance

when people encounter difficulties

abroad, and help to obtain access

to justice in foreign countries

• with the Home Office, through UKvisas,

we issue visas to people visiting the UK

and help to implement immigration

policy

The role of the FCO

1 Like all Government Departments, the

FCO has a number of agreed objectives

for each Government spending period.

We pursue these objectives through a

Public Service Agreement (PSA) with

the Treasury, including joint targets

with the Ministry of Defence,

Department for International

Development, Department of Trade

and Industry and Home Office.The

full objectives and PSA targets can be

found in the FCO’s Business Plan of

May 2003.

2 Chapter 5 gives further information

about these services and their funding.

For the UK, in a world of global communications and markets, there is no longer

a clear distinction between domestic and foreign policy. What happens in other

parts of the world affects us in many ways. Our security and prosperity depend

increasingly on international action and negotiation. So the FCO’s work matters to

people in the UK and contributes to the domestic priorities of the Government.

Our diplomacy has a strong reputation for activism and professionalism. The

objective is not to promote “good relations” with other countries for the sake of it.

We aim to work with others, at home and abroad, to make a positive difference

in the world - for the benefit of people in the UK and elsewhere. Our purpose

is to work for UK interests in a safe, just and prosperous world.

7

• with the Department of Trade and

Industry, through UK Trade and

Investment, we help companies in

the UK to become more competitive

by promoting overseas sales and

investment and attracting quality

foreign direct investment to the UK

• we provide information to the public

on policy issues and on our services.

Resources

The FCO finances and manages

233 Embassies, High Commissions,

Consulates and Missions to international

organisations3. These are the UK’s

diplomatic Posts abroad. They are linked

to the headquarters in London in a single,

global network in which we employ

almost 6,000 UK-based staff and 10,000

local staff4.

The network and its staff are the means

by which the FCO pursues UK policy

objectives and serves UK citizens abroad.

It costs under £1 billion a year5

(about

a quarter of one percent of total public

expenditure6). From its total budget of

just over £1.5 billion, the FCO also funds

the BBC World Service and the British

Council7, and pays UK contributions

to international organisations8.

How we work

In London we give foreign policy advice

to Ministers and ensure that international

angles are taken into account in

Whitehall’s policy process. We negotiate

with other capitals and advise on how to

achieve UK objectives in other countries

and in international organisations. We

ensure that the Government’s complex

dealings with other countries are

coherently managed.

In our Posts abroad, staff from the

FCO, members of other Government

Departments and the Armed Forces, and

local staff of many nationalities advance

the policies of the Government and

provide the public services described

above. They are expert at gathering,

analysing and sharing information, and

at international negotiation. They help to

form policy in London, and to advocate

and implement it abroad. They help other

countries on issues like security, human

rights and democracy building.

In many places abroad FCO staff take up

high profile and sometimes dangerous

positions: for example advising the

President of Afghanistan, guiding the

political and economic reconstruction

of Iraq, or working on the front line in

the West Bank.

3 Of the FCO’s 233 Posts, 153 are Embassies

or High Commissions in foreign capitals

and ten are UK Representations

or Delegations to international

organisations or conferences.The others

are Consulates, Deputy High Commissions

and British Offices. In addition, 38 Posts

are staffed entirely by local staff. We have

resident Governors in 9 of the 14 Overseas

Territories.

4 UK-based staff are recruited and

employed by the FCO in the UK. When

serving abroad they are considered to

be on an overseas posting. Local staff

are recruited and employed by overseas

Posts under local employment law.

5 In the FCO’s budgetary settlement, this is

divided into administration, programme

and capital budgets. Most of the

administration budget is spent on staff

salaries and related costs, which are

central to our core diplomatic functions.

Programme spending is a relatively small

part of the FCO’s budget.The Global

Opportunities Fund is the FCO’s largest

programme - currently averaging some

£30 million a year. We use it to advance

our major policy priorities. We also

spend around £35 million per year on

scholarships, mainly through the

Chevening scheme.The allocation of

capital spending is changing as the FCO

is investing more in modern information

and communications technology

systems.

6 Based on Office of National Statistics

(ONS) figures for 2002-3 Total Managed

Expenditure.

7 The British Council and BBC World Service

are independent, but receive fixed grants

from the FCO.The British Council

promotes British values, ideas and

achievements and strengthens relations

between the UK and other countries. It is

present in 109 countries.The BBC World

Service provides international news,

analysis and information in English and

42 other languages through a global

network of correspondents. It has

complete editorial independence.

8 These elements are fixed in the FCO’s

budgetary settlement.

8

Working with others

International relations are no longer

channelled solely between governments.

Although private official communication

between the FCO in London and our

Posts abroad remains an essential

diplomatic tool, we now work as openly as

we can in networks between Posts, within

Government, with representatives of other

countries, and with Parliament and the

Devolved Administrations, the media,

academics, NGOs, business and the public.

The FCO gives support for the Prime

Minister’s involvement in foreign policy,

which is essential for the UK’s international

impact. We work more and more closely

with others in Whitehall on areas of

shared policy interest. We enable Ministers

and officials from across Government to

advance UK interests and to learn from

other countries when they travel abroad

and deal with foreign counterparts.

Public diplomacy

Active and professional public diplomacy

- projecting the image and values of the

UK, explaining our policies, targeting our

messages and influencing international

debate and decisions - is an increasingly

important part of our work. This work is

overseen by a Public Diplomacy Strategy

Board, including representatives of the

British Council, the BBC World Service,

UK Trade and Investment and VisitBritain.

Promoting our strengths in education,

science and technology, culture and the

English language, where the British

Council plays a major role, is a key to

maximising the UK’s international

influence.

What we contribute

So the FCO provides the country and

the Government with:

• a long term investment in a diplomatic

network of Posts and influence across

the world, on behalf of the UK as a

whole

• a professional staff with knowledge of

languages, countries and international

organisations, and with political,

economic, analytical, communication,

management and service delivery skills,

who are prepared to undertake a

mobile career and are expert in working

on international issues.

The role of the FCO

9

The key contribution of our network

and staff lies in:

• co-ordination and leadership of the

UK’s international policies

• expert foreign policy advice for

Ministers and the Prime Minister,

feeding into the wider policy process

• pursuing UK interests in crisis areas

around the world

• negotiating for the UK with other

countries and in international

organisations

• rapid gathering, analysis and targeting

of information for the Government and

others

• promoting and explaining UK policies

to public audiences around the world,

to shape opinion on issues which

matter to us

• direct services abroad to UK citizens

and business

• organising international contacts

for members of the Royal Family,

Parliamentarians, Ministers, business

people and others.

P R O F I L E

Working together to make a difference

Britain and Jamaica have strong links through trade, tourism

and the 600,000-strong British Jamaican community. We also

have a shared problem: drugs and crime. Twenty per cent of the

cocaine sold in Britain comes through Jamaica, because it is

a convenient transit point for South American drug gangs.

In our High Commission in

Kingston people from ten different

UK Government Departments

work together and with the

Jamaican authorities to fight

crime and tackle the underlying

causes. They are making a

difference:

• cracking down on Class A drugs:

the number of cocaine couriers

arrested in Jamaica has more

than doubled in a year

• promoting stability: by training

the Jamaican Defence Force and

police

• addressing poverty: the UK

aid programme of about

£4.5 million a year includes

education projects and work

to combat inner-city poverty

• managing migration: a new

visa regime has cut queuing

time for Jamaicans arriving at

UK airports from two and a

half hours to 20 minutes.

The world in the next ten years

2Chapter

12

A new agenda

The UK has a long history of involvement

all around the world. In the last century

we played a crucial role in two world wars.

We have an open trading economy,

the fourth largest in the world, and we

are the second largest source of foreign

investment after the US. We belong to

more international organisations than any

other country except France, and we are

a permanent member of the UN Security

Council. Strong diplomatic and military

traditions are part of our historical legacy,

and so is our inclination towards an active,

global foreign policy.

Our major foreign policy priorities of the

last 15 years were centred on achieving

stability in Europe after the cold war.

They included helping to manage the

reunification of Germany and the

disintegration of the Soviet Union

and Yugoslavia; to build security and

democracy in central and eastern

Europe; to renew the architecture and

membership of the EU and NATO; and to

set new foundations for the transatlantic

relationship. These have been remarkable

achievements.


To plan ahead, and to set priorities, we need to understand the context in which UK

international policy will be made. This means understanding strategic changes that

have taken place or are now happening; identifying the most significant future

trends and drivers of change; and analysing how they will affect UK interests and

the relationships that connect us to the rest of the world.

This chapter sets out our central operating assumptions about future developments.

They have been discussed across Government and can no doubt be further

improved by informed public debate. Because the world is complex and uncertain

our aim is not to predict the future, but to try to identify priorities and to be as well

prepared as possible to respond to unexpected events.

We have considered a range of scenarios, many of which would entail far greater

political or economic dislocation than is described below. But since we cannot plan

for every eventuality, the approach we have chosen is to organise our work around

an agreed set of probabilities, and then keep them constantly under review.

13

The end of the cold war brought great

benefits, among them widespread

economic liberalisation and the spread

of democracy and human rights to many

parts of the world. But there were also

negative shock waves. For example

conflicts have multiplied in Africa, and

state failure in countries that were often

formerly superpower clients poses a

growing challenge to world order.

These negative consequences were

brought into sharp relief by the attack of

11 September 2001, and then by Iraq. The

international reaction to Al Qaida and the

decision to take military action against

Iraq have underlined how fundamentally

the landscape of foreign policy has

changed - for other countries as well

as the UK.

Globalisation has become a reality, for

both good and ill. International flows of

goods, money, knowledge and people

offer opportunities for progress and

wealth creation. But they also make it

easier for criminals to operate across

frontiers. Trans-border problems such

as proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction (WMD), international terrorism

and crime are a growing danger. Disease,

environmental change and resource

shortages can undermine peace and

development. Interdependence means

that rich countries can more easily be

affected by the consequences of turmoil

or hostility in poorer parts of the world.

Globalisation has become a political as

well as an economic phenomenon.

In this changing landscape the United

States has achieved unequalled political

and military power, but has also been

shown to be vulnerable. The attacks of 11

September 2001 made the US more ready

to use its power to defend its interests

and pre-empt threats. How the US acts

in the future, and the impact of this on

relations between the US and European

countries, will have a crucial influence on

the course of UK foreign policy. So, too,

will the degree of progress we make in

developing the capacity of the EU in

foreign, security and defence policy,

and in making the EU a more effective

international actor.

International trends and drivers of change

How do we expect the world to change in

the next ten years, and how will this affect

the UK?

Security: the focus of our security and

defence policy will be on understanding

and countering new threats, often from

non-state actors empowered by new

technologies, and originating outside

Europe.

The risk to western democracies of

conventional military attack from other

states or alliances will be small. The use

of WMD against us, and terrorist attacks

on western targets around the world,

now constitute the most potentially

catastrophic threats to UK security. The

major western countries will need to

14

tackle these threats assertively using a

wide range of instruments. Preventing

states from acquiring or spreading WMD

will remain a top priority. The highest

concern of all will be to prevent

international terrorist groups acquiring

nuclear or biological weapons.

Regional tensions are a major incentive for

proliferation. Serious flashpoints are likely

to remain and may intensify: between

India and Pakistan, in the Middle East, on

the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan

Strait. Some other crisis regions should

be on the way to rehabilitation; in the

Balkans, some countries will join the

EU and/or NATO within the next decade,

with the rest well on the way. But there

will be setbacks too.

Terrorism and proliferation are linked

to other forms of international criminal

activity, such as trafficking in drugs and

people and money-laundering. These

activities will in their own right pose

an increasingly serious and immediate

challenge to domestic security in the

UK and other open societies. Countering

them will be a high priority.

Insecurity will be far more acute in the

daily life of people in many developing

countries, above all in Africa. Lack of

access to water and other resources,

corruption, disease and state failure are

all causes of poverty and internal conflicts.

As it becomes clearer that their

consequences can directly affect

international security, we expect a

stronger international commitment to

finding more effective and co-ordinated

approaches to dealing with state failure,

conflict prevention and post-conflict

reconstruction.

This will involve efforts to reach a clearer

consensus on principles justifying the

use of force for humanitarian purposes,

conflict stabilisation and timely action

against terrorism or threatening WMD

capabilities. The UK will play a leading

part in this debate, arguing for active

responses to shared international

problems and early action to prevent

conflict.

As doctrine and practice on international

intervention develop, the role of the

UK armed forces will continue to shift

towards deployments in crisis areas

around the world. Our ability to project

armed force will be a key instrument of

our foreign policy. NATO and the EU will

face a continuing challenge to develop

ways of tackling new security problems

outside Europe. This may be complicated

by the fact that the gap between US and

EU military capabilities will grow wider.

Ideology and Religion: political ideology

will not be the destructive and divisive

force in Europe and other parts of the

developed world that it was in the

twentieth century. The ideology of liberal

democracy and the market economy is

well established and will spread further.


15

The possible confrontations of ideas most

likely to affect the UK and other western

democracies in the early twenty-first

century stem from religion and culture.

Religious belief is coming back to the

fore as a motivating force in international

relations. In some cases it is distorted to

cloak political purposes. The question will

arise most obviously in relations between

western democracies and some Islamic

countries or groups, despite the

underlying shared values of our faiths

and cultures.

The causes of tension in this relationship

are complex: the Israel/Palestine problem,

if not resolved, will continue to provide

their most obvious focus. Religious

tensions abroad, for example on the

sub-continent, may affect our domestic

security and will have an impact on the

UK’s increasingly multicultural society9.

Managing relations with Islamic countries

and peoples will be one of the most

important strategic challenges for the

UK and other western democracies in the

next decade and beyond. We shall need

to improve our understanding of their

religious and political motivation. Our

own Muslim communities will have a

vital role to play. The agenda will include a

serious effort to support peaceful political

and social reform in countries of the Arab

world.

9 In the 2001 Census, 71.7% of the

population in England and Wales

identified themselves as Christians

(over 37 million), 3.0% as Muslims

(1.5 million), 1.1% as Hindus (550,000),

0.6% as Sikhs (330,000) and 0.5%

as Jewish (260,000). 14.8% of the

population stated that they had no

religion (over 7.5 million). 7.7% did

not state their religion (four million).

Source: Office of National Statistics

(ONS).

P R O F I L E

Active engagement around the world

Preventing and resolving internal conflicts in states is one

of the greatest challenges for the next decade. The UK’s

involvement in Sierra Leone offers an excellent example. A brief

deployment by well-armed UK troops helped UN peacekeepers

bring an end to a brutal civil war. We have since been helping

to disarm the rebels, train a new Sierra Leone army, organise

democratic elections, rebuild the country, and bring war

criminals to justice.

It is essential to sustain the

commitment. Experience shows

that countries emerging from

conflict often slip back into

violence unless the underlying

causes are addressed. In Sierra

Leone, one of the key issues was

the struggle for control of the

country’s diamond wealth. To

address this, we championed a

pioneering international initiative

- the “Kimberley Process” - to ban

the trade in “blood” diamonds

from conflict zones.

16

Economics: the US will remain by far

the world’s dominant national economy.

The expanded EU will remain a major

economic power with an aggregate

GDP fairly close to that of the US, but

growing less rapidly. We expect the Euro

to consolidate its international status and

become a more popular reserve currency;

and the economies of the EU to become

more integrated and interdependent.

Japan will remain the second largest

national economy in the next decade.

China may overtake Germany to become

the third largest. This would put the three

biggest national economies on the

Pacific Rim.

International private capital and trade

flows should increase, although the rate

of increase may slow. These flows will

become more diverse as labour-intensive

industries move to the developing world;

as World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules

are more widely applied; and as trade

barriers are squeezed further.

The challenge for the UK economy

will be to compete on unique value and

innovation. International trade, foreign

direct investment and commercialisation

of new technology will be crucial to this.

The emphasis of UK Government activity

in this area will shift further to the UK

regions and to improving business skills.


Chart 1: Nominal GDP projections for the largest world economies

and EU25

EU25

US

Japan

Germany

UK

France

Italy

China

Spain

Canada

Mexico

India

South Korea

Netherlands

Australia

Brazil

Russia

2003 2013

Source: Approximate FCO projections based on data from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

US $ billions

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000

17

Global economic inequalities are likely to

increase and, with them, political tensions

between the wealthier and poorer

countries. Efforts to combat poverty

and promote sustainable development

will have mixed results. The Millennium

Development Goals10 will not be attained

if developed and developing countries

do not show more serious commitment.

Africa will continue to be the global back-

marker in health, life expectancy, security,

governance and development. Because

of the scale and nature of its problems,

Africa will become an increasingly urgent

regional priority in the next decade,

second only perhaps to the Middle East.

The cumulative impact of AIDS will

be devastating for the economies and

societies of much of southern and central

Africa and will have serious consequences

in areas where infections are still rising

rapidly, including Asia, parts of eastern

Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Population: the demographic balance

of the developed world will be broadly

stable over the next decade, but ageing

or declining populations will affect public

policy in areas such as migration, taxation

and public services. The pension burden

will grow. These problems will be more

acute in Europe than in the US. In the UK,

the population is expected to rise from

59 million in 2003 to around 61 million in

2013. The over-60s age group is projected

to grow from 21 per cent of the UK

population today to 30 per cent in 2050 11.

10 For details of the Millennium

Development Goals, see the text box

on page 40.

11 Government Actuary’s Department

(GAD), interim 2001-based principal

population projections, 2002.

Chart 2: Population projections to 2015 and 2050

EU25

US

Japan

Germany

UK

France

Italy

China

Spain

Canada

Mexico

India

South Korea

Netherlands

Australia

Brazil

Russia

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600

2003 2015 2050

Source: UN population division.

Population (millions)

18

The growth of young populations in

North Africa, the Middle East, Latin

America and much of Asia will place

strains on natural resources and on social

stability. Greater awareness of wealth

disparities, and frustration at a lack of

opportunities, may find expression in

political or religious extremism as much

as in campaigns for democracy and

modernity. This risk is pronounced in the

Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Population movements will be a growing

international concern. The desire for

security and prosperity will attract

economic migrants to Europe and North

America. Although these regions will

need economically active people, the

administrative constraints on “moving

north” will remain tight12.

Movements within or between

developing countries are likely to

be much larger - for example as the

consequence of uneven development

in Asia. The major “push” factors behind

all forms of migration will be poverty,

insecurity and resource shortages.

The volume of temporary movements

through tourism and business travel

will also increase.

Environmental change: we expect a

greater sense of urgency about tackling

global environmental issues. In the next

decade, climate change is expected to

result in higher surface temperatures

and sea levels. The world will experience

damage to its biological, social and

economic systems from flooding and

drought, lower crop yields in tropical and

sub-tropical regions, and higher incidence

of malaria and water-borne diseases.

The impact on sustainable development

could be severe in vulnerable areas of

Africa, Asia and Latin America. We expect

biodiversity to continue to decline, despite

international efforts to slow the rate of

loss.

Energy: there will be a significant

increase in the demand for energy -

mostly outside the major developed

economies and especially in East Asia.

The UK will shortly become a net importer

of gas, relying on sources in countries

such as Norway, Russia, Algeria and Iran.

Existing oil resources are adequate to

meet global demand, and new offshore

oil and gas reserves may be significant.

The Gulf will remain the main oil-

supplying region.


12 An estimate published by the

Government Actuary’s Department in

2003 suggested a level of net migration

to the UK of around 130,000 per

annum for the years 2003-2004

onwards (GAD, 2002-based principal

projections, 2003).

19

Chart 3: Change in summer temperature for the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s for

low emissions and high emissions scenarios

Source: UK Climate Impacts Programme 2002 Climate Change Scenarios (funded by Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs, produced by Tyndall and Hadley Centres for the UK Climate Impacts Programme).

60N

57N

54N

51N

60N

57N

54N

51N

9W 6W 3W 0 3E

9W 6W 3W 0 3E 9W 6W 3W 0 3E 9W 6W 3W 0 3E

9W 6W 3W 0 3E 9W 6W 3W 0 3E

60N

57N

54N

51N

60N

57N

54N

51N

Low

emissio

ns

Hig

h em

ission

s

Degrees C

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

2020s 2050s 2080s

20

Supply and demand in the world energy

market will diversify, driven by the

emergence of new technologies and

suppliers; pressure to reduce carbon

emissions; and the desire for security of

supply. Emissions trading will become

widely accepted. The long-term shift

towards renewables and better energy

efficiency will gather pace. In the

EU, liberalisation will lead to more

competitive, integrated EU energy

markets. Increasing dependence on

international energy infrastructure will

be an important factor in international

relations.

Technology: technological advance

has been the most important driver of

change in recent years: for globalisation

and increased prosperity, to spread

information, and as a means to

tackle disease, food shortages and

environmental change. It also has a

negative side: technological advances can

facilitate crime and reinforce economic

inequalities. We expect progress to

continue at a similar or greater pace. Since

only a small percentage of the scientific

research and development that underpins

technological advance will be conducted

in the UK, international collaboration and

sharing of results will remain important

for us.


Chart 4: Internet use

US

China

Japan

Germany

UK

India

Brazil

Russia

South Africa

0 50 100 150 200 250

% of the population using the Internet

Growth of Internet users between 2000-2003 (%)

Source: Internet World Stats: www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

21

Technological advance will have far

reaching implications for the conduct of

international relations, already dramatically

altered in the space of only a few years by

the mobile phone, the Internet and e-mail.

The wider take up of these technologies

will continue to weaken traditional

concepts of state sovereignty and to

alter the ways in which wars are fought

and societies interact. In some cases,

like biotechnology, controversial

advances may require new international

mechanisms for monitoring and control.

Wider participation: one consequence

of new technology and globalisation,

and of the greater openness of our own

society, is the growing impact of a wider

variety of participants in international

relations. The media have acquired great

power to drive the international agenda

by forming public attitudes and

generating pressure on governments.

Their role, and those of businesses and

NGOs, will be still more important in

future. They will contribute to stronger

popular demands for accountability,

and to pressure for governments to

focus on the environment, poverty and

other aspects of the “global agenda”.

International contacts at levels of

government below the state, such as

regions and Devolved Administrations,

will also become more significant.

In this context it will be even more

important for diplomats to be skilled in

public diplomacy and communication.

As use of the English language increases

around the world, education and culture

will become more important tools for

spreading UK influence.

The UK in the international system:institutions and relationships

3Chapter

24

The United Nations will continue to be

at the heart of this, and our permanent

membership of the Security Council

will remain a crucial asset. After the Iraq

crisis, attention will focus on how the

UN can act more effectively to protect

international peace and security. There

will be pressure for reform of the Security

Council, to make its membership more

representative of the modern world,

or to amend the power of veto. The UK

will continue to advocate reform. Our

priority will be to improve the Council’s

ability to act promptly and effectively to

maintain international peace and security.

The UN, through its Agencies, will

also remain the central international

organisation in many areas of economic

and social policy. There will be continuing

demands for rationalisation of UN bodies

and budgets to improve efficiency and

strengthen collective action in this field.

The UK will support the UN Secretary-

General in tackling this agenda.

We also expect growing pressure for a

more representative distribution of formal

and informal power in other international

institutions and groups. The International

Monetary Fund, World Bank and World

The UK in the international system:institutions and relationships

The main characteristics of this emerging international scene are uncertainty, fluidity

and the way in which issues overlap. Most of the problems we face will require

responses at different levels, using a variety of national and international instruments.

The system of international relations will continue to be built on states. In most parts

of the world they will remain the strongest source of legitimacy for governments

and identity for individuals. But as the global agenda of shared concerns lengthens,

more and more issues will be dealt with collectively in ways that will further

challenge traditional interpretations of state sovereignty.

No state - not even the US - will be able to pursue its objectives in isolation.

The UK will need and want to work with others to pursue its active policies, through

a wide range of alliances and institutions such as the EU, the UN, the G8, NATO

and the Commonwealth. UK interests will lie in supporting an effective system for

multilateral co-operation, based in international law, as the best way to maximise

our influence in the world and solve the global problems before us.

25

Trade Organisation will begin to be less

dominated by Europe and North America.

G8 efforts at “outreach” are likely to

intensify in order to develop stronger

partnerships with regional leaders such

as Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. The

G20, an informal group of developed and

emerging economies, may take on a more

significant role. The Commonwealth will

remain a valuable informal group for the

promotion of common values and

interests across the world.

The UK’s most significant partnerships

with other countries will be within the

EU and with the US.

The UK will remain a committed and

active member of the European Union,

and strengthening our influence within

the EU will be one of our highest

priorities. Our relationships with other

members will become even more

important, and will be of a different

quality from those with other countries

because of the advanced system of

international co-operation we have

developed through pooling areas of

sovereignty. Economic, political and

personal links will continue to strengthen,

making the EU still more central to many

of the UK’s domestic policy priorities.

The UK may, after a referendum, decide

to go further by joining the Euro. The

continuing success of the EU will depend

above all on sustaining economic

dynamism through reform.

We will continue to seek closer

relationships with France, Germany and

other EU partners, and to make effective

use of the EU institutions, as we pursue

our domestic and international goals.

After 2004, enlargement and the Inter-

Governmental Conference will change

the way the EU works internally and affect

its policy agenda. New medium term

priorities affecting external relations will

include judicial co-operation, immigration

and asylum.

The EU will become progressively more

important for the delivery of a wide range

of UK international policy priorities, not

only in the fields of trade, economic co-

operation and development. In foreign

and security policy, changes agreed in the

2003-4 Inter-Governmental Conference

could significantly strengthen the ways

the EU acts collectively. The UK’s objective

will be to make the EU a stronger player,

better able to pursue common policies

globally as well as in its own

neighbourhood. More important

than institutional changes will be the

determination of EU member states to

make this happen - and to develop

stronger capabilities to pursue our

security interests in partnership with

the US.

26

The United States, as the world’s single

superpower, will continue to set much

of the international agenda. However

US domestic politics evolve, the US will

seek to exercise global leadership in

responding to new strategic challenges.

In doing so, it will seek international

support where possible, but will be

reluctant to be impeded by others in

pursuing what it considers to be US

national interests.

Our relationship with the US will continue

to be the UK’s most important individual

relationship and a vital asset. It will

be essential to achieving many of our

objectives, especially in ensuring our

security. We will aim to use the

relationship to advance UK and wider

international interests, and to enhance

our influence, in part through multilateral

channels, particularly the EU, NATO and

the UN. We will encourage effective US

leadership in strengthening international

institutions.

The relationship between Europe and

the US will be of paramount importance

for the UK’s - and the world’s - future

security and prosperity. It will remain

a relationship rooted in economic

interdependence, shared values and many

common interests. We expect NATO to

remain the principal institution binding

Europe and the US together.

But different approaches to important

areas of domestic and international policy

are likely to continue to cause friction.

This could be exacerbated by the

erosion, since the cold war, of a clearly

understood sense of common purpose;

the emergence of new US strategic

priorities outside Europe; and divergence

between US and European attitudes

towards the use of power.

To flourish, the relationship will

require close attention. Strengthening

commitment on both sides of the Atlantic

to a global partnership between Europe

and America will be the single most

important goal for UK international

policy in the decade ahead, because

only through such a partnership will we

be able to achieve our policy priorities

around the world.

We will aim to build a shared agenda

in which Europe plays a more effective

role in the global pursuit of our vital

security interests, and the US works

with Europe and others in pursuit of

the wider economic, development and

environmental priorities that are now

so clearly linked to those shared security

concerns.

The UK in the international system: institutions and relationships

27

India will be an important democratic

power in Asia, with increasing potential

to exert global political and economic

influence and with particular strength

in leading growth sectors.

We have a historic opportunity to develop

relationships with all these powers as their

own strategic interests lead them to play

a greater role in the international system.

We will do this both bilaterally and

through the EU.

Other global players will have important

strategic influence, notably Russia, China,

Japan and India.

Russia will be a European power with

an Asian dimension and global strategic

weight. It will for the first time hold the

Presidency of the G8 in 2006. Russia will

be important to the UK as the EU’s largest

neighbour, as a major energy supplier,

and as a nuclear power and key player on

proliferation issues, but hindered by social

problems and underdeveloped legal and

market infrastructures.

China will become a more confident

actor in Asia and beyond, but its focus

in the next decade will probably be on

its own prosperity and security, and on

integration in the international system.

The development of China’s relationship

with the US will be of immense

importance.

Japan will remain an important partner

on a wide range of global issues: a leader

in science and technology, a major source

of development, humanitarian and

environmental assistance, and a force

for stability in Asia.

28

OSCE

Chart 5: Membership of international organisations: December 2003

Afghanistan

Algeria

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda*

Argentina

Bahamas*

Bahrain

Bangladesh*

Barbados*

Belize*

Benin

Bhutan

Bolivia

Botswana*

Brazil

Brunei*

Burkina Faso

Burma

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon*

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Congo

Congo (DR)

Costa Rica

Cuba

Djibouti

Dominica*

Dominican Republic

East Timor

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Fiji*

Gabon

Gambia*

Ghana*

Grenada*

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana*

Haiti

Honduras

Canada*▲

Iceland

Norway

Turkey

United States▲

Austria

Finland

Ireland

Sweden

Belgium

Denmark

France▲

Germany▲

Greece

Italy▲

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Portugal

Spain

United Kingdom*▲

India*

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Ivory Coast

Jamaica*

Jordan

Kenya*

Kiribati*

Kuwait

Laos

Lebanon

Lesotho*

Liberia

Libya

Madagascar

Malawi*

Malaysia*

Maldives*

Mali

Marshall Islands

Mauritania

Mauritius*

Micronesia

Mongolia

Morocco

Mozambique*

Namibia*

Nauru*

Nepal

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria*

North Korea

Oman

Pakistan*

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea*

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Qatar

Rwanda

Samoa*

Sao Tome and Principe

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Seychelles*

Sierra Leone*

Singapore*

Solomon Islands*

Somalia

South Africa*

St Kitts and Nevis*

St Lucia*

St Vincent and the Grenadines*

Sri Lanka*

Sudan

Suriname

Swaziland*

Syria

Tanzania*

Thailand

Togo

Tonga*

Trinidad and Tobago*

Tunisia

Tuvalu*

UAE

UN

OECD

EU

NATO

* = Commonwealth Countries ▲ = G8 Countries Bold red type = Permanent Members of the UN Security Council

For EU and NATO enlargements in 2004

Australia*

Japan ▲

Mexico

New Zealand*

South Korea

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Liechtenstein

Macedonia

Moldova

Monaco

Russia ▲

San Marino

Serbia and Montenegro

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

Albania

Andorra

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia

Georgia

Switzerland Holy See

Uganda*

Uruguay

Vanuatu*

Venezuela

Vietnam

Yemen

Zambia*

Zimbabwe*

Estonia

Latvia

Lithuania

Slovenia

Slovakia

Bulgaria

Romania

Cyprus*

Malta*

Czech Republic

Hungary

Poland

Strategic international policy priorities for the UK

4Chapter

To fulfil the role set out in chapter 1, the

FCO will need to decide how it can best

enable the Government to address these

priorities. They often intersect in the most

urgent problems and tasks the FCO faces,

such as the search for peace in the Middle

East and the sub-continent, reconstruction

of Afghanistan and Iraq, or dealing more

effectively with conflicts in Africa. So we

shall need to connect different parts of

our work.

In each area of strategic priority for the

UK we identify a number of specific short

term aims to be pursued by the FCO.

We also list the other Government

Departments with whom we will work

most closely to achieve them, and the

parts of the FCO network we consider

to be particularly important to do this.

Chapter 5 considers our future service

delivery priorities in similar fashion.

The strategic policy priorities are:

1 a world safer from global terrorism

and weapons of mass destruction

2 protection of the UK from illegal

immigration, drug trafficking and

other international crime

3 an international system based on

the rule of law, which is better able

to resolve disputes and prevent

conflicts

4 an effective EU in a secure

neighbourhood

5 promotion of UK economic interests

in an open and expanding global

economy

6 sustainable development,

underpinned by democracy, good

governance and human rights

7 security of UK and global energy

supplies

8 security and good governance

of the UK’s Overseas Territories.

30


Based on the analysis in chapters 2 and 3 of the ways the world is changing and

our key international relationships, this chapter sets out thematically eight strategic

international policy priorities for the UK for the next decade. These priorities are

interdependent and reflect the linkage between domestic and foreign policy goals.

They cannot, therefore, be listed in a strict order of importance.

1. A world safer from globalterrorism and weapons of massdestruction

The UK, its citizens and its interests

worldwide will remain a target for global

terrorist networks, their sympathisers

and other terrorist groups. The FCO will

contribute to the overall UK effort to

minimise the threat through international

co-operation. This will include addressing

the problem of states that offer support

to terrorists, or failed states that provide

them refuge.

Eradicating terrorism is a longer term

aim. It will involve working to change

conditions which can push people

towards political extremism, such as

bad government, regional conflict

and environmental degradation.

As the technology and materials needed

to acquire WMD become more accessible,

we will seek to prevent their spread

and deter their use, including through

effective international agreements.

We will focus above all on preventing

the acquisition of nuclear or biological

weapons by a global terrorist network.

Specific aims for the FCO will be to:

• build a shared understanding of

the threats and promote active and

effective responses within Europe,

between Europe and the US, and

in the UN

31

P R O F I L E

Tackling new security threats

Terrorism and weapons of mass destruction are threats to

national and international security. Our High Commission

in Islamabad is working with Pakistan to tackle both.

Elements of the Taliban regime

and Al Qaida filtered into Pakistan

after their bases in Afghanistan

were destroyed. Both have links

with extremist jihadi groups from

Pakistan, dating from resistance

to the Soviet occupation. These

groups have also attacked western

and Pakistani official targets

inside Pakistan.

With US, UK and other

international support, Pakistan

has arrested over 500 terrorist

suspects since 9/11, including

leaders like Khalid Sheikh

Muhammad who is suspected of

planning the attacks in New York.

In 2002, Pakistan proscribed the

two biggest jihadi groups.

President Musharraf has made an

important commitment to crack

down on cross-border militancy

in Kashmir, and we also look to

Pakistan to stop Taliban and Al

Qaida elements infiltrating into

Afghanistan. We lobbied Pakistan

to ratify and implement the

Counter-Terrorism Conventions;

so far they have ratified 10 of

the 12. Following the Prime

Minister’s 2002 visit, we set up

a UK/Pakistan group to work

on legal assistance, terrorism

legislation, and an extradition

treaty.

Pakistan, like India, is a self-

declared nuclear power. Neither

has signed the Non-Proliferation

Treaty. In 2002, tension between

the two threatened conflict which

could have escalated to the use

of nuclear weapons. The Foreign

Secretary and the Prime Minister

were heavily involved in efforts

with both sides to defuse this.

The UK remains actively engaged,

for example in encouraging

confidence building measures

and promoting dialogue,

including on nuclear doctrine and

deterrence. We are also working

with the Pakistani authorities to

prevent technology associated

with Pakistan’s nuclear

programme spreading to others.

• help to resolve the key regional

disputes that might create incentives

for terrorism and proliferation, or lead

to use of WMD

• maintain the UK’s commitment to

rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq

• work with others to prevent the

development of nuclear weapons

by Iran and North Korea

• lead a systematic strategy across

Government for engaging with the

Islamic world and promoting peaceful

political and social reform in Arab

countries, also working with EU

partners and the US

• strengthen UK, EU and international

approaches to dealing in advance with

the problems of state failure

• strengthen the capacity of key states

to deal with terrorism and proliferation,

including through disposal or

protection of WMD materials, security

sector reform, and stronger legal

systems

• ensure that multilateral arms and

export control regimes evolve to reflect

technological change, agree more

effective verification, and negotiate

stronger compliance measures for

biological arms control

• help to make the UK and UK interests

overseas a more difficult and resilient

target, and strengthen international co-

operation on civil emergency planning.

Principal partners across Government

Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence,

Intelligence Agencies, Home Office,

HM Customs and Excise, Department

for International Development, Northern

Ireland Office, Department of Trade and

Industry, Department for Transport, HM

Treasury. Also the British Council.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in: the Middle East, North and

East Africa, South Asia, South East and East

Asia, Central Asia and other parts of the

former Soviet Union, the G8 countries

and EU Partners.

Our Missions to: the UN, the EU and

NATO.

32


2. Protection of the UK from illegalimmigration, drug trafficking andother international crime

The policing of our society no longer

stops at the borders of the UK and

its Territories. Criminal networks will

take advantage of technology and

communications to exploit weak spots

in the international system. This feeds

crime in the UK and undermines good

governance and development elsewhere.

The UK priority will be to act against

such networks - notably those involved

in trafficking drugs and people - by

promoting police and judicial co-

operation. We shall need to step up

counter-narcotics work abroad and help

to maintain fair and effective policies

on immigration and asylum, including

tackling problems at their source.


• develop effective, cross-Government

policies to tackle underlying problems

in other countries which can encourage

international crime, including conflict

and poverty

• help to establish the rule of law in

the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq

• strengthen international controls on

illegal immigration, improve protection

for refugees and displaced persons

at source, and negotiate effective

readmission agreements with source

countries

• provide counter-narcotics training

to law enforcement agencies in

Afghanistan, Jamaica, Colombia, Turkey,

Iran, Pakistan, the Balkans and other

key source and transit countries

• lead UK efforts to end poppy cultivation

in Afghanistan

• strengthen the EU’s contribution to

dealing with drugs, crime and people-

trafficking worldwide

• improve the effectiveness of UN

Agencies, Interpol and the Financial

Action Task Force in tackling crime

• operate an effective UK entry clearance

system with the Home Office

• ensure probity and good governance

in UK Overseas Territories.


Home Office, HM Customs and Excise,

Intelligence Agencies, HM Treasury,

Department for Constitutional Affairs,

Ministry of Defence, Department of

Health, Department for International

Development, Inland Revenue.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in: Afghanistan, Brazil,

Central Asia, China, Colombia, the eastern

Caribbean, EU neighbour countries, Iraq,

Jamaica, Nigeria, North Africa, Pakistan,

Sri Lanka, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey,

the US, EU Partners and the Overseas

Territories.

Our Missions to: the EU, the UN and

the Organisation for Security and

Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

33

3. An international system based onthe rule of law, which is better ableto resolve disputes and preventconflicts

Our security and prosperity depend

on the willingness of other states to co-

operate in an international system based

on the rule of law and shared principles.

It will be in the UK interest to seek to

increase the effectiveness, legitimacy

and co-ordination of the UN and other

international organisations. There is a

particular need to strengthen collective

approaches to security so that we are

able to respond to new threats, promote

international law, secure common

interests, and meet humanitarian needs.


• build agreement between Europe

and the US on the most successful

approaches to international

co-operation

• strengthen the ability of the

international community to agree

on timely action against threats to

international peace and security

• strengthen the capacity of the UN,

the EU and NATO to conduct effective

stabilisation and humanitarian

operations, including post-conflict

reconstruction

• maintain the vigour of the NATO

alliance and further develop its new role

• build stronger strategic relationships

with China, Russia, Japan and India,

and encourage their engagement

in the international system, including

peacekeeping

• adapt the UN system and other

multilateral structures to respond better

to the growing influence of business,

NGOs and other non-state actors

• manage the growing pressures on

the WTO and maintain its core role

in promoting a free and fair trading

system.


Cabinet Office, Department for

International Development, Department

of Trade and Industry, HM Treasury,

Department for Constitutional Affairs,

Ministry of Defence, Department for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

Home Office.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in: the US and other

permanent members of the UN Security

Council, EU Partners, G8, G20 and

Commonwealth countries.

Our Missions to: the UN, the EU and

NATO, the International Financial

Institutions, the World Trade Organisation.

34


4. An effective EU in a secureneighbourhood

UK influence in the EU will be central

to achieving the UK’s strategic priorities.

Our objective will be to ensure that

the EU remains successful through

economic reform, that its institutions

are accountable and efficient, and that it

delivers recognised benefits for citizens

of the Member States. The UK will pursue

these aims during our Presidency of the

EU in 2005.

As the EU enlarges, we shall have a

particular foreign policy interest in

supporting democracy, prosperity and

stability in its neighbours or future

members: to the east, Russia and countries

of the former Soviet Union; to the south

east, the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle

East; and on the south shore of the

Mediterranean, from Egypt to Morocco.

To increase the EU’s international impact,

we will need to combine our economic,

diplomatic and military weight more

effectively.


• agree and ratify a new constitutional

Treaty that makes the EU more effective,

more open, and closer to its citizens

• help develop a common EU asylum

system and strengthen management

of the EU’s borders

• complete the smooth integration of the

new Members and develop strategies on

future EU enlargement, in particular for

the Balkan countries and Turkey

• build strong EU relationships with Russia,

countries of North Africa and other

neighbouring countries

• ensure that the UK has influence within

new structures for conducting more

effective common EU international

policies

• strengthen the EU’s capacity to undertake

military operations in support of these

policies, and ensure that this capacity

reinforces NATO

• continue to integrate new members

and partners of NATO into the European

security system and build a stronger

relationship between NATO and Russia

• maintain the UK commitment to security

and stability in the Balkans.


This is a cross-Government agenda,

including the Devolved Administrations. The

British Council is also an important partner.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in: EU Partners, the Balkans,

Turkey, the Middle East and the Caucasus,

Russia and eastern Europe, the south shore

of the Mediterranean, Norway, Switzerland

and the US.

Our Missions to: the EU, NATO and

the OSCE.

35

36


Chart 6: An enlarging European Union: December 2003

5. Promotion of UK economicinterests in an open and expandingglobal economy

The health of the UK’s economy is

linked closely to the health of the global

economy. International security is also

closely linked to economic development

and stability in much of the world.

The UK’s interest will be to encourage

international co-operation and reform in

order to promote sustainable economic

and employment growth, to remove

barriers to investment, to minimise

financial instability and to support an

open, fair and sustainable multilateral

system of world trade based on the WTO.

Another high priority will be to promote

UK trade and two-way investment in

goods and services to enhance our

prosperity and competitiveness.


• drive forward internal economic reform

in the EU to boost growth, jobs and

competitiveness

• further reform the Common Agricultural

Policy

• achieve a conclusion to the Doha

WTO round that is beneficial to both

developed and developing countries

• use our 2005 G8 Presidency to

strengthen international economic and

development co-operation, action on

the environment, and G8 outreach to

leading regional economies

37

Chart 7: Principal partners for UK outward foreign direct

investment, 2001

EU (54%)

US (26%)

Others (20%)

Source: Office of National Statistics.

Chart 8: Principal partners for inward foreign direct investment

into the UK, 2001

EU (48%)

US (35%)

Others (17%)


• help improve economic governance in

Russia and other key transitional states

and emerging markets

• support international co-operation and

exchange of good practice in science

and technology, education, health,

creative industries, legal services and

other wealth creating sectors

• help UK companies win contracts in

foreign markets and lobby against

regulatory and political barriers

• promote the UK as an attractive place

to do business and provide high quality

services to potential inward investors.


Department of Trade and Industry, HM

Treasury, Department for International

Development, Cabinet Office, Department

for Constitutional Affairs, Devolved

Administrations, Department for Culture,

Media and Sport, Department for

Education and Skills, Department for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

Department of Health, Inland Revenue,

Regional Development Agencies,

Department for Work and Pensions.

Also the British Council.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in: EU Partners, the US,

East Asia, G8 and G20, especially regional

economic leaders.

Our Missions to: the WTO, the EU, the

UN, the International Financial Institutions

and the Organisation for Economic

Co-operation and Development (OECD).

38


Chart 9: Principal UK trading partners: exports and imports of

goods and services, 2002

Others (32%)

US (15%)

EU (53%)


6. Sustainable development,underpinned by democracy, goodgovernance and human rights

The UK cannot be secure or prosperous

in isolation from the rest of the world. For

our security and prosperity to be lasting,

we shall need to support the equivalent

aspirations of the peoples of the

developing world, including the most

vulnerable in Africa.

That means promoting democratic values,

human rights and good government, and

working for progress towards poverty

reduction and sustainable development

in all parts of the world. Epidemics, climate

change and loss of natural resources

and biodiversity are shared global

challenges. It will be a priority to meet the

Millennium Development Goals and the

commitments made at the 2002 World

Summit on Sustainable Development

in Johannesburg13.


• help to launch new action to

reinvigorate the international response

to climate change

• support implementation of the

Johannesburg Summit commitments,

with a focus on biodiversity, water,

sanitation and human settlements

• support the New Partnership for

Africa’s Development and lobby

partners on both sides to uphold

their commitments

• press for agreement for a new

International Finance Facility and other

measures to increase aid flows and

deliver more effective debt relief

• develop more effective UK, EU and

international responses to prevent and

resolve conflict and assist with post-

conflict reconstruction

• strengthen the 1951 Refugee

Convention through better burden-

sharing arrangements and improved

protection of refugees and internally

displaced people at source

• support the International Criminal

Court and promote the universal

implementation of international human

rights and humanitarian standards

• strengthen international action against

AIDS, malaria and other epidemic

diseases

• develop innovative and effective

partnerships on these issues with NGOs,

the private sector and other non-state

actors.


Department for International

Development, Department for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, HM

Treasury, Department for Constitutional

Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Department of

Health, Home Office, Department of Trade

and Industry. Also the British Council.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in: the Middle East, Central

Asia and other parts of the former

Soviet Union, Africa, EU Partners,

the US, Japan and other G8 members,

G20 and Commonwealth countries.

Our Missions to: the EU, the UN, the

International Financial Institutions and

the OECD.39

13 See the text box on page 40.

7. Security of UK and global energy supplies

Our economic well-being depends on

secure energy supplies at affordable

prices for the UK and world economies.

We will need to improve the long-term

efficiency and stability of the international

energy market through political and

economic reform in key supplier and

transit countries; promoting new energy

and environmental technologies; resolving

disputes that affect the stability of the

market; and promoting international

diversification of supply, better energy

efficiency and the switch towards

renewables.


• help to liberalise EU energy markets and

use the EU’s relations with Russia and

other countries to support our energy

objectives

• help resolve disputes, and promote

peaceful political and economic reform,

in the Middle East, parts of Africa and

the countries of the former Soviet

Union

• improve investment regimes and

energy sector management in these

regions, focusing on key links in the

supply chain to the UK

• secure international agreement to

reduce carbon emissions and promote

practical initiatives to develop

sustainable energy technologies

40


P R O F I L E

Promoting sustainable development and reducing poverty around the world: theDepartment for International Development(DFID)

The central focus of the Government's policy, based on the

1997 and 2000 White Papers on International Development,

is a commitment to the internationally agreed Millennium

Development Goals, to be achieved by 2015. These seek to:

• eradicate extreme poverty

and hunger

• achieve universal primary

education

• promote gender equality

and empower women

• reduce child mortality

• improve maternal health

• combat HIV/AIDS, malaria

and other diseases

• ensure environmental

sustainability

• develop a global partnership

for development.

These goals were adopted by the

UN at its Millennium Summit in

2000.

DFID works in partnership with

governments committed to the

Millennium Development Goals,

with civil society, the private sector

and the research community.

It also works with multilateral

institutions, including the World

Bank, United Nations Agencies,

and the European Commission.

DFID's assistance is concentrated

in the poorest countries of Sub-

Saharan Africa and Asia, but also

contributes to poverty reduction

and sustainable development

in middle-income countries.

DFID website: www.dfid.gov.uk

Email: [email protected]

• encourage sustainable energy

consumption in the US and other major

economies, including fast-growing

countries such as China

• promote the export of UK technology

and services, the import of best practice,

and the efforts of British energy

companies investing or trading abroad

• provide early warning of, and help

prevent, terrorist and other threats

to the energy infrastructure, and

encourage activity to improve

network resilience.


Department of Trade and Industry,

Department for Environment, Food and

Rural Affairs, Department for International

Development, HM Treasury, Ministry of

Defence, Devolved Administrations,

Department for Transport.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in: EU Partners, the US, Russia,

Japan and other G8 countries, OPEC

countries, Norway, Central Asia, Ukraine,

Angola, West Africa, China, India and Brazil.

Our Missions to: the EU, the UN,

the WTO, the International Financial

Institutions and the OECD.

41

Chart 10: World primary energy demand

Note: Mtoe = million tonnes of oil equivalent.

Source: International Energy Agency, Key World Energy Outlook, 2002.

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030M

toe

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

Oil

Natural gas

Coal

Nuclear power

Non-hydro renewables

Hydro power

8. Security and good governance of the UK’s Overseas Territories

The security and good governance of the

UK’s Overseas Territories is a responsibility

of the Government as a whole, co-

ordinated by the FCO. As well as meeting

our international legal obligations, our aim

will be to promote their quality of life and

support their long-term development.

We shall expect the Territories to observe

high standards of probity, law and order

and good government, and to observe

international commitments to which they

are bound by virtue of their relationship

with the UK.

Our policy on the Overseas Territories

was set out in a Government White Paper

in 1999 - Partnership for Progress and

Prosperity.


• improve the governance, environment

and security of the Overseas Territories

and encourage more diversified

economic development

• maintain a proper balance between

rights and responsibilities in the

constitutional relationships between

the UK and the Overseas Territories

• manage the impact of new

international obligations affecting

the Overseas Territories

42


Chart 11: Projected changes in oil production to 2020

Source: data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook, 2002.

2000 2020

Chart 12: Projected changes in gas production to 2020

Source: data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook, 2002.

2000 2020

• minimise the vulnerability of small

island Territories to economic changes,

international crime, natural disasters or

other developments

• co-operate effectively with other

Government Departments across

this agenda.

The Overseas Territories are: Anguilla*,

Bermuda*, British Antarctic Territory,

British Indian Ocean Territory, British

Virgin Islands*, Cayman Islands*, Cyprus

Sovereign Base Areas, Falkland Islands*,

Gibraltar*, Montserrat*, Pitcairn Islands,

St Helena* and Ascension and Tristan

da Cunha, South Georgia and the South

Sandwich Islands, and Turks and Caicos

Islands*.

* denotes Overseas Territories with a resident

Governor.

43

Delivering high quality public services

5Chapter

The challenges we face are:

• growing numbers of customers

• higher public expectations

• new delivery technologies, leading

to new opportunities and costs

• the need for consistency across

a global network

• increased scrutiny of our performance.

These issues have implications for our

working practices, our structures in

London and our presence around the

world. We need to be able to switch

resources quickly to respond to crises, to

meet changing demand, to identify ahead

the services customers will expect, and to

use new technology well.

Consular services

Consular work falls into two main areas:

passports and other document services,

and assistance to UK nationals travelling

or living abroad. The cost of issuing

passports overseas and providing other

document services is fully covered

through fees. Consular assistance is

funded by levying a small percentage

of the cost of every UK passport.

About 12 per cent of total FCO staff work

in this area - mostly local staff. We also

have a wide network of Honorary Consuls,

UK expatriates and local volunteers who

support our consular effort. We have

reciprocal obligations to provide consular

assistance to citizens of other EU and

Commonwealth countries where their

own governments do not have diplomatic

representation.

46


Alongside the policy issues discussed in chapter 4, delivering high quality services

to UK citizens around the world will be a top priority for the FCO. These services,

described in chapter 1 (page 6), are important for the prosperity of the UK and the

security of UK citizens at home and abroad. Our aim is to achieve consistent high

standards.

Specific aims will be to:

• establish clear guidelines on the

appropriate standards for consular

services and communicate these

to the public

• within these guidelines, ensure that UK

nationals facing difficulties abroad have

easy and continuous access to support

• further improve our arrangements

for offering travel advice

• adapt to legal changes and new

technologies, e.g. by including

biometric features on passports

• further develop techniques of rapid

deployment and response to major

emergencies

• improve consular co-operation with

other countries, especially in the EU

and the Commonwealth

• improve the professionalism and

training of consular staff.


Home Office, Department for

Constitutional Affairs.

Principal FCO Posts

Our consular service is global. The volume

of passports issued and cases handled

is highest where the numbers of UK

residents and visitors are highest. The

more complex and resource-intensive

cases often arise in more remote

countries, including places where

we do not have a Post.

47

P R O F I L E

EURO 2004:helping our citizens abroad

In 2004 Portugal will host football’s European championship,

the world’s third largest sporting event after the World Cup and

the Olympics. Tens of thousands of British fans are expected to

attend. Our Posts in Portugal have a key role in ensuring that

UK nationals are protected and in working with the Portuguese

authorities to avoid trouble.

Two years ago we started sharing

the experience of English clubs in

stewarding at football matches.

Our Embassy in Lisbon is working

closely with the Portuguese

security and football authorities

and has also provided advice on

UK legislation on football disorder

and banning orders.

A Football Attaché from the FCO

has been appointed and will

co-ordinate the Embassy effort.

During the tournament, our Posts

in Lisbon, Porto and Portimao will

be reinforced by specialist teams

from London who will respond to

incidents involving UK nationals.

The Embassy will use a container

office and video conferencing to

expand its capacity, and provide

mobile IT support for consular

teams so they can travel from

match to match.

Visa services

The global visa issuing operation will

remain a key part of the UK’s entry control

system over the next ten years. About

22 per cent of total FCO staff work for

UKvisas, alongside staff from the Home

Office. Their work is paid for by the

proceeds of the standard visa fee. As

worldwide demand for visas increases,

new approaches will be needed to

maintain the right balance between

good service and effective entry control.

Our visa issuing service is particularly

important for the reputation of the

FCO, and the UK, around the world.


• cut waiting times for all applicants

• reduce the number of straightforward

visa applicants who need to apply in

person

• improve visa processing through IT

improvements such as on-line visa

applications and e-payments, drawing

on private sector expertise

• improve knowledge management

systems to ensure better detection

of fraud and other irregularities

• increase flexibility to respond to

changing demand

• improve our service to non-applicants,

for example by providing prompt and

accurate information to MPs

48


Chart 13: UK residents’ visits abroad by main area of visit

North America

Europe

Other Countries

0 10 20 30 40 50

Millions

1981 1991 2001

Source: ONS,Travel Trends- a report on the 2001 International Passenger Survey, 2002.

• adapt to legal changes and new

technologies, e.g. by including biometric

features on visas

• develop co-operation with EU partners

and others.


Home Office, Department for Education

and Skills, Intelligence Agencies,

Department for Work and Pensions.

Also the British Council.

Principal FCO Posts

Our visa service is global. Demand is

highest in South Asia, Africa, East Asia, the

Middle East, and many Commonwealth

countries.

49

Chart 14: Visa applications for the ten highest visa issuing Posts

(2002/03) showing applications for 2001/02, 2002/03

and an estimate for 2003/04

New York

Madras

Istanbul

Islamabad

Bejing

Moscow

Accra

Bombay

New Delhi

Lagos

0 25,000 50,000 75,000 100,000 125,000 150,000

2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 (Estimate)

Source: FCO, UKvisas.

Applications

Services to business

In its “Strategy 2006” UK Trade and

Investment is refocusing its services on

areas where it can make most difference.

This means maintaining a close working

relationship with the UK regions on both

trade and inward investment. On the

trade side, it means focusing on helping

small and medium sized enterprises

to develop overseas business, while

continuing to give political advice and

support to larger companies.

UK Trade and Investment’s network

overseas is provided by FCO Posts. About

22 per cent of total FCO staff work for

UK Trade and Investment, accounting for

about nine per cent of the FCO’s budget.


• maintain the UK as a leading recipient

of inward investment in the EU

• reinforce the inward investment

network at home and abroad:

25 per cent increase in foreign direct

investment projects handled, and

75 per cent of location decisions

in favour of the UK

• meet targets of at least 30 per cent

of new exporters and 50 per cent of

established exporters improving their

business performance within two years,

and 70 per cent of companies who

receive assistance with major projects

reporting that our help was a significant

factor

• develop more exporting companies:

6,000 new exporters and 18,000

established exporters breaking into

new markets by 2006

• support UK companies’ business plans

to win major contracts in 300 projects

in foreign markets annually

• expand the number of trade

development teams with expertise

in specific industry sectors to cover

all major exporting UK industries

• ensure that FCO political and economic

advice is widely available to UK

business.


Department for Trade and Industry,

Devolved Administrations, Regional

Development Agencies, Ministry of

Defence.

Principal FCO Posts

Our Posts in major trading and investment

areas - western and central Europe, the US

and Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Turkey,

the Middle East, South Africa, South Asia,

South East and East Asia and Australia -

and Posts where there are niche

opportunities in smaller markets for UK

companies, for example the oil and gas

sector in Central Asia and parts of Africa.

50


Providing information

Our priority aim is to improve knowledge

of the UK and support for Government

policies, to promote the image of the UK

abroad, and by these means to influence

key opinion-formers overseas in support

of our policy.


• develop the FCO website and those

of our Posts and encourage greater

use of them

• provide high quality service to the

media through 24-hour access, daily

press conferences, interviews and

briefings

• strengthen our relationship with the

more than 1,700 foreign journalists

based in London

• continue to make the FCO more open

to the public through open days and

seminars

• engage NGOs, minority ethnic

communities and other interest groups

more closely in policy making

• use public diplomacy overseas to

support a wide range of Government

policy objectives, particularly in the EU

• ensure that all our Posts see public

diplomacy as a central task and have

the skills and support they need.


This is a cross-Government agenda,

including the Devolved Administrations.

The British Council is an important

partner.

Principal FCO Posts

In the UK and global, with particular

emphasis on EU accession states,

emerging powers such as China and

India, the US and other major developed

countries, and key Islamic countries.

51

Global influence:the FCO network abroad

6Chapter

Targeting the network

Demands are growing, while resources are

finite. We are now running some twenty-

five more Posts than in 1990. The shape

of our network should be driven by our

future priorities. To avoid overload we

need to focus on the issues and places

that matter most, and to shift resources

away from lowest priority activities.

For the reasons described in chapter 1,

having a Post on the ground is the

most effective form of diplomatic

representation in a country. Posts give

us people on the spot who know local

leaders, speak the language, and can

lobby, influence and appear in the media.

We will continue to have Posts of this sort

in many countries.

But some will be more important than

others. We are using new methods for

assessing the potential of each Post to

contribute to our objectives, as reflected

in the geographical priorities discussed in

chapters 4 and 5, to improve the way we

link our policy and public service priorities

54

Global influence: the FCO network abroad

In chapter 1 we set out the role of the FCO and the ways in which it serves

the Government and UK citizens. Chapter 2 analysed the changing nature of

international affairs and the complexity of the issues we expect to have to deal

with. Chapter 3 showed that in order to achieve results we will need to work with

other countries and through international organisations. The priorities set out in

chapters 4 and 5 provide direction and focus for FCO work in the coming years.

In order to pursue these priorities, and to develop our key relationships, we shall

continue to require a network of Posts that gives us the ability to influence people

and governments around the world, and staff who accept a worldwide mobility

obligation. Recent events have also underlined the importance of being able to

respond to crises wherever they occur.

Maintaining an effective network that gives us global reach, adequately resourced

to do the job, is our highest management priority. Our “administration” budget,

described in chapter 1, supports this presence across the world and hence our

most vital contributions: advice, influence, advocacy and public service.

55

with the shape of our network of Posts

overseas. This will enable us to put the

right sort and level of resources in the

right places to deliver results. To get

the full benefit of this, we need greater

capacity to re-deploy. At present, because

our network of Posts and the staff in them

is so wide, fixed costs absorb a large share

of our budget, leaving relatively little room

for manoeuvre.

One way to achieve greater flexibility

will be to consider alternative forms of

representation. With new technology, and

a growing range of options, a traditional

Post may no longer be needed in a

country that has little impact on the

achievement of our priorities, and where

demand for our services is low. In such

cases, we are assessing what level of

influence we require and how this can

most efficiently be achieved.

The possibilities include:

• greater use in some areas of

“hub and spoke” arrangements

• closer co-operation with DFID on

the roles of senior personnel abroad

• representation by local staff only

• accreditation to some countries of

staff who work primarily from London

• better mobile IT capabilities, video and

telephone conferencing to allow more

flexible working abroad while staying

plugged in to London

P R O F I L E

Human rights:global issues, global influence

Freedom from torture is a fundamental human right, but many

countries have yet to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture.

The FCO is lobbying governments worldwide to do this, and to

sign an Optional Protocol to the Convention that will establish

a system of regular, independent visits to places of detention.

The FCO is also working with

NGOs and others to promote

practical improvements on the

ground. In 2000 we funded a

Torture Reporting Handbook,

produced by Essex University,

to help doctors and lawyers to

document and report cases of

torture. Over 20,000 copies have

been distributed in seven

languages throughout the world,

and it is being used by NGOs and

lawyers in many countries.

In June 2003, the Foreign

Secretary launched a manual,

“Combating Torture”, which

outlines the responsibilities

of judges and prosecutors to

prevent and investigate acts of

torture. Our overseas Posts are

distributing it and training

people to use it effectively.

• wider use of special envoys on

particular policy issues

• closer co-operation with EU and

Commonwealth partners.

In making decisions on levels and forms

of representation across the world

we will take account of the full costs,

including the need for information and

communications technology which gives

us a flexible, global on-line organisation,

the political implications at home and

abroad, and the need to ensure the safety

and security of our staff.

Using Posts well

As IT permits greater integration between

London and Posts, there will be scope to

eliminate duplication. We are piloting new

ways of increasing the involvement of

Posts in work previously done in London.

The aim is to break down the mindset

that “policy is made in London and

executed abroad” and to reduce the

resources we devote in London to

managing routine bilateral diplomatic

relations.

Many of our Posts are now very small.

Small Posts can be highly effective,

provided that they are not hampered

by a heavy administrative load, severe

security restrictions, or inadequate

communications, and that they have

a few, clear priorities. We have set up

a group in London to respond to the

concerns of small Posts on these points.

Work to clarify the role of Posts and how

they are resourced should also help us

to ensure that small Posts are not below

a viable minimum size.

Future demands

We expect that demands on our network

from across Government will increase

in future as international issues become

more central to domestic policy, and

co-ordination between Government

Departments improves. Our emphasis

on focus and greater flexibility should put

us in shape to respond to many of those

demands; but additional resources will

in some cases be needed.

56

Global influence: the FCO network abroad

How we work:organisation, themes and targets

7Chapter

Focusing resources on priorities

Chapter 6 explains how we will target

our network overseas to deliver strategic

priorities. To do this well we also need the

right organisation in London to ensure

that financial and human resources both

at home and abroad are directed towards

the most important areas of work. We are

reviewing ways in which we may be able

to make improvements.

We are also introducing new resource

management systems which will improve

our ability to assess the costs and

activities of our Posts. This should help us

to match financial resources to changing

priorities in a more dynamic way. As a

guiding principle we should be capable of

shifting at least five per cent of staff and

budgets from lower to higher priorities in

any three-year spending period. In the first

instance, we aim to move ten per cent of

resources from administration functions

in London to front line policy and service

functions by April 2005.

Flexible and responsive

Earlier chapters show that we need

to be able to respond fast to changing

circumstances. To achieve greater financial

flexibility we have decided to retain a

Departmental Reserve equivalent to two

per cent of our budget resources at the

start of each year. We will extend the

concept of rapid reaction teams for

consular work to crisis management in

other areas of FCO work. We are also

considering a new, centrally-managed

cadre of reserve staff who can be

switched quickly to new priority work.

58

How we work: organisation, themes and targets

Successful modernisation of the FCO will depend not only on identifying the right

priorities and having a well targeted network, but also on the way we work and our

culture as an organisation. The quality of what we do depends above all on the

quality of our staff. In this we are fortunate. FCO staff are dedicated, good at solving

problems and ready to adapt with great flexibility to the unusual demands of the

job. It is important that they are well organised and managed to allow them to

perform to high standards.

This chapter describes the four key themes that guide the programme of internal

changes we have started in the FCO to implement this Strategy, and sets some

medium term targets.

We are thinking ahead about the

opportunities technological advances

continue to open up, for example in video

conferencing, our intranet and mobile

telephony, and especially in confidential

remote working. Using this new

technology, and building on the

organisational changes described in

chapter 6 and closer co-operation with

others, our working practices can become

more flexible and less compartmentalised.

Diversity: a wider range of people,skills and experience

To undertake such a varied range of

activities we shall need to continue to

recruit high calibre staff, with a wide mix

of skills, and offer them motivating and

rewarding opportunities. Our new human

resources plan will define the sorts of

people and skills we need.

We aim to strike the right balance

between specialist and non-specialist staff

and to develop greater professionalism in

specialist areas and in management. This

may require more flexibility in the terms

of service we offer to different categories

of staff. It will be essential to ensure that

our internal appointment process and

reward system give fair recognition to

the diverse skills of all our staff, including

experience gained outside the FCO.

We are taking steps to reduce barriers

dividing UK-based and local staff, and to

improve the way we manage local staff

to make better use of their talents and

knowledge.

Particularly at middle and senior levels,

we shall need to draw on a more diverse

group of people, with a wider range of

backgrounds and experience, keeping

up with the pace of change in the UK 14.

We will combat discrimination, promote

equal opportunity and take action to

show under-represented groups that they

are welcome in today’s FCO and can reach

the top. Of our present UK-based staff,

40% are female and almost 6% from

ethnic minorities. But we are less diverse

at senior levels. By 2005 our aim is to have

20% women, 2% minority ethnic and 3%

disabled staff in our senior management

structure. We now have 20 female Heads

of Post. Our first Ambassadors from

minority ethnic communities will take

up their appointments in 2004. But we

have much more to do.

Giving staff a wider range of choices

about how they work, and responding to

the variety of their needs, will help us to

achieve these aims15. One aspect of this

will be to ensure that our arrangements

for supporting staff overseas encourage

mobility and flexibility and as far as

possible take account of their diverse

personal circumstances16.

Our efforts to develop more interchange

with the public, private and voluntary

sectors should improve our specialist skills

and our knowledge of those who use our

services. We aim to double outward

secondments from the FCO by 2006.

14 Women entering higher education

now outnumber men.The percentage

of women of working age in

employment has increased from 59%

in1984 to 70% today. Minority ethnic

groups make up 8% of the

UK population (Source: ONS).

15 In 2003 there were 6.3 million

employees working part time in the

UK, of whom 5.1 million were women

(Source: Labour Force Survey). In 2001,

around 20% of employees working full

time and 23% of workers working part

time had adopted some type of flexible

working arrangement (Source: ONS).

16 Family structures in the UK are

changing. More people now have

elderly dependents. Married couples

now make up only 51% of the adult

population in England and Wales.

A greater number of people now live

alone (Source: ONS). More than 50%

of couples in the UK now have a dual

income (Department of Work and

Pensions).

59

Meeting customer needs

Across the whole range of our activity -

including our core policy work - we will

focus on delivering targeted and specific

outcomes. This must involve making our

policy processes more open. We are also

giving greater priority, including through

regular, published stakeholder surveys, to

ensuring that we have feedback on our

performance. Through recruitment and

training we will ensure that we have the

right blend of managerial, service and

policy skills, and that our senior staff are

experienced in all three.

Chapter 5 sets out in more detail our

targets for the services we provide to

UK citizens and business.

60

How we work: organisation, themes and targets

P R O F I L E

Rapid response to change in Iraq

The war in Iraq and its aftermath have been a huge

organisational challenge for the FCO, underlining the need for

flexible and imaginative responses to fast-changing events.

To cope with the increase of

diplomatic activity on Iraq during

2003, we redeployed over five

percent of staff in London away

from other work. After Baghdad

fell to coalition forces, the

UK quickly re-established a

diplomatic presence in the city,

using one of the FCO’s new

“freight container Embassies”

and an improvised satellite

internet connection for

communication. Shortly after that

the Prime Minister appointed a

Special Representative to Iraq,

based in Baghdad.

This was not just about

redeploying staff quickly to a high

risk area. It was about finding

people with the right skills, from

fluency in Arabic, to experience

of working in war zones with

British troops or of operating in

unfamiliar organisations with

other nationalities.

Implementing the Strategy

8Chapter

The priorities in chapters 4 and 5 are

already guiding resource allocation

decisions. The Strategy will be the basis of

our resource bid in the 2004 Government

Spending Round, and of our new formal

objectives and PSA targets in the next

spending period. These will be

implemented through our future Business

Plans and through specific strategies in

particular areas, from energy security to

consular work.

The Strategy will also be the basis for

closer work with other Government

Departments to improve co-ordination,

secondments, teamwork and shared

objective setting.

The Strategy will from now on be the

central management tool against which

we measure the performance of Posts and

the different parts of the FCO in London.

Individual members of staff will use it to

organise and prioritise their work.

Our internal Departmental Change

Programme draws together our plans

for changing our organisation and the

way we work in a series of detailed,

co-ordinated and time-limited internal

reforms. It will ensure that changes we

make in different parts of the FCO are

consistent and designed to help us

achieve our overall strategic priorities.

Circumstances will change. This Strategy

will need to evolve if it is to remain

relevant. We will review it every two

years, inviting external contributions.

62

Implementing the Strategy

This Strategy provides a medium term vision to guide all areas of our work.

We are implementing it in the following ways.

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