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Preserving Britain's influence will require more than a redeployment of its diplomats

The Foreign Secretary has announced Britain will create new embassies and redeploy diplomats.

The Foreign Secretary has announced Britain will create new embassies and redeploy diplomats. Whilst this recalibration of Britain’s diplomatic assets reflects the shifting balance of power in international politics, it is only a partial solution.

On Wednesday, the Foreign Secretary William Hague gave a statement to the House of Commons on the future of Britain's diplomatic network. Hague announced the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) would open five new embassies in El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan and South Sudan, as well as in Madagascar and Somalia (once safe to do so). But more importantly, Hague declared that the FCO would bolster staff numbers for Britain’s diplomatic missions in China, India, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey, whilst shrinking those in Europe. In doing so, the Foreign Secretary has responded deftly to global trends and made good on his promise to protect Britain’s diplomatic network from the worst of the Government’s spending cuts. But does building more embassies and relocating staff equate to preserving Britain’s global influence? Not necessarily. The changing nature of global politics Last week the Institute hosted a roundtable discussion with Harvard professor and former US Assistant Secretary of Defense, Joseph Nye, known widely for his work on Soft Power. (You can listen to a podcast below.) Professor Nye gave a concise account of the changing nature of power in global politics, and touched on how states will need to adjust their strategies accordingly. The key theme of his latest book, The Future of Power, concerns the diffusion of global power – not just between states, but away from states altogether, towards non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Combined with the proliferation and rapid movement of information, governments face a much more activist global public, evidenced in the Arab uprisings and the revelations of Wikileaks. The effects of these global shifts mean that states are now operating in a more crowded space, where the volume of information is overwhelming, and the speed at which that information circulates is dizzying. As a result, a state's international influence will hinge on its ability to capture the attention of others, weave a positive national narrative, and mobilise trans-national networks by co-opting other states and NGOs through attraction – using soft power. A partial solution For the FCO – and the Government at large – meeting the challenges identified by Professor Nye will require new strategies and approaches. Of the key points arising from our roundtable, the Government should look to:
  • develop a coordinated, cross-departmental approach to generate and leverage Britain’s considerable soft power resources
  • employ a balanced strategy of public diplomacy, ensuring adequate reach, depth of contact, and clarity of the UK’s global narrative
  • build, support and shape networks of states and NGOs – both internationally and within countries at the embassy level.
Hague’s announcement in Parliament this week clearly demonstrates an understanding that Britain will have to adjust its approach to foreign policy. But a redeployment of Britain’s diplomats is only a partial solution.
Publisher
Institute for Government

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